Bronze Furniture Design · 2022
Shade Partition Shelf
- A' Design Award 2022 Bronze Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 10,921
- Verification code 9046258D3B · Verify this award
About Shade Partition Shelf
Shade is a partition shelf based on the shoji, a Japanese sliding door made of wooden frames and thin Japanese paper. The frame and side panels are made of cedar wood, and the thin paper, known as washi, is pasted onto the wooden frames. The shadows of objects behind the shelf can be seen through the washi. The appearance can be altered by using different types of washi, by leaving some frames uncovered, or by moving the frames. Wooden dowels join the parts, and a special mold allows the washi to be replaced without distortion.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The materials used are soft and light cedar wood and thin and strong Japanese paper which is called Washi. Washi is pasted on the wooden frame so that you can enjoy the shadows of objects that can be seen through it or you can also enjoy by changing to the different kinds of Washi. You can also change the appearance of the shelf by creating a surface with or without Washi, or by moving the wooden frame.
The unique texture or looks by using Washi produces an atmosphere that cannot be created with other materials. - Dimensions & Packaging
- W555 H1500 D200 (1frame W555 H280)
- Tags
- Japanese Paper, Washi, Partition, Shelf, Wood, Furniture, Design
- Production Technology
- The wooden frame and side panels of the shelf are made of vertical grain, the top panel is made of knotty grain, and wooden dowels are used for the joint surface.
- Design Challenge
- Distortion caused by the expansion and contraction of the wooden frame when replacing the Washi was an issue, but we solved it by making a special mold.We tried various types of Washi that are not used for shoji screens, but most of them can be pasted and you can enjoy using different types of paper.
- Project Duration
- The project started in April 2019 in Japan and finished December 2021 in Japan.
- Operation Flow
- How to re-cover Washi
1. Remove the wooden frame from the shelf and fit it into the special mold.
2. Apply glue to the wooden frame.
3. Paste washi cut to the size of the wooden frame.
4. Spray water with a mist spray.
5. After drying, remove from the mold to finish. - Research
- By using cedar wood, which is rarely used for furniture because it is soft and easily scratched, as the main material for the shelves, and by combining cedar wood with washi, we thought of the value of using cedar wood, which is abundant in Japan. We believe that by incorporating the goodness of shoji into shelves, we can create new goodness.
- Inspiration
- This furniture is the shelf which basde on the Shoji that is Japanese sliding doors consisting of wooden frames and thin Japanese paper.
By incorporating Japanese cultural fittings into furniture and applying Washi to more familiar stuff such as wooden frame, the delicacy of each material creates a comfortable tension and warmth in the space. - Image Credits
- Image #1 Designer Yuto Hiramatsu, Front view of shelf, Year 2020
Image #2 Designer Yuto Hiramatsu, Wooden frame, Washi and special formwork, Year 2020
Image #3 Designer Yuto Hiramatsu, In use (with shadow emerging), Year 2020
Image #4 Designer Yuto Hiramatsu, Washi being pasted on a wooden frame, Year 2020
Image #5 Designer Yuto Hiramatsu, Finished applying Washi paper to a wooden frame, Year 2020