By George

Design Within Reach returns to its roots by highlighting a true woodworking maestro

It’s been a bit of a rough patch lately for Design Within Reach. (Read more about it here.) But there’s no denying that this mecca for all things Modern still stocks a stellar lineup of fab furnishings. Take the Shoki Collection (pictured), a new furniture line arriving in Scottsdale this Tuesday, February 22 as part of the studio’s month-long celebration of legendary woodworker, George Nakashima.

A second-generation Japanese American, George Nakashima (1905-1990) was renowned for his organic, handcrafted custom furnishings that transformed wood’s natural blemishes into beauty marks. Now run by his daughter, Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, Nakashima’s studio in New Hope, PA based the new collection on a series of drawings Nakashima created for clients in the 1940s. Pronounced show-kee, and meaning “early years,” these designs are more “architectural and precise” compared to Nakashima’s dramatic later work, Nakashima-Yarnall says.

Running through March 17, drop by on February 24 from 5 – 7 pm, to meet Mira Nakashima-Yarnall and get a signed copy of her book, “Nature, Form and Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima.”

Take home some timber: 4821 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480.970.8800