KARIMOKU presents KNS & MAS Lounge
Spazio Maiocchi
Via Achille Maiocchi 7, Milan
Tuesday 8th – Sunday 13th April
Opening times: 10am – 8pm
Porta Venezia Design District 2025
KARIMOKU presents KNS & MAS Lounge
SERENITY AND TEXTURE, LIGHT AND SHADOW. CONTRASTING ELEMENTS INTERSECT, INVITING DEEP CONTEMPLATION – A SPACE EMBODYING KARIMOKU CASE’S DEDICATION TO CRAFTSMANSHIP.
Karimoku Furniture will showcase its lifestyle brand Karimoku Case at Salone del Mobile 2025, held in Milan, Italy, from Tuesday, 8 April, to Sunday, 13 April 2025. The presentation embodies the brand’s philosophy, its evolution and dedication to timeless design, presenting new items to be unveiled during Milan Design Week alongside iconic designs from cases such as CASE 10 “Azabu Hills Residence,” CASE 02.3 “Nagoya Sakae Cafe,” and the recently introduced CASE 11 “Logy Taipei.” Through this presentation, Karimoku Case shares its unique aesthetic and its dedication to craftsmanship with the world.
Marking Karimoku Case’s fourth exhibition at Salone del Mobile, the brand returns to the roots of its philosophy under the theme “A Sense of Serenity.” Visitors will be invited into a refined space that encapsulates Karimoku Case’s dedication to design. Brought to life through the collaborative vision of Tokyo-based Keiji Ashizawa Design and Copenhagen-based Norm Architects, the exhibition space is carefully curated with a dark-toned colour palette, paying homage to mid-century design. A custom-built fireplace-inspired feature adds to the ambiance, creating an atmosphere of warmth and tranquility – an inviting retreat that feels like a hidden sanctuary.
A place where contrasting elements converge – serenity meets texture, light dances with shadow. The space, with its meticulously crafted details, sharpens the senses of those who visit. Within the vibrant exhibition hall, the space emerges as a sanctuary of contemplation, inviting visitors to embark on a journey of deep reflection and renewal.
Through Karimoku Case’s refined spatial composition, visitors can experience the brand’s philosoophy of serene beauty, material richness and timeless appeal.
A Sense of Serenity
The exhibition will feature furniture designed by Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa for CASE 02.3 “Nagoya Sakae Cafe,” including the N-ST03 | Side Table and A-ST01 | Side Table, as well as the NF Collection by Norman Foster. Additionally, the latest furniture piece from CASE 11 “Logy Taipei,” will be displayed for the first time. These pieces will be arranged in various settings such as lounges, dining areas, and personal workspaces, all unified by a smoked oak finish, creating a tranquil retreat-like atmosphere.
The overall exhibition layout, including its furnishings and built-in structures, is inspired by architectural spaces previously designed by Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa, such as CASE 04 “Azabu Residence,” CASE 09 “BELLUSTAR TOKYO,” and Karimoku Commons Kyoto. The flooring will feature dark-toned wooden planks matching the furniture’s colour scheme, while the walls will be in lighter tones to create contrast. Textured wallpaper reminiscent of plaster or stucco will add depth and sophistication to the space.
Interior stylist Yumi Nakata has been invited to curate the space. The interplay between contrasting elements – vibrancy and tranquility – is accentuated by incorporating light-toned stone and ceramic pieces, creating a harmonious environment. The balance of light ensures the space is neither too bright nor too dark, maintaining an atmosphere of calm, refinement, and elegance.
The space, designed to be both welcoming and thought-provoking, offers visitors a glimpse into Karimoku Case’s origins and evolution – a refined yet familiar retreat that introduces new perspectives.
BIO
NORM ARCHITECTS
Norm Architects was founded in 2008. The multidisciplinary design studio works within the fields of industrial design, residential architecture, commercial interiors, photography and art direction. Much like human well-being, the essence of Norm Architects’ work is found in balance— between richness and restraint, between order and complexity.
KEIJI ASHIZAWA
Keiji Ashizawa Design is an architectural and product design studio based in Tokyo, Japan. Formed in 2005 by Keiji Ashizawa, following 10 years’ working experience in both architecture and steel fabrication, the studio is comprised of both architects and designers, each bringing unique skills to the team. Through logical thinking and open-mindedness, the studio presents works of “honest” design: simple yet refined, thoughtful and of a light manner—and derived naturally through the process of maximising the potential of each material and its functions.
NORMAN FOSTER
Norman Foster is Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, a global studio for architecture, urbanism and design, rooted in sustainability. Over more than five decades, the practice has pioneered a sustainable approach to architecture and urbanism through a wide range of work, from masterplans to offices, cultural buildings, airports and industrial design. He has been awarded architecture’s highest accolades, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Praemium Imperiale Award for Architecture in Japan, the RIBA Royal Gold medal and the AIA Gold medal. He is president of the Norman Foster Foundation, based in Madrid. In 1999 he was honoured with a Life Peerage, becoming Lord Foster of Thames Bank.
KARIMOKU CASE
Emerged from shared design values, Karimoku Case is a contemporary lifestyle brand, based in Japan and born out of admiration and love for serene beauty, material richness and timeless appeal. The Case collections are brought to life by world-renowned architects through individual cases, and the story of each collection is told through its native setting. With Karimoku Case we wish to introduce a thoughtful brand that serves as a guardian for the natural and timeless, using materials that possess an inherent richness and gain beauty with time and age.
KARIMOKU FURNITURE
The origins of Karimoku Furniture date back to 1940, when Shohei Kato took over a longstanding timber company and established a small woodworking shop in the town of Kariya, Aichi. The company produced various wooden parts in the ensuing decades, developing a range of techniques before launching its own line of wooden furniture in the 1960s. Building upon the concept of manufacturing high-tech and high- touch products, the company established bases in timber production areas and soon developed into one of Japan’s leading manufacturers of wooden furniture.
YUMI NAKATA
After studying architecture, she apprenticed with stylist Chinatsu Kambayashi in 2005. Following her work at the design firm Jamo Associates, she became an independent freelancer in 2013. Her work encompasses interior styling for magazine and advertisement photoshoots, interior direction, and decoration for commercial spaces, including events, stores, and model rooms— covering all aspects of objects and spaces.
Spazio Maiocchi
Via Achille Maiocchi 7, Milan
Tuesday 8th – Sunday 13th April
Opening times: 10am – 8pm