Faculty of Design

Industrial Design

Daniel Cui

Komorebi

Komorebi is a Japanese-inspired low coffee/tea table that looks to inspire a more meaningful, interactive relationship between user and object.The "second skin", an angular facade of aluminum, encourages the owner of the piece to be creative in how to place things, deliberately obstructing the main tabletop surface. As a result, the cut outs can be used to frame book covers, hold planters and vases, or other playful tabletop arrangements.Made from red oak, the wood base takes on a simplistic, Japanese form. Two sliding dovetails merge the legs and the base, while end pieces on the tabletop allow the metal sheet to sit snugly atop. The metal layer is waterjet cut from aluminum plate and welded at the bend.

“The name Komorebi comes from the Japanese word in reference to 'dappled sunlight on the forest floor'. It was inspired by the different shadows cast by the cutouts onto the tabletop, creating a look reminiscent of the shadows of leaves.”