Collection: Observatory

Ayako Takase and Cutter Hutton began their design dialogue when they met as students at the Rhode Island School of Design. Each had a unique voice that came through in their respective design projects. Takase’s designs expressed the simple richness of her native Japan, while Hutton’s designs expressed his clever and pragmatic nature. Their voices started to harmonise in 2001, the year they founded their studio. Their philosophy is that good design can create an emotional connection between object and individual. “There’s a lot of analytical work that goes into design”, says Hutton. “But there’s also an emotional aspect that can only be delivered though intuition and experience. The process is a blend of rational and intuitive”.