A century-old machiya reimagined as a quiet retreat in the heart of Kyoto.
At Maana Kamo, shadow becomes part of the architecture — dark timber, tatami floors, clay walls and softened light shaping an atmosphere of stillness rather than spectacle.
The restoration embraces imperfection and age, revealing original wooden beams and weathered textures beneath layers of renovation. Spaces remain intentionally sparse, allowing the beauty of materials, proportions and silence to take the lead.
A study in restraint, where architecture slows the body down and teaches us to notice light differently.
Design by @uoya_shigenori for @maanahomes
Sculptural Stool — Introducing to the Orb
This stool explores the transformation of a common construction material into a refined, sculptural object. Made from Douglas fir, the piece highlights the natural character of the wood while elevating it through careful shaping and craftsmanship.
The base is created using stack lamination, a process in which multiple layers of wood are glued together to form a solid block. From this mass, the final form is carved and shaped, revealing a layered texture that reflects the making process.
Available through the Orb
DM or email: [email protected]
Design by PAUL BOUCHER
Bath culture has long existed beyond wellness — as ritual, architecture, social space, and sensory restoration. From remote forest saunas in Latvia and monumental thermal spaces in China to contemporary social bathhouses in London and quietly atmospheric hotel spas in Portugal, these projects explore how design can shape the way we slow down, reconnect, and inhabit our bodies.
Together, they reflect a growing return to spaces centred around heat, water, tactility, light, and collective pause — where architecture becomes less about spectacle and more about presence, rhythm, and care.
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Recess Thermal Station by Future Simple Studio
Arc Canary Wharf by Cake Architecture
Wulingshan Eye Stone Spring Spa by Vector Architects
Green Spa at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova by Aires Mateus
The Rebello Hotel by Quiet Studios
Easy Chair — Introduced to The Orb
Part of the original OGATA furniture collection, the Easy Chair reflects a quiet balance between modernist design heritage and Japanese aesthetics. Crafted in teak wood, its crossed legs extend organically to frame the seat and backrest, woven in paper cord with textures reminiscent of traditional tatami mats.
The contrast between solid wood and the delicacy of the woven surface brings together refined craftsmanship and functional beauty. Designed for moments of pause, the chair adapts naturally to different postures — for reading, dining, conversation, or quiet rest.
A piece that slowly reveals its quality through use, time, and touch.
Materials:
Teak wood | Paper cord | Brass
Available through The Orb ✺ Dm or send email: [email protected]
Slice Me Up Table — introduced to the Orb
First produced in 2020, the table exists somewhere between sculpture and play — a quiet composition of intersecting circles, shifting proportions, and soft geometries. A piece that changes character through light, shadow, and materiality.
Available in multiple finishes, from natural wood to textured plaster.
SLICE ME UP Coffee Table
Dimensions: W 161 cm × L 117 cm × H 36 cm
Design by by Pietro Franceschini
For inquiries, please DM us or contact:
[email protected]
Unlike London’s Paddington, which is synonymous with everyone’s favourite marmalade-eating bear, Paddington in Australia’s Sydney is known for its abundance of art galleries and boutique shopping, alongside designer pop-ups and markets. Now the neighbourhood is home to Studio Henry Wilson, as the eponymous designer opens up his first store.
Repost for inspiration: @wallpapermag
Project: @studiohenrywilson
Photos: @dinagrinberg_
Coy Table Lamp — available through The Orb
Guided by a profound respect for natural materials, Coy explores the dialogue between organic and geometric forms. Crafted from cast aluminium with its natural finish left untouched, each piece carries a unique texture inherited from the sand-casting process — subtle ripples, surface pitting, and traces that quietly reveal the hand behind the object.
Handcrafted in small batches together with skilled artisans, no two lamps are ever exactly alike.
Sculptural yet modest in character, Coy balances light and shadow through gentle depressions and soft geometry, becoming both a functional object and a presence within the room.
Available in two sizes — Short and Tall.
For inquiries:
[email protected] ✺
Dimensions Short: Dia.190 H360 BH240 mm
Dimensions Tall: Dia.204 H445 BH295 mm
Weight: 3 kg (Short), 7 kg (Tall)
Material: Cast Aluminium
Finish: Tumbled and burnished
Designed by STEM DESIGN
Colima 162 — a concept store quietly unfolding inside a 1919 Porfirian-era mirrored house in Roma Norte, Mexico City.
Designed by Laura V Lasagabaster and Manuel Bañó, the project embraces the existing architecture with a minimal and deeply respectful intervention.
Hand-hammered recycled copper pieces crafted by artisans from Santa Clara del Cobre move through the space as both furniture and display objects, catching light with subtle shifts of texture and reflection. Lime-plastered walls, bamboo silk, and wool soften the atmosphere further, allowing the historic irregularities of the building to remain beautifully visible.
Repost for inspiration
Design: @lauravlasagabaster@manuelbano
Photos: @alejandro_ramoroz
Project: @colima.112
Souvenir Floor Lamp — newly introduced to the Orb universe.
Sometimes, before we arrive at the final object, there is a long period of searching.
Did you know the first Kawabi lamp came long after Aaron and Irisa began working together? Their very first prototype was created purely for themselves. For the first time, they made something driven more by emotion than by the functional need to simply have a lamp at home. They still keep it to this day.
Their workflow constantly divides and reunites at different points. Aaron is a skilled woodworker, while Irisa brings a gentler hand through her paper shades. Together, they tested countless forms before developing the Kawabi collections.
The collection itself feels almost like an alphabet — you have A, B, C… all the way to Z. Shapes evolve, proportions shift, sizes multiply, yet every piece remains united within the same story of Kawabi.
Made with American walnut, kozo paper, and rattan, each piece features a unique live-edge slab at the central cross beam. A floating brass cylinder acts as a dimmable touch switch, suspended above a stone tray base reminiscent of a wind chime resting quietly in a garden.
Crafted in New York.
For inquiries about the works,
slide into our DMs or simply write
to us at [email protected]
CASA MEXICANA — The Orb Journal
Seven homes rooted in light, earth, and stillness.
In Mexico, architecture is never separate from its surroundings — walls breathe with the heat, textures age with the sun, and everyday life moves slowly with the landscape.
A selection of spaces that capture a quiet, timeless way of living.
Discover the new journal entry now at the-orb.com.
Don’t miss it.
List of projects below:
Casa Tejocote — GOMA — photos by Ariadna Polo
Alférez House — Ludwig Godefroy Architecture — photos by Rory Gardiner
Gruta House — Salvador Román Hernández + Adela Mortera Villarreal — photos by Fabian Martinez
Casa Monte — Carlos Matos — photos by Fabian Martinez
Casa Primaveras — Estudio Macías Peredo — photos by César Béjar
Casa Tobi — Espacio 18 Arquitectura — photos by César Béjar
House With No Name — HW Studio — photos by César Béjar
Trigon Chair - Introduced to the Orb
Composed of five sculptural pentahedral volumes, the Trigon Chair by Mokko is a meditation on geometry, proportion, and permanence. Inspired by the triangle — one of the earliest architectural forms known to humanity — the chair distills seating into its most elemental expression, balancing primitive symbolism with contemporary restraint.
Details
— Made to order in the Netherlands
— 7–8 week production lead time
— Available in European oak or American walnut
— Custom stains and finishes available
— Optional leather or fabric upholstered seating
— Bespoke sizing and material customization upon request
— Suitable for residential and collectible interiors
Explore More
— Discover more works at the-orb.com
— Available through The Orb curatorial collection
— Commissions and customization inquiries available upon request; [email protected]
Cover photo:
Art direction Sara Martin Mazzora
Photography Simone Frank
Styling Danique Dobbe
We recently introduced Mokko to the ORB universe and had the opportunity to speak with founder and designer Aad Bos, the mind behind the Amsterdam-based design house founded in 2017.
There is a certain calmness when looking at MOKKO pieces — strong lines, geometric volumes, and a rhythm that feels almost mathematical in its precision. Sculptural yet restrained, every proportion appears carefully balanced.
Working with a small passionate team in Amsterdam and local artisans across the Netherlands, Mokko develops made-to-order objects shaped by architecture, material, and enduring form.
To learn more about working with Mokko on your next interior project, slide into our DMs or email [email protected].
Explore the full profile and discover more at the-orb.com.
