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LIVING ON THE NATURAL EDGE

LIVE EDGE TABLES CRAFTED IN THE JAPANESE TRADITION

LIVING ON THE NATURAL EDGE

LIVE EDGE TABLES CRAFTED IN THE JAPANESE TRADITION
LIVE EDGE TABLES CRAFTED IN THE JAPANESE TRADITION

RARE SLABS TRANSFORMED BY HAND

One-of-a-kind live edge pieces create a truly Japanese experience anywhere. Slabs of rare size and unsurpassed quality are painstakingly crafted to bring out the soul of each tree. A richly grained dining room table where the simplest fare feels like kaiseki ryori—Japanese haute cuisine. A stunning headboard with the sensual glow of sustainable hardwood. Or, a thoroughly modern standing desk. Collaborate with us  on your unique creation.

AGELESS AESTHETICS

Style and beauty designed to withstand the test of time. From grain selection to base designs to finish, each piece reflects the finest classical and modern Japanese aesthetics coupled with flawless execution.

About

OF TREE HOUSES AND TEA HOUSES

Koi Ranch Woodworks is a husband and wife team brought together by the love of wood and Japanese design. An author and woodworker with decades of experience, Kevin was raised in California and has lived in Japan for a large part of his adult life. Born and raised in Kyoto, Akane is one of the top experts in Japanese interior design, having published countless books on Japanese hotels and hot springs resorts. She also advises major hotels—such as The Imperial, Westin, Intercontinental, and Nikko—on interior spaces and gardens.

These two share a mission to bring the sustainable beauty of Japanese art, woodcraft and the sublime harmony of the teahouse, wabi sabi, to people everywhere. Koi Ranch Woodworks exists as more of a dream spanning Japan and California, but there is a real ranch replete with plump koi in its ponds and hundreds of hardwood trees on its rolling hills.

It is essentially a worship of the imperfect…

Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea (茶の本 Cha no Hon）

HAND-SELECTED WOOD — CUSTOM BASES
LUXURIOUS AND DURABLE FINISHES

Choose from pre-made pieces or select your slab and collaborate on a unique design

Living room | dining and kitchen | bedroom

lobby | conference room | office

Bespoke natural-edge designs

We work with boards from these noble trees, to fulfill their yearning for a second life, to release their richness and beauty.

George Nakashima, The Soul of the Tree
HANDCRAFTED IN
THE JAPANESE TRADITION

Sustainable sophistication

Beautiful sustainable hardwoods, some seasoned naturally for decades. Choose from a wide range of richly grained woods—from Tochi to Gingko to Hinoki as well as walnut and other American hardwoods. Everything we do reflects a philosophy of sustainable timber harvesting—that is, regeneration and the long-term well-being of everyone’s forests.

A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND WOODCRAFTING SKILLS

Japanese woodcrafting dates back a millennium or more. For example, 1300 years ago, woodworkers in the ancient capital of Nara used traditional wood joints to erect Horyuji, a temple that now ranks as the oldest wooden building in the world. They also created nearby Todaiji, which is not only the world’s largest wooden building but also houses the world’s largest bronze statue—the 150ft (40 meter) high Nara Daibutsu, or the Great Buddha of Nara. One of the country’s largest temples, Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto—originally built in 778—does not use a single nail in the entire structure.

ANCIENT ARTS LIVE STRONG IN MODERN TIMES

That more than 1000-year tradition continues today with traditional craftspeople creating some of the most elegantly functional furniture, interiors, and architecture in the world. This tradition contributed in a huge way to the 2021 Summer Olympics, which commissioned architects and artisans to design and build many facilities using sustainable timber and traditional techniques. At Koi Ranch Woodworks, we try to continue that tradition in a small way.