KTTTABLE

KTTTABLE is a coffee table but also a Japanese traditional style table called “Kotatsu” 

Kotatsu is a low table with a detachable tabletop and a leg structure with a heating unit built in it. 

Between the cold winter time, Kotatsu-Futon (blanket) is placed in between the table top and the structure in order to keep the heat inside of the blanket. People sit around by sliding their legs inside of the blanket while they’re enjoying meal time or hang out time with their family and friends.

Like many Asian cultures, Japan is also one of the countries where sitting on the floor is historically common, and even in today’s living environment where “chair-sitting culture” has become more common, many households have this type of low-table as a centerpiece of their family gathering space.

While this was a commission work for my good friend from Japan, I saw an interesting opportunity to imagine how it could be introduced to a different living culture. Even though floor-sitting culture is not a common living culture in North America, we still share cold winter time and good family and friends hang-out time at home. And seeing a familiar furniture piece that already exists in North American homes “coffee table” as a portal to an introduction to the different living culture, I am curious if this can create an interesting cross-cultural home living culture.

This work was showcased in “Linage” by Upper Canada Forest Group.

Photo by Malcolm Lam

Photo by Luis Valdizon (When They Find Us)