Nightowl Creative

Round lamp made with washi paper, which has dried Maple leaves embedded in it. It’s a very different design compared to my usual kumiko lamps, but I wanted to showcase the paper without any distractions. The cylindrical shape was obviously more complicated to make than a square frame, but I think it looks great and was well worth the extra effort. This type of paper is not common and I may not be able to get another sheet again. It sold within the first hour of the and it does seem very fitting that the customer is from Canada 🍁🇨🇦

Box making is something that I quite enjoy, but don’t often have the time or opportunity to do. I have wanted to have a go at making a hexagonal Kumiko box for a while now, but for some reason never got around to make the necessary jigs required. I still do all of my woodwork from the dining table in my apartment, and as such, I rely almost exclusively on hand tools. Being one of the vendors at the this Saturday, I felt it was time to make a shooting board, which would allow me to accurately cut the 60 degree mitres. It worked out well, and the glue up was a breeze😅. If people like them, I’ll happily make more in the future. There are plenty of opportunities for sizes, patterns and even trays with small compartment for jewellery. #組子 #組子細工

Small Mahogany panel featuring the Asanoha and Ya-Asanoha. The washi paper in the background has quite a bit of texture and natural fibres, which does a good job filling in the negative space on the sides. #組子 #組子細工

I finally got around to make some kumiko coasters. I ended up with two sets, each with five coasters featuring different patterns. One set is for a dear friend of mine, the other set will be available at the which is raising funds for charity. Please come by on March 9 and check out all the talented artisans who will be there 🙂🌸 #組子 #組子細工

Kimonos, like kumiko are both part of the Japanese cultural heritage. While kimonos used to be an every day garment, kumiko was once a regular part of the architecture and interior decoration across Japan.

While you may still see kimonos worn out on the streets, they are usually just rented for the day. Although few people will argue with their beauty, they are simply not practical or comfortable when compared with modern clothing.

The construction industry has of course had a similar development, with modern materials and methods making for better performing buildings. Unfortunately this has to a large degree resulted in the loss of the old Japanese building aesthetic.

Manufacturers and retailers of the incredible fabrics which kimonos are made from are now looking for alternative uses of their stock. Not only to save their businesses, but also to save the centuries old craft which has been passed down for generations.

At the same time, woodworkers around the world are dedicating themselves to keep the craft of kumiko alive. Personally, although I have been working with wood for many years, I am quite new to kumiko. I will never be able to compare myself to the Japanese makers who have dedicated their careers to master the craft. However, I do hope that my work will in some small way help to keep this wonderful art form alive, in a way that is respectful to the tradition, while also being relevant in the modern world. This is the second time that I combine kumiko with kimono fabric and I look forward to similar projects in the future.

If you want to see more examples of fabrics being used for interior decoration, check out profile.

This panel is currently for sale and will be on display at in March 2024

Materials are: Mahogany, ebonized Cedar and fabric

Dimensions are 81cm x 34cm. #組子細工

The earrings are always going fast this time of year, but I still have some left. Instagram only allows 10 images per post, but if you’re interested just let me know so I can send you the full list as a private message 🙂. The little mushrooms are hand carved, and cost ¥2500/pair. Teardrop earrings are ¥1500/pair.

Whenever I finish a kumiko project, I’m left with a stack of spare parts. Rather than wasting these, I like to find creative ways to use them. In this case, I ended up with five Asa-no-ha fridge magnets. If you’re interested in getting one of these, please send me a message. Size is approximately 10cm wide x 6cm high. ¥2500/each.

A while back, I was a asked if I could make a set of three panels for an American family currently living in Yokohama. The panels would each have a theme that represents a location where they had lived. The places were Japan, Michigan and Chicago. From a design perspective, this was a challenge I hadn’t encountered before, but was keen to take on. Finding a theme for Japan wasn’t that hard, but I soon got stuck on the others. Thankfully the clients gave me plenty of ideas, and for Chicago we settled on a design which was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wrights’ stained glass windows. Finally, by scaling down the pitch of the jigumi (lattice work) to 25mm, I was able to create a silhouette of Michigan. The whole process took longer than expected, but in the end the clients were very happy, and so was I. #組子細工

In 2020, as the world shut down and locked the doors due to COVID, I was living in Australia. It was during this time that I rediscovered my love for woodworking and in particular spoon carving. It was the perfect way to spend all that extra free time that many ended up with during the lockdowns. This particular spoon is made of walnut and deer antler. It was the first time I ever worked with antler and I also incorporated a technique called kolrosing, which is effectively a way of “tattooing” the wood (or antler in this case). Fast forward 3 years, I now live in Japan and this spoon has found its way onto the cover of a Yokohama based magazine. Life is weird, but I love it!

I’m very pleased to have an article about my work in the latest issue of The Yokohama Seasider. The magazine can be found in various places around Yokohama, including in Kannai. Check it out if you are interested 🙂.

The last few weeks have been very busy as I turned the apartment into a small lamp factory. This is a new design and it will be available this weekend at the Saint Maur International Food Fair, where I will be a vendor. Please come by my booth and say hello, it should be a fun day out!

This is a variation of a previous design and I think it turned out really well. I will be a vendor at the Saint Maur International Food Fair this weekend and this lamp will be available for purchase there.

I just finished a batch of six lanterns. This is the biggest project I have done from the apartment and it definitely pushed the limits of what I’m able to do from my living room. It worked out well in the end and I’m looking forward to send them out to their new homes soon. I still have one lamp available so please let me know if you are interested. This is a very time consuming design to make and I won’t be able to make any more until September at the earliest.

I grew up in Scandinavia, where the long , dark winters have made ambient lighting an important part of the way we decorate our homes. I have always enjoyed designing lamps and the fact that I can now combine this with my love for kumiko makes it even better. This is my second lamp made with kumiko and I look forward to make many more.

My second kumiko lamp is finished. I choose to leave two sides relatively open which allows the light to shine more bright. Size is approximately 34cm high x 17cm wide. This lamp will be available at the on Saturday March 11.

My first kumiko lantern is finished just in time for the Yokohama Pop Up on March 11. This one features the standard square Asa-no-ha pattern on all four sides and on top. I’m looking forward to make more lamps in the future to try different patterns and designs. Since most of the people who will visit the pop-up shop are living in Japan temporarily, I choose to use a light fitting from IKEA so that it can be easily converted to work overseas. Size is 31cm high x 19cm wide.

Last week I finished two of these folding Kumiko screens. Rather than glueing washi paper to the back, I made a removable back panel, similar to a picture frame. This allows the screen to be customised with a range of Nishijin fabrics and washi papers or, if you prefer, nothing at all which in the right light will cast a Kumiko shaped shadow on the wall behind. Thanks to for supplying the fabrics!

I recently finished a new batch of earrings. There’s a few new patterns in this collection, please send me a message if you are interested in any of them. ¥1500/ pair.

Last Sunday was cold and rainy, a perfect day to pick up a knife and carve away on a piece of wood. I’ve been thinking of making a vase for a while and it turned out to be a fun little project. I’ve mostly been focusing on kumiko lately, but I miss whittling and I hope to make a few more of these types of things in the near future.

Today I finished another kumiko panel. The customer commissioned it as a present for her parents, who live in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. She wanted a panel that measured approximately 55x40 cm in size and if possible, would represent Mt Fuji. We sat down together and came up with this design. I got to try out some new patterns which is a challenge I really enjoy. I'm happy with the result, let's hope the new owners like it as well!

Today I took a break from woodworking so that I could give Wagashi making a try. Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confection which is often served as part of a tea ceremony. Thank you for teaching this class! It was quite different from the type of things I normally make and I really enjoyed the challenge!

I have a few of these fun little mushroom earrings available. These have been quite popular, so whenever I get a chance I’ll make a small batch. ¥2500, please send me a DM if you’re interested.

A few more designs are available. These earrings are made with origami paper and each pair is unique.

The last few days I have been playing around with some earring designs. This time I wanted to make use of the many varieties of origami papers available in Japan. I don’t often make jewellery as I’m not really used to work on such a small scale, but they can be a lot of fun. I also find that they are a good thing to have in stock as we get closer to Christmas. I will be adding more variations of these in the next few weeks. I have a few pieces of very pretty timber lying around so I’ll probably make a few wooden earrings as well. Please send me a DM if you’re interested. #イヤリング

This is the second of two panels I finished today. I tried out a couple of new patterns this time. They are definitely a bit more tricky to make, but well worth the effort. I've been keeping very busy these last few weeks, with the aim to have a range of products ready before the end of the year. I'm hoping to start a pair of lanterns soon, followed hopefully by some earrings. Frame size is 67x30 cm.

Today I finished two panels that I have worked on simultaneously. They are of similar layout, but with quite differing end results. Working like this speeds up production while still leaving me with two different end products. Frame size is 60x25 cm.

A friend of mine was kind enough to buy a kumiko panel from me. She wanted a long panel based on photos she had seen online. It's much bigger than previous panels I have made, but I really like the "panorama" format and will definitely make more designs like this again.

My second kumiko panel and first attempt at a hexagonal pattern. Definitely more tricky than the square pattern, but well worth the effort.

Moving to Japan, it was only a matter of time before I started making kumiko panels. I'll admit that I underestimated the effort in cutting this many half-lap joints while making sure they all lined up. In the end though, it came out really well and I'm very happy with the design. by