At home with Domus - Koki Kumagai
Koki Kumagai is a Tokyo-based designer. His relationship with the Domus Chair began in Finland and continues today in his family life at home.
Koki Kumagai first encountered the Domus Chair, designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1946, while on a trip to Finland in 2018. At the time, he was working for a Japanese design studio. The visit was an opportunity for Koki to immerse himself in Finnish design culture while preparing to design Artek’s Tokyo store, which was to open the following year.
“I first saw the chair in the Artek Helsinki store. The soft, rounded, almost plump appearance caught my attention. It felt like something I would like to have in my own home.”
When designing the layout for the Artek Tokyo store, Koki chose a specific model of the Domus Chair to feature at the opening, with a black-lacquered birch frame and green leather upholstery.
Not long after the completion of this project, Koki and his wife got married. His boss presented him with a wedding gift — the same Domus Chair that had caught his eye when planning the store. That chair now sits in his family home.
Over time, Koki’s appreciation of the chair has deepened through everyday use and attention to its details. “When I look at it now, I am drawn to the shape of the rear legs. They’re not straight — instead they narrow around the level of the armrests, then become thicker before tapering again towards the bottom. This change in thickness, the way the legs become slender then fuller, seems to emphasise a sense of elegance. I find myself wondering what kind of intention was behind this design.”
Back in 2018, Koki lived in Tokyo, working hard and building his career at Daikei Mills. Several years later, he now runs his own design studio and lives with his wife, young daughter and their pet dog, on the outskirts of Tokyo.
This new home is more spacious and brings with it a more relaxed pace of life: “I really like the high ceiling in the dining room, and how the dining room, kitchen and bedroom are all seamlessly connected.”
How Koki uses his Domus Chair has evolved in line with this lifestyle change. He originally used it in his workspace, before it moved into the dining room after his child was born. “When we eat together as a family, I’m usually the one who uses it. Our child sometimes sits — or even stands — on it, and if we have guests over, I always let them use it.”
The chair’s comfort and understated elegance allow it to adapt easily across different phases of life, its meaning evolving over time. “As I started spending not only work but also personal moments with the Domus Chair, I feel that my relationship has deepened,” Koki says. “It almost feels human to me. It’s a partner for life."
“Companion.”