Case Study

N = N simply means: Nichetto = Nendo or Nendo = Nichetto. It stands for the dialog between Luca Nichetto and Oki Sato. In 2013 the two designers met for a coffee and had a chat about design and collaborations between designers such as Sottsass and Kuramata and about how they could approach a collaboration themselves. Oki Sato came up with an idea on how to work together without the two being in the same place. Japanese poetry inspired the mechanism, via a process of combining ideas where one person starts the poem and the other person completes it. Emulating this process, Oki sent his draft ideas to Luca, who continued work on them to then send them back to Oki. And so it went back and forth to result in seven different products and most importantly - a friendship.

Bridges For Islands is a sofa that divides into small, modular components. Inspired by the narrow bridges that connect Venice’s archipelago, its slender legs and cloud-like cushions appear to float, as if over water. Two different sized wooden side tables can be connected to the sofa system.

The Paper Ice Cream lamp is inspired by the pleasures of a sweet treat.Its delicate washi paper dome evokes a soft mound of ice cream, while the floor version’s Japanese cypress wood legs resemble lolly sticks. Enhanced by the paper fibres, its gentle glow adds an ambience to its environment.

Fish Skin On The Roof is a rug composed of small, overlapping parts, allowing its form, colour and size to change. Crafted from thin felt circles, the rug resembles fish scales. The numerous connecting points allow for the concealment of home appliances. Portable Pot is a carved cork stool with a retractable metal handle, inspired by its namesake. The handle allows it to be easily picked up and carried, but it can also be folded back into the stool for seating comfort.

Inspired by electric anti-fog wiring in a car’s rear window, Trellis Bandaged is a room divider. Its three-dimensional metal frame is decorated with highly stretchable fabric pouches, which can be used as storage and be adapted to suit the user’s needs.