naoto fukasawa refines warmth in the workspace with solid wood collection for kettal

designboom speaks with naoto fukasawa for kettal

Chairs and desks made of solid wood are not very common in the office environment. With his ‘A’ collection for Kettal, Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa brings warmth to work. The family of products integrates the aesthetic of home furniture with functionality, sustainability, and harmony. During Salone del Mobile 2023, designboom spoke with the creator to find out more about the stackable armchairs, tables, table lamp, screen partition, and USB ports and sockets.

Naoto Fukasawa’s ‘A’ collection for Kettal brings warmth in the work environment with natural and dark oak wood

all images courtesy of Kettal

Kettal kicked-off its journey into the outdoors furniture market in 1966 with an international calling to design and original ideas. Since the beginning of its inception, the Spanish furniture brand has been striving to create collections that are timeless and contemporary, realized in a sustainable way by combining creativity, personality, and modern production methods. In 2018, the company started collaborating with designer, professor, and curator Naoto Fukasawa for the Half Dome outdoors lamp – a product known for its endless variations of lighting depending on sky situations and seasonal characteristics. Then, in 2022, Kettal revealed the designer’s Tou chair made as a modest tribute to the ancient handicraft of rattan and reed wickerwork – an essential element in the development of both western and eastern cultures.

‘I like the challenging and wide vision that Kettal shows. I’ve developed a very good relationship with them. They always explore and experiment with materials, from ceramics to 3D printing plastic rattan – it’s not just about craftsmanship. They are very smart with looking for ways to combine materials and techniques,’ begins Naoto Fukasawa as he introduces to designboom to his collaboration with Kettal.

collection A consists of a stackable armchair, with upholstered seat and backrest, and tables in three sizes: Home Deck, Meeting Table and Workstation, in natural and dark oak wood

fukasawa’s philosophy and the ‘a’ collection

Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa was born in Yamanashi, Japan in 1956. He is known for taking upon a wide variety of fields, from minimal tea kettles to architecture and interiors. His works speak of a union between simple and dynamic lines also evident in his ‘A’ collection for Kettal, characterized for the minimal wooden round bars that do not cast any strong line shadows in the space.

‘In this field of design exists the power of simplicity. Many projects continue to happen and evolve, but at the end of the day the manufacturers and the market choose the simpler and stronger design. So, I would say that I don’t always strive to be simple, but to also present something that is strong enough to attract people’s eyes as well as their touch – a tangible eye I would call it,’ remarks the designer.

accessories from the same collection, like the ceramic sockets and USB ports, can be incorporated into the Home Deck and Workstation tables

The family of office products includes a stackable armchair with upholstered seat and backrest, tables in three sizes (Home Desk, Meeting Table and Workstation), a table lamp in ceramic, a desk divider in natural wicker, and ceramic sockets and USB ports. The concept of ‘A’ is to integrate the home and office together, thus the choice of designing furniture that can be placed in any room and still be functional. The variations in natural and dark oak wood add even more flexibility depending on the room and the personal style of the user.

‘After COVID, people feel the need for a simple union between their work and their home, which is why bringing warmth into the office was essential. The result is the table system with its chairs, that is extremely flexible and can act as a lounge, conference, dining or office space – could be anything really. The line in the middle works like an interface for connecting the electric and lighting as well as the rattan partition, a strong feature I would say. The main feature of the table is the A-shaped leg – that’s where the collection got its name,’ describes Fukasawa.

desk divider, front and side, in natural wicker

‘the table leg was the most difficult part both structurally and visually,’ admits Fukasawa

The accessories, such as the rattan screen divider, the table lamp and USB ports, can be integrated on the table to create the desired office environment. For the electric devices, wires run through the wooden tube fixed under the table’s working surface, which extends to the legs. Through a hole, the cables exit the structure and connect to the plug.

‘For the table, the leg was the most difficult part both structurally and visually. Normally, tables have four single legs, but we didn’t want that as we needed the electric wiring inside the tube. We didn’t want to disturb the central beam nor the way that the chairs would fit with the table,’ explains the designer.

the feature of the table is the ‘A’ shaped leg – that’s how the collection got its name

The ‘A’ series is adapted for a small number of people who wish to work together. The idea was not to create a huge office space as, according to the designer, these don’t exist anymore. Although created for the indoors, the collection may also be adapted for the outdoors.

‘We didn’t have a very big vision for our system. This is just the starting point and it just focuses on a small number of people working together. We are not making a huge, huge office – they don’t even exist anymore. Furthermore, we are considering this collection to be adapted for the outdoors, because someone might want to work outside too,‘ concludes Naoto Fukasawa to designboom.