Some pieces of contemporary furniture try to command attention with statement-making forms, while others aim to seduce with pared-down, meticulously detailed perfection. Nendo is remarkable in its ability to blend these two seemingly disparate qualities in objects that are simultaneously provocative and beautiful in their simplicity. And this ability has made the Tokyo- and Milan-based studio one of the most sought-after design firms of the moment.
Nendo is best known for its expansive portfolio of furniture and accessories designed for such luxury makers as Baccarat, Bisazza, Boffi, Cappellini, De Padova, Emeco, FLOS, Foscarini, Fritz Hansen, Kartell, Lasvit, Louis Poulsen, Moroso and Swarovski, as well as for the one-off and limited-edition pieces presented by galleries like New York’s Friedman Benda. But its range is much broader.
Nendo’s full oeuvre runs the gamut from product packaging for such brands as Coca-Cola and Kenzo to large-scale urban-planning and architecture projects, including Tenri Station Plaza CoFuFun, which populated the space in front of a Japanese rail terminal with a series of conical pavilions, turning it into a sort of urban playground for people of all ages.
Whatever the undertaking, the studio’s approach remains the same: embodying lighthearted insights into the human experience in minimalist forms and details. Nendo’s Gaku collection, for the legendary lighting company FLOS, for instance, is based on a simple cup-shaped lamp in a square frame, which can be personalized and changed over time by adding magnetic accessories, including a bookend, mirror, vase and bowl, making it almost as playful as a grown-up dollhouse.
The now iconic Cabbage chair, Nendo’s most recognizable design, offers a whimsical way to deal with trash from the fashion industry. A fat roll of discarded paper used in the production of Issey Miyake’s pleated fabric is simply cut down the middle and its individual layers peeled open to create a seat.
It wasn’t always evident that chief designer and Nendo cofounder Oki Sato would spend his life finding subtle surprises in tables, floor lamps and chairs. He was born in Toronto, where his father worked for Pioneer Electronics, and moved with his family to Tokyo when he was 11. He studied architecture at Waseda University but found the program a little too narrow and rigid for his liking.
After graduating, in 2002, he traveled with friends to the Salone del Mobile in Milan and stumbled into the biggest aha moment of his life: He realized that architects could do more than design buildings — they could also design furniture, lighting and other objects. And the architects at the fair appeared to be enjoying plenty of creative freedom while doing so.
Upon returning to Tokyo, he founded Nendo, whose name means “flexible clay” in Japanese, with his classmate Akihiro Ito, the firm’s managing director. In 2005, they established a second office, in Milan. Within a few years, Nendo had become an omnipresent name at the fair that had inspired them.
Nendo’s wares have been acquired by such institutions as New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; London’s Victoria and Albert; and Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Centre Pompidou.
Find Nendo furniture on 1stDibs.
Creek Coffee Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Creek coffee table by Nendo. Materials: Top: Powder coated metal (Also available in solid wood) Structure: Black chrome metal Dimensions: W 60 x D 60 x H 31.7 cm. Creek is a t...
Metal
Creek Coffee Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Creek coffee table by Nendo Materials: Top: Powder coated metal Structure: Chrome metal Dimensions: W90 x D60 x H31.7 cm Creek is a table that suggests a stream of water flowi...
Metal
La Manufacture-Paris Trio Table Designed by Nendo
By Nendo
Located in New York, NY
At first sight, Trio is a side table that consists of three transparent bowls overlapping one another. The opening of each bowl is covered with either a glass, metal or wood top. Th...
Metal
Trio Side Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Trio side table by Nendo. Materials: top: noce canaletto solid wood, glass or metal. Structure: black chrome metal, black/Light grey /coral / dark Green powder-coated metal. Dimensions: W 84.7 x D 76.3 x H 33.9 cm. Customization are available. At first sight, Trio is a side table that consists of three transparent bowls overlapping one another. The opening of each bowl is covered with either a glass, metal or wood top. The shape of the bowl is suggested by a single curved line — seemingly a spectacular feat of balance, yet the result is surprisingly stable, with each shape secured to the others in two different points. This single-leg structure supports several table tops, contrasting with more traditional table...
Metal
Creek Coffee Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Creek coffee table by Nendo Materials: Top: Powder coated metal (Also available in solid wood) Structure: Chrome metal Dimensions: W 60 x D 60 x H 31.7 cm Creek is a table that...
Metal
La Manufacture-Paris Creek Table Designed by Nendo
By Nendo
Located in New York, NY
Creek is a table that suggests a stream of water flowing freely across its surface and around islands, circling around the table tops placed in opposite corners. The tables come in ...
Metal
Creek Coffee Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Creek coffee table by Nendo Materials: Top: solid wood Structure: Black chrome metal Dimensions: W60 x D60 x H31.7 cm Creek is a table that suggests a stream of water flowing...
Metal
Trio Side Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Trio side table by Nendo Materials: Top: Noce Canaletto solid wood, Glass or Metal Structure: Black chrome metal, Black/Light grey NCS 2002 Y50R/Coral NCS 2570 Y70R /Dark Green...
Metal
Trio Side Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Trio side table by Nendo Materials: top: Noce Canaletto solid wood, glass or metal Structure: Black chrome metal, Black/Light grey NCS 2002 Y50R/Coral NCS 2570 Y70R /Dark Green NCS 8010 B70G powder-coated metal Dimensions: W 84.7 x D 76.3 x H 33.9 cm At first sight, Trio is a side table that consists of three transparent bowls overlapping one another. The opening of each bowl is covered with either a glass, metal or wood top. The shape of the bowl is suggested by a single curved line — seemingly a spectacular feat of balance, yet the result is surprisingly stable, with each shape secured to the others in two different points. This single-leg structure supports several table tops, contrasting with more traditional table...
Metal
Trio Side Table by Nendo
Located in Geneve, CH
Trio side table by Nendo Materials: Top: Noce Canaletto solid wood, glass or metal Structure: Black chrome metal, Black/Light grey NCS 2002 Y50R/Coral NCS 2570 Y70R /Dark Green...
Metal
Slide Table (Tall) by Nendo
By Nendo
Located in Doral, FL
Slide Table (Tall) by Nendo for Glas Italia 2015 / 2016 Bonded black glass with white interior, extra-clear glass top with hollow body
Glass
Cala Side Table by Doshi Levien
By Doshi Levien
Located in Doral, FL
Cala Side Table by Doshi Levien for Kettal 2023 Painted aluminum base with marble top. *Base has a seam on both sides.
Marble, Aluminum
December Side Table by New Tendency
Located in Doral, FL
December Side Table by New Tendency 2018 Aluminum
Aluminum
Croma Table by Massimo Morozzi
By Massimo Morozzi
Located in Doral, FL
Croma Table by Massimo Morozzi for Edra 2005 / 2006 Steel column and metal covered wood base painted black. Black back painted tempered glass.
Metal
Butterfly Table by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola
Located in Doral, FL
Butterfly Table by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia 2015 Small table suitable for outdoor use. Aluminum with grey powder coating, polyethylene fiber ...
Aluminum
Up Table Lamp by François-Xavier Balléry
By Arpel Lighting
Located in Doral, FL
Up Table Lamp in Black by François-Xavier Balléry 2015 Arpel Lighting Touch switch with 4 preset levels Luminous flux: 900 Lumens Color temperature: 3100K Color index > 90 Voltage: ...
Metal
