We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Coichi Wada ("CW").
Coichi Wada is one of Japan's leading kitchen designers. His designs are not limited to product design, but also include interior design proposals, including kitchens, and his designs are functional as well. In this sense, he is an extremely rare interior designer. His activities are not limited to kitchens, and he designs a wide variety of spaces and products. He also focuses on training younger designers and expanding the market.
Coichi Wada Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Coichi Wada.
Coichi Wada Design - The Chakai Exhibition
Designer Interview of Coichi Wada:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
CW : Until high school, I wanted to go into the music industry, but at the age of 18, I came into contact with car design (Renault 5) and realized I wanted to become a designer. After studying design at university, I worked as an in-house designer for a housing parts manufacturer for five years and at a bespoke kitchen office for one year, before founding STUDIO KAZ in 1994.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CW : STUDIO KAZ Co., Ltd. is a design unit established in 1994 by Coichi Wada and Junco Wada. Coichi is mainly in charge of interior design, kitchen design, furniture design, and product design, while Junco is mainly in charge of graphic design. We are good at residential interior design, and are one of the leading designers in Japan, especially in bespoke design. As a result, we are trusted by our fellow companies and are involved in many events and showroom productions. In addition, in order to expand the market for bespoke kitchens, which is still small in Japan, we provide many consulting and lectures, and also focus on training young people at vocational schools. In graphic design, we mainly focus on printed matter, but we do not limit ourselves to simple page design, but also like to propose three-dimensional compositions such as paper quality, shape, folding methods, and binding methods.
DI: What is "design" for you?
CW : To me, design is discovery, experience, and inspiration. There are things and spaces that we find beautiful, and they exist for as many people as there are people. I think that design is what lies between us and those beautiful things and spaces, or the process behind it. The CHAKAI, for which I received the award, was not a design of something new, but rather provided an opportunity to discover something beautiful through the experience of the tea ceremony.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CW : I love designing residential spaces and bespoke kitchens to be installed in them. I still never get bored of the process of reading the client's needs through conversation and turning them into concrete forms such as spaces and kitchens, even though I have been involved in over 1,000 kitchens to date.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CW : As for designs by other people, the one that inspired me to become a designer was the Renault 5. Designed by Marcello Gandini, the car's form, function, and driver's behavior are all perfectly designed. We like all my designs, but We especially like "Irifune studio," which is also our office. We designed it as a living space, but WeI took advantage of the lack of sunlight and focused on how to create a nighttime atmosphere. At that time, we used black as the theme, and spent a long time looking for a lot of black, so there is a lot of black here.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CW : During my time as an in-house designer, I designed entrance doors, interior doors, custom-made kitchens, etc. Since establishing STUDIO KAZ, I have mainly worked on bespoke kitchens and space designs for clients, but the first time I designed for a company was a custom-made kitchen for a kitchen manufacturer.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CW : I don't have any likes or dislikes when it comes to materials. I'm always thinking about how to bring out the most beautiful expression of the material itself. Platforms and technology are just a means to that end.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CW : The moment you eat delicious pasta.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CW : Yes, shure, I try to look at things from as many different angles as possible. Materials, colors, luster, light, sound, temperature, humidity, size, hardness, texture, proportion, past, present, future... all of these are design elements and materials for me.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CW : Being a father, a mother, a friend, a lover, a husband, a wife, I feel joy in being able to share the pain of childbirth and the excitement of completing a project.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CW : The best!! Feels so good!!
DI: What makes a design successful?
CW : Reading comprehension, observation skills, arrangement skills, communication skills
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CW : Whether or not a design inspires us deep emotion
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CW : Designers are not special. They are part of society and must always be aware of this. Design should not suppress the environment/nature, and should not think that it is possible to do so.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CW : The last exhibition (the CHAKAI) was held in October 2024. The next one will be a kitchen exhibition in September 2025.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CW : I get inspiration from many things: a sliver of light filtering through a tiny slit, a tree stump, the smell of a deliciously brewed cappuccino, or a single guitar note played in the middle of intense music.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
CW : The last exhibition (the CHAKAI) was held in October 2024. The next one, a kitchen exhibition, is scheduled to be held in September 2025.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
CW : I live in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo has its own unique culture, but also has the ability to come into contact with cultures from all over the world. This always inspires us. However, I often feel that Japan, and especially Tokyo, is always seeking new things too much, and that the good old Japanese culture is becoming diluted.
DI: How do you work with companies?
CW : design consulting, lectures, design support, design outsourcing, and education.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CW : We start with thorough interviews and research. Then we just follow the image that emerges.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CW : 1. "Fuumi Zekka Echizen" knife, made in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, using the same manufacturing method as Japanese swords. 2. "HOW HIGH THE MOON" sofa designed by Shiro Kuramata. 3. "WASSILY CHAIR" chair designed by Marcel Breuer. 4. "PP701" chair designed by Hans Wegner. 5. "Messenger bag" designed by my friend.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CW : I want you to enjoy everything seriously.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CW : positives is that you can always have a new experience. I can't think of any negatives.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CW : Communication skills
DI: What was your most important job experience?
CW : Bespoke kitchens in the homes of famous Japanese painters.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
CW : Mostly ordinary people
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CW : I'm hoping to release a collection of my work early next year.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CW : We work on the design while checking the details together.