Pioneered in 2002 by Canadian-born principal Oki Sato, the Tokyo design practice Nendo has created retail showrooms for brands like Camper, Puma, and Issey Miyake while simultaneously designing furniture and products for manufacturers around the globe. This year at the 53rd annual Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Nendo launched no fewer than 20 products at the fair and FuoriSalone events around town. From furniture (Desalto) to shoes (Tod’s) to kitchen and bath items (Scavolini), Nendo’s minimalist designs possess a luxe subtlety that has found a place in the global market.

“It’s about flexibility,” Sato explains. “Nendo means ‘play dough’ in Japanese. It’s not about copying and pasting or placing a signature [on a product]. It’s about adapting to different situations, respecting the history and the heritage of the brand. The designer needs to tell that story in different ways,” Sato says.

During the 2012 edition of Eurocucina, Nendo joined forces with Bisazza, the Italian tile and mosaic company, in launching Bisazza Bagno. This year, it returned to present both a bath and a kitchen collection called Ki for another celebrated Italian brand, Scavolini . The word ki translates to “bowl” but also “wood” in Japanese, underlining the adaptable design of modular white containers that rest on wood shelves and can serve as a sink or stovetop. “These collections show that everything is getting very close. It doesn’t make sense to put a name on a room,” Sato says, explaining the blurred boundaries between various areas in the home.

“The goal is to tell the brand story, but in the end it has to be true,” Sato says of his designs. “I find ideas within my client. If I have to explain, it’s not good. Good design is something that is easily understood.”

To learn more about the Ki collection, which will be available in the States in the future, visit scavolini.us

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