Founded in Milan in 2015 by Kaori Shiina and Riccardo Nardi, Hands on Design is committed to creating handcrafted objects dedicated to those who appreciate the fundamental values of dignity and beauty. Through their designs, they create products that distance themselves from the commercial, chaotic, and consumerist world, reflecting on a slower, more sustainable lifestyle. They recently moved to Val d'Orcia to seek authentic artisanal art, the calm and purity of a rural world, and balance: in other words, the heart of their production.
What is the fundamental element in each of your projects?
We're both somewhat old-fashioned designers, so we try to avoid excess and stylistic exaggeration in our projects, and this is the heart of our design. We want to create functional objects that meet the client's requests and needs, products that, while innovative, don't veer into eclecticism. This is a difference from our individual projects before we met, which were more oriented toward pure product and industrial design, compared to what we do now that we're working together.
Even in our most recent works, however, we continue to adhere to this approach and increasingly employ artisanal techniques and non-synthetic materials, always seeking a balanced, harmonious result that transcends current stylistic trends . The goal remains an elegant, timeless design.
Mikazuki set, design by Shinya Kobayashi, produced by Banshu Hamono.
Why is artisanal tradition, far removed from more commercial aspects, so important in your design?
With the founding of the Hands on Design brand, our path has become more coherent and aligned with the world of fine craftsmanship, which we aim to embrace. Our creativity is based on slow processes, pure materials, and handcrafted without excessive technological invasiveness. We could say that, like good food, we aim to create products "without additives or chemical preservatives."
For us, the value of an object comes from a design that aligns with the incredible artistic and manual skills of our craftsmen; in fact, our briefings always achieve complete understanding among everyone involved in production, and this shows in the results. Of course, this doesn't mean we're left out of the mainstream market, even if the normal laws of marketing don't apply to us.
Our products have a very specific target: people who love the beauty of simplicity, with a certain amount of habit and willingness to make thoughtful, rather than hasty or superficial, purchases. These are objects that no one will ever throw away and that will survive many moves, for generations. Or at least, that's what we hope.
Harley, Design by Shiina+Nardi Design, sake bottle.
How is your new Tuscan experience and why did you decide to make this change?
Our design journey began in the 1980s in urban and industrial settings, among factories, fairs, and showrooms, until, for the 2013 Fuorisalone, we organized an event where six Japanese female designers collaborated with six Italian artisans, and we understood that for us "that" would be the future direction.
This path has led us through fields and hills, through historic villages and towns—especially in Japan—in search of special and rare artisanal workmanship. In 2015, when we founded our brand, we definitively followed this new direction. Most artisans live and work in historic or rural settings, in contact with nature, good food, art, and history, both in Italy and Japan. For this reason, living in a vibrant, noisy, and trendy city like Milan had become dissonant.
We therefore decided to come and live permanently in Tuscany, a land rich in all the elements of the good life we mentioned earlier. The Val d'Orcia and its surroundings are a fertile microcosm where everything can still flourish: nature is stunning, historic villages abound and remain intact, the air is pure and scented with the scent of forests and wood-burning fireplaces, and there are also noble and ancient artisan traditions.
Dervish, designed by Kanz Architetti, produced by Erre Soffieria.
Speaking of design, what do you think is the most important, central, and essential element in a home?
In our opinion, a home should express the personality of its inhabitants, be connected to nature and in harmony with it. The basic elements must all be present, in a simple and accessible way: air, water, fire, and matter, both in the rooms and in the furnishings and objects. Excluding technological elements, which have become indispensable, all furniture, lights, and hand tools must be durable and made of unsophisticated materials.
Above all, in our opinion, it is light, whether natural or artificial, that creates the true soul of a home, which should be bright throughout the seasons. It's generally considered secondary, but good, versatile lighting, both day and night, truly defines the space: everything, if not seen in the right light, loses much of its value.
Kaori Shiina and Riccardo Nardi.
On the cover, Bouquet, designed by Shiina+Nardi Design, produced by Ercole Moretti.
