Figured White Ash and Ai-Urushi | Custom Furniture for Oku-Yugawara YUI
We had the opportunity to create custom tables and chairs for the dining area of Oku-Yugawara YUI, a luxury retreat in Oku-Yugawara, Kanagawa, Japan.
This project began not by selecting furniture from existing products, but by considering from the ground up what kind of furniture should be created specifically for this space.
The wood species, grain, veneer composition, finish, and the design and structure of the table legs were all carefully considered.
Starting with MORI KOUGEI’s expertise in wood veneer, the project brought together specialists in furniture design, furniture making, and Ai-Urushi indigo lacquer, each contributing their own skills and knowledge to create the finished pieces.
Creating a Table from the Ground Up for the Space
What was required was more than simply a table for dining. The furniture needed to remain in the memories of guests and become an integral part of the atmosphere and identity of the dining space itself.
For the tabletops, white ash with distinctive curly figure was selected.
Through our discussions with Okumura, MORI KOUGEI proposed a particular white ash with a pronounced shimmering figure known in Japanese as chijimi.
Rather than presenting a large number of wood species and finishes to choose from, we listened carefully to the desired atmosphere of the space and the direction envisioned for the materials. We then introduced a wood that we felt would be particularly well suited to the project. As its characteristics were explored together, the decision to use this white ash emerged naturally.
Making “Chijimi” — a Figure Often Avoided — the Focal Point
No two pieces of wood have exactly the same character.
The white ash used for this project displayed a particularly strong form of chijimi, a shimmering figure created by subtle variations in the wood fibers.
Depending on the viewing angle and the way light falls across the surface, a distinctive luster emerges within the grain, causing its appearance to change dramatically.
When white ash is selected for conventional applications, areas with pronounced figure like this may sometimes be avoided in favor of greater visual uniformity.
For this project, however, we chose to see this characteristic not as an imperfection, but as a unique expression of the tree itself.
Among the white ash held by MORI KOUGEI, we proposed a particularly distinctive piece in which the shimmering figure appeared strongly, incorporating its natural character as a central element of the tabletop design.
The powerful flow of the white ash grain is complemented by a distinctive luster that appears within it.
The way the wood changes expression according to light and viewing position became one of the defining characteristics of the furniture created for this space.
Two Expressions from the Same White Ash
The tables created for this project began with the same white ash, yet were developed into two distinctly different expressions.
One finish allows the powerful grain and shimmering curly figure of the white ash itself to take center stage.
The other applies Ai-Urushi, an indigo urushi lacquer, over the white ash.
Although both use the same wood, one celebrates its natural color and luster, while the other layers the deep color of Ai-Urushi over its surface.
Despite their different finishes, the shared presence of the wood grain creates a natural connection between the tables within the same interior.
Layering White Ash with “Ai-Urushi”
For the Ai-Urushi tables, MORI KOUGEI first carried out the veneer work and fabricated the tabletop substrates. The tabletops were then transported to Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi in Kyoto, where the Ai-Urushi finish was applied.
“Ai-Urushi” is a lacquer created by combining indigo pigment with traditional Japanese urushi lacquer.
Indigo and urushi are both natural materials that have been used in Japan for centuries. Drawing on many years of experience working with lacquer, Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi explored the possibilities of bringing these two materials together through extensive experimentation, resulting in the distinctive expression known as Ai-Urushi.
For this project, MORI KOUGEI sought to combine the distinctive curly figure of white ash with Ai-Urushi in a way that would preserve the natural expression of the wood while introducing the depth and color of the lacquer.
Indigo, urushi, and wood are all materials derived from nature.
As a result, they do not produce perfectly uniform colors or surfaces in the way industrially manufactured materials might.
The individuality of each piece of wood, the shimmer of the curly figure, the color of the indigo, and the character of the urushi all contribute to the final expression.
These subtle variations overlap to create a unique sense of depth in every table.
The deep indigo tone of Ai-Urushi is layered over the powerful grain of the white ash, allowing both the grain and color to emerge differently depending on the angle of view and the light.
Rather than concealing the wood beneath an opaque coating, the finish preserves its natural expression while adding the color and depth of Ai-Urushi.
This became one of the defining finishes of the project.
Turning the Idea of “U-Shaped Legs” into Functional Furniture
One of the elements that required particularly careful consideration was the design of the table legs.
One of the design requests was that “the legs should appear U-shaped.”
The intention was to support the substantial tabletop while keeping the legs visually clean and understated.
However, a table is not only a sculptural object; it is also furniture that will be used by many people every day.
Rather than simply creating a U-shaped form, we needed to consider the strength required to support the large tabletop, resistance to lateral forces, joinery, fabrication methods, installation and transportation, as well as how the legs would appear within the space.
Chiba Design, Isutoku, and MORI KOUGEI therefore worked together to refine the design.
The challenge was to retain the light visual impression of a “U-shaped” leg while ensuring the structural strength required of a table.
“To appear U-shaped”
“To look clean and understated within the space”
“To remain strong and dependable for many years of use”
We developed the form and construction method of the legs with the aim of achieving all three objectives simultaneously.
Transportation to the site and future maintenance were also taken into consideration, resulting in a structure that can be assembled and disassembled on site.
The finished form appears simple.
Yet behind that simplicity lies extensive consideration of structure, strength, and fabrication methods.
The final leg design emerged through the intersection of design, engineering, and craftsmanship.
Creating Something That No Single Workshop Could Make Alone
The furniture for this project was not created by MORI KOUGEI alone.
Wood veneer, furniture design, furniture making, and Ai-Urushi lacquer finishing.
Craftspeople and specialists from different fields brought together their knowledge and expertise for a single space and a single collection of furniture.
MORI KOUGEI was responsible for its specialist field of wood veneer work and tabletop fabrication.
Our role was also to understand the character of the material, consider how best to reveal its qualities, and connect the different areas of specialist craftsmanship within a single piece of furniture.
Rather than attempting to complete everything within one company, the project brought together knowledge and techniques cultivated in different fields.
Behind the finished furniture lies the work of many makers whose contributions may not be immediately visible in the completed pieces.
Furniture Completing the Space
Once the completed tables and chairs were delivered to the dining area of Oku-Yugawara YUI, the furniture was finally placed in the environment for which it had been created.
The powerful grain of figured white ash and its luster shifting with the light.
The deep indigo tones of Ai-Urushi, while allowing the expression of the wood beneath to remain visible.
And the legs, designed to appear as clean U-shaped forms while supporting the substantial tabletops.
Rather than allowing each element to assert itself independently, the intention was for them to come together as a single landscape within the space.
Following the installation, Okumura shared these generous words with us:
“Our guests and everyone involved have been deeply impressed. The furniture has elevated the dining space and given it an even greater sense of refinement.”
Making furniture itself is not the final objective.
Furniture becomes part of a space, welcomes people, and ultimately becomes part of the time and experiences they have there.
We look forward to seeing how these pieces will be used in this setting and how their character will continue to evolve over time.
Transforming the Individual Character of a Material into Value
The chijimi figure found in the white ash used for this project is a characteristic that may sometimes be avoided in conventional material selection.
Seen from another perspective, however, it is an expression that belongs uniquely to that particular tree.
Rather than regarding uniformity as the only measure of value, we believe in discovering the individuality within each piece of wood and considering how that character can best be brought to life.
When design, woodworking, lacquer, and other specialist techniques are added to the material, the wood reveals yet another expression.
This project was also an exploration of how a characteristic of wood that might ordinarily be avoided can instead become the starting point for creating new value within a space.
No two pieces of natural wood are exactly alike.
That is why, rather than simply making materials uniform, we look closely at the individual qualities already present in the wood and consider what can emerge from them.
For MORI KOUGEI, whose work is rooted in an ongoing engagement with wood veneer, this project once again revealed the fascination and possibilities inherent in the material.
PROJECT CREDIT
Property: Oku-Yugawara YUI
Custom Furniture: Tables & Chairs
Wood: Figured White Ash / Curly White Ash
Special Finish: Ai-Urushi (Indigo Urushi Lacquer)
Design: Chiba Design
Wood Veneer & Tabletop Fabrication: MORI KOUGEI CO., LTD.
Ai-Urushi: Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi
Furniture Fabrication: Isutoku
