Although both Yohei Terui and Hiromu Yuyama thought they might end up in other industries (music and education, respectively), some early memories point to a future in design. “When I was about 6 years old, I remember competing with my cousin to make a paper plane,” says Terui. “I [lost] all of the time, but I was very much into making a perfect design.” For Yuyama—who spent weekends visiting Tokyo from his home in Kawasaki with his architect father and painting teacher mother—it was constantly rearranging his room. “I found it interesting that just changing the layout reorganized the space.”
Today, they make up Tokyo-based interior design studio I IN. Founded two years ago, the duo is already garnering attention with projects that emphasize their creative lighting approach, ranging from a shipping container beer stand to a cosmetic brand’s ethereal event installation. The two met in 2012 at Tokyo-based multidisciplinary studio Curiosity, where they were both lead designers. Terui’s tenure there followed his return to Tokyo in 2009 after five years in New York where he worked with SHoP Architects and Gabellini Sheppard. Yuyama, who started his career at ILYA Corporation’s Tokyo office, arrived at Curiosity three years later.
Home-like office space Warp features soft textures and colors
“[At some point], I started considering leaving the company to follow my own journey,” says Yuyama. “At that time, Yohei called me, and the opportunity was created. I [agreed] with his vision of creating a new organization for the future of designers.”
Inside Warp, a home-like office space I IN created for Japanese real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan, a central screen casts a glow with a series of abstract images. Meanwhile, in the new monochromatic headquarters for Japanese fashion label Mastermind, a minimalist approach is highlighted by varying lighting compositions that frame the space. “We have created a design that combines beauty with strength and delicacy,” says Terui.
With their different processes and ways of thinking, the two share a belief that this diversity in thought leads to a richer design sensibility. “Many designers tend to stay in their own world,” says Terui, “but I believe that by keeping a broad perspective, the design will be stronger and penetrate more people.”
A glass screen at Warp casts a warm glow thanks to color gradation
The Mastermind headquarters employs a minimalist, monochromatic design
Photos by Tomooki Kengaku Photography and Norihito Yamauchi
This article originally appeared in HD’s July 2020 issue.
