Milan 2012: this table with folding trestle legs by Spanish designer Tomás Alonso is one of nine new products that Japanese furniture brand Karimoku New Standard will present at Erastudio Apartment Gallery in Milan later this month.

Collaborating with the brand for the first time are Swedish design duo TAF, whose Soft Triangle low table (above) is carved into a form somewhere between a triangle and a circle.

ECAL student Lucien Gumy was inspired by a mountainous landscape when designing his Berra card holder (above).

The Castor chair (above) is a new addition to the range that Lausanne studio Big-Game presented during last year's furniture fair (see our previous story).

Dutch design duo Scholten & Baijings have created two new products, the first of which is a series of chestnut containers ranging in size from a desktop pot to a large waste bin (above).

They have also designed a dining table (above) to supplement their Colour Wood range, which was part of the original Karimoku New Standard collection launched in 2009.

Karimoku creative director Teruhiro Yanagihara has designed a table made from oak and maple with hexagonal legs (above).

Alonso Frame Desk by Tomás Alonso

Italian design group Arabeschi di Latte will serve dishes and drinks derived from trees, referencing the material from which the furniture is made.

Colour Bin by Scholten & Baijings

Last year the gallery in a 100-year-old Milanese apartment hosted Natura Morta by Studio Toogood - read more and see photos from the even in our earlier story.

Soft Triangle table by TAF

Tones Stool by Sylvain Willenz 

See all of our stories about Milan 2012 »

Photographs are by Takumi Ota.

Here is some more information from Karimoku New Standard:

A New Standard in Japanese Furniture Making

Karimoku New Standard is a trademark of the Japanese firm Karimoku Furniture Inc., known as Karimoku, launched in 2009 under the creative direction of Teruhiro Yanagihara. Collaborating with emerging international designers and with its products sold internationally, it is the most innovative brand in the company’s over-70 year history. Karimoku New Standard distinguishes itself from other brands with high-quality furniture items that follow the concept of ‘Everyday Life’. All collaborating designers turn their back on fast-moving trends with products that hold functional flexibility and cater to a wide range of individual tastes and life-styles.

Castor stool by Big-Game from the 2011 collection

In line with Karimoku’s philosophy, Karimoku New Standard supports the sustainable use of forest resources and experiments with new methods to retrieve a balance between global environments and local industry. Karimoku New Standard products are predominantly made of solid Japanese hardwoods such as maple, chestnut and oak. The wood stems from low-diameter trees that have previously remained significantly underused, usually ending up as wood chips for paper pulp. Likewise, Karimoku New Standard makes the most out of Karimoku’s know-how accumulated over generations of furniture-making and uses its well-equipped factories for manufacturing. A deep understanding of experienced craftsmanship, together with cutting-edge technologies produces furniture that meets the highest standard. Since its founding, Karimoku New Standard has manufactured 15 innovative pieces of furniture and 4 home accessories, all of which are versatile products that carry the silent beauty of every day life.

Homerun chair by Sylvain Willenz from the 2010 collection

Milan Design Week exhibition 2012

Where New Furniture Starts to Blend With Existing Lives

A 100-year-old apartment building at Milan’ s Via Palermo forms the ideal setting to present the new collection of Karimoku New Standard during the Milan Design Week 2012. It is a place that, over the years, has been used by many different people in various ways. Exactly in this kind of everyday environment we would like to show that Karimoku New Standard furniture can easily mix in with any existing living environment, and be used by anybody at any time. In addition to the existing products in the brand’ s collection, we will exhibit an additional 9 new prototypes.

Homerun paperweight by Sylvain Willenz from the 2010 collection

Besides designers Scholten & Baijings (The Netherlands), Big-Game (Switzerland), and Sylvain Willenz (Belgium), and the Karimoku Design Team, creative director Teruhiro Yanagihara this year invited ECAL/ Lucien Gumy (Switzerland), TAF (Sweden) and Tomàs Alonso (UK) to participate. In four apartment rooms Karimoku New Standard presents four new tables, as well as a chair, a stool and small daily objects of a paper bin, a wall hook and a cardholder, which are mixed with items previously designed by our collaborating designers, such as vases, rugs and lamps.

Colour Wood tables by Scholten & Baijings from the 2010 collection

Food Preparation meets Furniture Making

In order to highlight the “Everyday Life” concept of Karimoku New Standard, the Milan Design Week exhibition will host a food installation prepared by the Italian design unit Arabeschi di Latte. Under the title of ‘TOKENS / Love for Food and Wood’, special dishes and drinks will be served based on ingredients derived from ‘trees’, the very origin of furniture. Arabeschi's food TOKENS refer to "small food units" or "snacks" inspired by the Japanese way of eating from different small plates. In this setting, we would like visitors to experience something indispensable on a very ordinary day.

Erastudio Apartment Gallery
Via Palermo 5 (3rd floor)
20121 Milano

Tuesday 17 – Sunday 22 April, 11.00-19.00
Event with Arabeschi di Latte, Thursday 19 April 17.00-21.00