Japanese-American woodworker and architect George Nakashima believed in treating wood with sensitivity and making furniture that showed off its natural features – he was internationally renowned for his beautifully crafted, one-off pieces. In 1947, he built a workshop and home in Pennsylvania on a three-acre plot of land surrounded by the forest.
In fact, during his lifetime he built around 15 houses on the land – one of which was for his daughter, Mira Nakashima. Today, Mira runs the Nakashima studio and lives in the four-bedroom house with her husband, surrounded by her father’s furniture.
She recently created her first restaurant interior, The Connaught Grill at London’s Connaught Hotel. The 46-cover restaurant features large-scale wall panels and furniture in American black walnut, some of which exhibit the signature ‘free edges’ that define her father George Nakashima’s work. The project was a collaboration between the George Nakashima Woodworkers and the London-based architecture firm Heah & Co.
Here, Mira tells us about her unique home and the legacy of her father’s work.
How would you describe your home?
It incorporates a lot of traditional Japanese elements, and all the furniture is designed by my father. Most of the pieces are made from unfinished walnut, treated only with a simple coat of oil.
What defined your father’s style?
His signature was making furniture with ‘free edges’ [retaining the contours of the timber], which wasn’t done when he started out in the 1940s. Originally, he did it out of economic necessity, because it meant he could use the cheaper cuts of wood that nobody else knew what to do with.
Have you made many changes to the house?
We had too many books, so we added some bookcases and turned what was my daughter’s bedroom into a quiet space, a Zen room for my husband to paint in. We did have a tatami platform in the living room, but we moved the piano in from the guesthouse and had to take the platform out because there wasn’t enough room. Other than that, it’s mostly the same as it’s always been.
And the guesthouse?
Dad built it in 1972 for his mother, who was visiting. We had to rebuild it six years ago because of drainage problems, but we’ve kept the same foundation and roof, and as much of the original furniture as possible.
How does your home make you feel?
I work six days a week at the studio – I’m trying to retire but haven’t figured out how yet – so when I am home, I want to relax. The furniture has a quiet feel to it that makes you slow down and think differently. Dad thought wood had a story to tell, so that, even when it has been made into a table or chair, it speaks to you. nakashimawoodworker.com
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