01Hiroshi and Yoichi Yamanaka
02Maruni headquarters near Hiroshima
03Company logo on the hard hats
04A worker checking the quality of chairs
05Sanding a Hiroshima chair
06Tools with the craftsmen’s name on them
07From left: Takeshi, Yoshifumi, Hiroshi and Yoichi Yamanaka
08Statues of Takeo (right) and Tadashi Yamanaka
09A factory machine for curving
10Hand-finishing a chair frame
11Machine-working
12Stocks of wood
The winds of fortune had been both kind and cruel to family-run business Maruni Wood Industry over the years. Then one member of the clan reluctantly went back to his roots – only to discover he was the natural saviour of the company.
01Nextmaruni chair by Jasper Morrison
02Ottoman by Naoto Fukasawa (Hiroshima series)
03Beech sideboard by Naoto Fukasawa (Hiroshima series)
04Traditional series three-seater sofa
05Extension table by Naoto Fukasawa (Hiroshima series)
Nextmaruni chair by Jasper Morrison
Ottoman by Naoto Fukasawa (Hiroshima series)
Beech sideboard by Naoto Fukasawa (Hiroshima series)
Traditional series three-seater sofa
Extension table by Naoto Fukasawa (Hiroshima series)
1928
Takeo Yamanaka founds Showa Bentwood Factory
1933
Becomes Maruni Mokko
1942
Production switches to wooden tails and propellers for airplanes
1946
Maruni resumes furniture production, making desks and chairs for the homes of Hiroshima’s occupation force
1950
Company begins exporting
1960
Introduces bunkbeds
1996
Begins production of bestselling Versailles series – demand for western-style furniture grows
2005
Launch of nextmaruni – 12 chairs by 12 designers
2008
Launch of Hiroshima series of tables and chairs in beech and oak by Naoto Fukasawa
2008
Takeshi Yamanaka becomes president
2009
Headquarters and factory merged on one site in Yuki
2009
Collaborates with Tokyo design firm Nendo on the Cord Chair, which, with its spindly 15mm legs, is a testament to Maruni craftsmanship
2010
Continues to release new pieces and new fabrics for the popular Hiroshima series
Antoine Roset opened a wood-processing factory in the French town of Montagnieu in 1860, specialising in umbrellas, walking sticks and chair frames. Antoine’s grandson Jean moved the company into the contract and domestic furniture markets in the middle of the last century and his sons Pierre and Michel joined in the 1970s. Today they have 679 stockists worldwide and a fifth generation of the Roset family, Antoine and Olivier, have recently joined.
ligne-roset.com
Norman Cherner was a pioneer of the American mid-century modern movement. With the rights to their father’s designs, brothers Benjamin and Thomas Cherner formed the Cherner Chair Company in 1999 to keep his legacy alive, adding to the collection with their own designs.
chernerchair.com
In 1904 Wouter van Ast opened a shop in Winterswijk selling books, prints and handmade frames. In the 1940s the company moved into small furniture and today Arco is one of the biggest Dutch furniture manufacturers, with Willem van Ast (Wouter’s grandson) at the helm. Willem’s son Jorre, an RCA graduate, has recently joined the company.
arco.nl
Issue 59
Cebu is the manufacturing base for many high-end international furniture brands but it’s only recently gaining the recognition it deserves for its skilled craftsmanship. Meet the people boosting the city’s reputation and…
Issue 28
Røros-Tweed has been weaving Norwegian lambswool products since 1939, building on a local tradition that goes back centuries. Rescued from bankruptcy in 1968, it is now supplying some of the world’s top designers.
Issue 63
Making tortoiseshell glasses by hand is a rare and exacting skill. One of the last practitioners, Maison Bonnet, is making sure the art survives, thanks to its keen young apprentice.
Issue 28
Carl Malmsten was one of Sweden’s greatest furniture designers and thanks to his grandson, Jerk Malmsten, his legacy continues. Last year at the Carl Malmsten shop, 96 per cent of sales were in Sweden.
Issue 16
Inujirushi has been supplying robust canvas bags with leather trimmings for the past 50 years, thriving on customer loyalty rather than marketing or advertising. Only recently has it opened a shop, in the neighbourhood it…
Issue 55
Since the dawn of time man has used all sorts of objects and implements to make life easier. But it’s only recently that artisans have embellished these everyday utensils with a heavy dose of design without sacrificing…
Issue 39
Pottery, paper, furniture maker: it’s a varied mix at the For Stockists design show – which has gained a reputation as the place to spot Japan’s rising design talent.
Issue 51
Midland Atelier is a design powerhouse that attracts people to train from all over the world and offers opportunities to local creative talent. In Western Australia, where mining is the major industry, it’s a breath of…
Issue 53
Spirits were high at Basel watch fair this year as watchmakers refreshingly turned to more classic, elegant designs with hi-tech materials and new functions. We checked out the new models and trends.
Issue 51
Neutrality and a stable currency help reinforce Switzerland’s image as a haven of tranquillity within Europe. The same could be said for the country’s high-end watchmakers, who at this year’s Salon International de la Haute…
Issue 38
The winds of fortune had been both kind and cruel to family-run business Maruni Wood Industry over the years. Then one member of the clan reluctantly went back to his roots – only to discover he was the natural saviour of…
0:00:00 0:01:00
