Bringing Japanese making into the life of this place.
Based between Kyoto and the Hudson Valley, thé‑En is a development studio working across private homes, bespoke collaborations, and selective market entry. We work with Japanese techniques, materials, and makers — not as commodities, but as works that carry artistic value through presence, use, and time. We define what should be made, who should make it, and how it should take form within a specific room, atmosphere, and setting — so that craft is not simply seen, but lived with.
Kyoto + Hudson Valley. The Modern Shikkai Studio.
(悉皆)
Japanese craft, materials, and makers — placed within contemporary homes, hospitality, and design.
Elegance is a result, not a goal.
The process is part of the value.
Selected collaborations and placements.
Projects that show how Japanese techniques, materials, and collaboration can take form between craft, design, and art—and come to belong in contemporary life.
Kondaya Genbei × Victoria and Albert Museum
Hikihaku obi · Permanent collection · London 2020
Sanya Kantarovsky × Taka Ishii Gallery
Nishijin brocade · Art Basel, Basel · 2023
Calico Wallpaper
Hand-dyed Japanese linen · site-specific dining textile 2024
Ladies & Gentlemen Studio
Kurimayu silk · contemporary lighting 2025
The Makers
Makers whose techniques have been shaped across generations — carried forward by the few who remain.
“Connecting what is made in Japan with how it is lived here.”
For homes, hospitality, design collaborations, and thoughtful market entry, thé‑En begins with context—and carries the work through with care.