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.
$4,318 / item
Switch Gold Table Lamp by Lendo for Oluce
By Nendo, Oluce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"By means of the Switch lamp, the Japanese designer Nendo, revisits the shape of the classic abat-jour by renewing both its materials and its function. The archetypal shape of the cy...
Metal
$4,868 / item
Switch Floor Lamp by Nendo for Oluce
By Nendo, Oluce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Switch Floor Lamp by Nendo for Oluce. Nendo is one of the most skilled Japanese design firms working today. Revisioning a traditional lamp style with a m...
Metal
Glas Italia Drift Sliding Door Cabinet H131cm (51.6in) - Nendo Display Cabinet
By Nendo, Glas Italia
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
Drift, designed by Nendo for Glas Italia, is a cabinet with sliding doors crafted in extraclear acid-etched tempered glass, UV-bonded for durability. A black oak wooden box, serving ...
Glass, Wood
$4,769 / item
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
Gervasoni Kasane 39 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Sabbia
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 39 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Bambi Table in Black matt varnished Finish by Nendo for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Bambi table, which can also be used as a desk, was designed by Nendo. Completely matte lacquered in the colours white, black and mud, the table is composed of a top made of folde...
Aluminum
Customizable La Manufacture-Paris Stack Sofa Designed by Nendo
By Nendo
Located in New York, NY
Stack is a cushion casually tossed on top of another cushion. Pouf with cushion — Structure black lacquered mdf Pouf with cushion
Textile
Pinch Side service table in Cedar by Nendo for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pinch is a collection of service tables which best expresses all the poetry and lightness of Japanese design studio Nendo, able to design extremely contemporary objects characterized by absolute simplicity. Available in different dimensions, the Pinch service tables feature a structure made of black matt painted metal tubes, while the trays are made of solid cedar wood, available in raw natural or black-stained finish, or can come with a textured finish in white, slate or wagon green colour. Small, light, and easy to move, the Pinch table...
Metal
Pinch Round Side service table in Cedar by Nendo for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Nendo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pinch is a collection of service tables which best expresses all the poetry and lightness of Japanese design studio Nendo, able to design extremely contemporary objects characterized by absolute simplicity. Available in different dimensions, the Pinch service tables feature a structure made of black matt painted metal tubes, while the trays are made of solid cedar wood, available in raw natural or black-stained finish, or can come with a textured finish in white, slate or wagon green colour. Small, light, and easy to move, the Pinch table...
Metal
$2,850 / item
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
Customizable La Manufacture-Paris Stack Sofa Designed by Nendo
By Nendo
Located in New York, NY
Stack is a cushion casually tossed on top of another cushion. Pouf with cushion — Structure black lacquered mdf Pouf with 2 cushions Size: W3140XD1800XH900 W 123" 5/8 xD70" 7/8 x...
Textile
$1,748 / item
Desalto STRONG Stool by Eugeni Quitllet
By Nendo, Desalto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
It’s the idea of using art to shape new ideas, taking the shortest road for the solution through a continuous form, nothing more, nothing less, strong is that thin wall which separat...
Aluminum, Steel
Desalto SOFTER THAN STEEL Medium Side Table By Nendo
By Nendo, Desalto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ultralight carved tops of different shapes and complementary heights de ne the Softer Than Steel range. Almost a playful Nendo design, with an arrangement of interesting personal var...
Metal, Steel
Desalto SOFTER THAN STEEL Side Table By Nendo
By Desalto, Nendo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ultralight carved tops of different shapes and complementary heights de ne the Softer Than Steel range. Almost a playful Nendo design, with an arrangement of interesting personal var...
Steel, Metal
Glas Italia Fragment Screen - Extralight Transparent Glass - Nendo
By Glas Italia, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
Fragment by Glas Italia, designed by Nendo, is a freestanding screen in extralight tempered transparent glass featuring a special checkered pattern in double-sided mirror glass. Two...
Glass
$5,005 / item
KOMORI R3 chandelier by Nendo for Wonderglass
By WonderGlass, Nendo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A chandelier reminiscent of pendulous bat colonies decorating tree branches and cave ceilings, Komori’s hand-blown distributed glass shades enclose individual lights, casting their i...
Metal
2013 Nendo High Ribbon Bar Stool in Red Lacquered Steel for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Nendo High Ribbon Stool, designed by Nendo for Cappellini. Nendo is the name of a collective of professionals, under the guidance of architect Oki Sato. Each stool is const...
Metal
$6,185 / item
Gervasoni Kasane 36 Table by Nendo
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Literally “overlapping”, Kasane is the latest collection designed by the Japanese studio, Nendo. Thanks to a play on the weaving and overlapping of different elements, each product becomes a sculpture. Inspired by the way in which the cups, stacked one on top of the other, become gradually taller, the collection of poufs and tables...
Foam
Gervasoni Kasane 19 Pouf - design Nendo - Clay-finished surface - Sabbia
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 19 pouf by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is defined by a minimalist and sculptural aesthetic, expressed through pure geometry and a refined material finish. Its cylindrica...
Clay, Plastic
Glas Italia Drift Low TV Cabinet in Extra-Clear Frosted Glass by Nendo
By Glas Italia, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Drift low TV cabinet by Glas Italia, designed by Nendo, is a refined storage piece that blends minimalism with striking visual illusion. Part of the Drift collection, this cabin...
Glass, Wood
$2,822 / item
Switch Table Lamp by Nendo for Oluce
By Nendo, Oluce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Switch table lamp designed by Nendo for Oluce. The Japanese designer Nendo has become one of the most promising designers on the international scene. In this lamp, he revisits the ma...
Metal
Gervasoni Kasane 31 Table - design Nendo, clay-finished structure - Sabbia
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 31 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, expresses a sculptural and minimalist aesthetic, defined by soft volumes and a strong material identity. Its elongated oval shape...
Clay, Plastic
Gervasoni Kasane 35 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Sabbia
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 35 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 33 Table - design Nendo, clay-finished structure - Pietra
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 33 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, expresses a sculptural and minimalist aesthetic, defined by soft volumes and a strong material identity. Its elongated rectangula...
Clay, Plastic
2020s Oki Sat of Nendo for Emeco SU Bar Stools in Flint 5x Available
By Nendo, Oki Sato
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a SU Bar Stool, designed by Oki Sat of Nendo for Emeco in 2014. This example is in the Flint Gray colorway, and the price includes one bar stool. We have several SU stools in...
Aluminum
Gervasoni Kasane 31 Table - design Nendo, clay-finished structure - Terracotta
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 31 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, expresses a sculptural and minimalist aesthetic, defined by soft volumes and a strong material identity. Its elongated oval shape...
Clay, Plastic
Gervasoni Kasane 36 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Pietra
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 36 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 19 Pouf - design Nendo - Clay-finished surface - Giada
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 19 pouf by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is defined by a minimalist and sculptural aesthetic, expressed through pure geometry and a refined material finish. Its cylindrica...
Clay, Plastic
Glas Italia Drift Sliding Door Cabinet H81cm (31.9in) - Nendo - Display Cabinet
By Glas Italia, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
Drift, designed by Nendo for Glas Italia, is a cabinet with sliding doors crafted in extraclear acid-etched tempered glass, UV-bonded for durability. A black oak wooden box, serving ...
Glass, Wood
2013 Nendo Low Ribbon Stool in Red Lacquered Metal for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Nendo Low Ribbon Stool, designed by Nendo for Cappellini. Nendo is the name of a collective of professionals, under the guidance of architect Oki Sato. Each stool is constr...
Metal
2022 Set of Four Nendo for Cappellini Peg Arm Chairs in Grit 14 w/ Bleached Ash
By Cappellini, Nendo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a set of four (4) Peg Armchairs made with bleached ash wood legs and light teal-green fabric (Grit 14). The chairs were designed by Nendo and produced by Cappellin...
Foam, Wood, Fabric
2022 Nendo for CondeHouse Splinter Dining Arm Chair in Black Oak
By Nendo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Splinter Armchair, originally designed by Nendo in 2013. This particular example was produced by CondeHouse in Japan in 2022. The chair is comprised of a black Japanese oak...
Oak
$3,351 / item
Forest bookcase by Nendo for Driade
By Nendo, Driade
Located in Ravenna, IT
Bookcase designed by Nendo for Driade. The bookcase features shelves interspersed with rotated vertical elements, which serve as an aesthetic and functional element to support books....
Wood
Customizable La Manufacture-Paris Stack Sofa Designed by Nendo
By Nendo
Located in New York, NY
Stack is a cushion casually tossed on top of another cushion. Pouf with cushion — Structure black lacquered mdf Pouf with cushion Size: W1800XD2400XH740XSH420 W 70" 7/8 xD94" 1/2 ...
Textile
Gervasoni Kasane 39 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Pietra
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 39 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 39 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Giada
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 39 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 39 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Terracotta
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 39 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 38 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Stone
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 38 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 38 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Sabbia
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 38 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 38 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Giada
By Gervasoni, Nendo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 38 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 38 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Terracotta
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 38 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 36 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Sabbia
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 36 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 36 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Terracotta
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 36 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 35 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Stone
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 35 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 35 Table - design Nendo - Clay-finished structure - Terracotta
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 35 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is part of a collection that expresses a sculptural and minimalist language inspired by the concept of "Kasane," meaning layering...
Clay
Gervasoni Kasane 31 Table - design Nendo, clay-finished structure - Pietra
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 31 table by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, expresses a sculptural and minimalist aesthetic, defined by soft volumes and a strong material identity. Its elongated oval shape...
Clay, Plastic
Gervasoni Kasane 19 Pouf - design Nendo - Clay-finished surface - Stone
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 19 pouf by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is defined by a minimalist and sculptural aesthetic, expressed through pure geometry and a refined material finish. Its cylindrica...
Clay, Plastic
Gervasoni Kasane 19 Pouf - design Nendo - Clay-finished surface - Terracotta
By Nendo, Gervasoni
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Kasane 19 pouf by Gervasoni, designed by Nendo, is defined by a minimalist and sculptural aesthetic, expressed through pure geometry and a refined material finish. Its cylindrica...
Clay, Plastic