A new story begins… DAFT about DRAFT, the first furniture collection designed by Taiju Yamashita

Japanese DAFT about DRAFT -which means “crazy about design”- chooses Salone del Mobile in Milan, for its debut on the international design stage.

A minimalist sofa quietly placed in a museum. What makes this scene so beautiful is the presence of the sofa itself and the mood of the entire space. The sofa itself, the mood of the entire space, the moderate amount of sunlight, and the invisible, quiet air all work together in harmony. And the various stories spun from each piece of furniture placed there. Visitors to such a place sense the beauty of the scene due to the harmony of all the elements combined with the presence of the sofa, the overall ambience, the perfect amount of sunlight, and the intangible quietness. DAFT about DRAFT products are designed with these stories in mind.

The ideas created by designer Taiju Yamashita always come from the stories that flow through people’s lives. DAFT about DRAFT -which means “crazy about drawing”- furniture is designed thinking about these stories. Creativity emanates from a single product. The warmth, fun, and sense of freedom that can be felt from a single product. A beautiful story begins to unfold through the presence of one of these products in a space. This is what Yamashita believes the role of furniture should be. So he chose the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, which takes place from 18 to 23 April 2023, to present DAFT about DRAFT for the first time on the international design stage; the new brand of original and refined furniture designed by him.

Born in 1981 in Tokyo, designer and architect Taiju Yamashita established the design firm DRAFT in 2008. Together with a team of over 180 people, he works on a wide range of projects from interior design, architecture, product design, and branding.

DAFT about DRAFT is a brand born in Tokyo that enriches urban living. The brand challenges the restricted space of the city and its monotonous lifestyle. Just like a delicate flower that blooms rebelliously out of concrete pavement on the street, DAFT about DRAFT proposes a design that helps to express the uniqueness of individuals.

Sometimes challenging traditions, sometimes a sense of playfulness.

The creativity that comes to life through the designs of Taiju Yamashita is close to the playfulness and freedom of expression also seen in fashion. DAFT about DRAFT is a brand born from the designs that Yamashita had been writing down little by little in the course of various projects: “Sometimes challenging traditions; for the first DAFT about DRAFT collection, we wanted to design with a sense of freedom and humour without being bound by stereotypes. We express this overflowing sense of playfulness through our products.” He thought of a way to propose a more personalized and freer lifestyle, just like when choosing your clothes, in contrast to the homogenized lifestyles we are used to.

In Taiju Yamashita’s design concept, which has always been based on the ‘ALL HAPPY BY DESIGN’ philosophy, he aims to contribute to the improvement of society and the human experience and emphasizes the significance of the role that space can play. A perfect place where time passes in the ultimate comfort.

So DAFT about DRAFT was born to illuminate rooms and give light to our lives, to stay by our side forever, to be freer to better express who we are by making each and every individual’s life as beautiful as a painting, as dramatic and emotional as a movie.

Taiju Yamashita, architect and designer

“Creating such an interior is not simply about lining up rows of big-name products. The key is harmony. Just as awe-inspiring orchestras and delicious cuisines are entirely formed from harmony, an interior is about carefully creating a world that will become your backdrop by adding or removing elements while considering factors like light, shapes, and materials.” says architect and designer Taiju Yamashita.

His designs are characterized by free and well-balanced expressions based on a myriad of harmonies. From these products, enriching stories unfold and ultimately contribute to creating an interior that helps people shine even brighter than before.

“Our challenge began from a thought that derived from a particular project that we wished many people may sense the role of our interior, architecture, and products – all of which are entirely people-orientated” continues Yamashita. “A beautiful story begins to unfold with just one such product arranged in space. A single product radiates creativity, from which people can feel warmth and enjoyment and experience a sense of freedom. That is the role DAFT about DRAFT furniture aims to serve.”

From the people who touch the furniture to the interior that surrounds them, the architecture that in turn surrounds such an interior, and ultimately, the cities, although the scale might differ, all of these things are a fusion of people. “I normally oversee architectural design, large-scale urban development concepts, and the interior design of offices, hotels, etc… and now I also do product design. I have travelled to more than fifty cities across the globe and seen many things, but I learnt that it is always people’s stories from which ideas originate.” ends the designer.“I want our products that fuse with people very close to be like fashion in that they are free, gentle, and elaborate so that they may stay by people’s side throughout the long journey of life. Please enjoy the atmosphere of our modern and refined pieces of furniture and enriched stories envisioned by DAFT about DRAFT.”