Sakemi

【Gouge】

SIZE:W80×D42×H37.5×SH18(cm)

This is a sofa that Sakemi Isuten considers elegant form. Tucked and quilted soft suede fabric is upholstered to give it a soft impression on a rigid frame. This chair offers a space to relax during tea or reading time.

Question 1Please describe your company and what makes your furniture special.: President Sakemi:; The store was established by my grandfather, who began business as a furniture wholesaler. At the time, sofas and beds were rare pieces of furniture. Every day, my grandfather sat on a sofa he had purchased for sale at furniture stores and was impressed at how comfortable it was. It was my grandmother’s words, “If you like it so much, why don’t you make it yourself?” that began the history of Sakemi Isuten. When my father took over the business, it was at the age of mass production, including furniture, using machine processing. Neither my grandfather nor my father wanted to introduce mass production and decided to make each piece of the furniture by hand. Since then, the business’ style has been to carefully make each piece of furniture within eyeshot, treasuring the comfort my grandfather felt when he first sat on a sofa.
Question 2 What was your honest thought when first asked to make “Cat Furniture”?: President Sakemi:; I knew about cat furniture, so I thought “I guess it’s our turn” when we were asked to make this (laugh). I have always thought that cat furniture is made beautifully, and the lineup is suitable for representing the furniture makers in Okawa. I thought that it would be wonderful to highlight beautiful furniture miniaturized into cat furniture to be picked up as a topic.

Question 3What are you committed to when making cat furniture?: President Sakemi:; Process is extremely important in sofa making. Process determines the framed structure, so when making cat furniture, manufacturing process was the most important point of focus. In regard to this sofa, if made for people, we would lock the cushion by covering the wooden foundation and pulling from the inside. Cat furniture, on the other hand, is too small for our hands to pull from inside. So we covered, pulled and glued little by little. We came up with this method when making a trial product. In this way, we can adjust the process because we start from the wooden foundation, and then move to the upholstering within the company. This is the merit in making furniture one piece at a time as each order comes in and not as ready-made furniture.

Question 4What is your view of the future?: President Sakemi:; I would like to present our techniques and designs not only to general consumers, but also to professionals in the field of construction, interior, and space designers. We recently upgraded our facilities, with which we also upgraded our skills and efficiency, enabling us to respond to diverse demands. In addition to techniques that we have accumulated until now, we are taking in modern technologies, one of which being computerization. For example, if we can present 3D furniture design data that enables our customers see the final product, our discussion will move smoothly. Showing the information on the furniture to be made in easy-to-understand data allows us to respond to the needs of wide-ranging customers, spreading in and outside of Japan surpassing language and distance.

SAKEMI ISU TEN CO., LTD.

79-1 Mizuochi, Enokizu, Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture

TEL: +81-944-86-4385

HP：https://sakemi.co.jp/