How we make it
Made by hand, in our own studio
Every piece starts with a small everyday moment: setting your phone down at night, a cup of tea, a quiet place to write. Then the three of us make it here, by hand, one small batch at a time. Some of the techniques we use are centuries old, and keeping them in use matters to us. The last thing we do is pack it up for you, and that's still our favorite part.
What we believe
Not perfect, but wholehearted
Our mom used to ask one question: did you try your best? If the answer was yes, that was enough. It's still how we make everything, even the tedious parts that not everyone sees.
Wabi-sabi
The beauty in imperfection. Made by hand means no two pieces are exactly alike, and we like it that way.
Ichigo ichie
This moment won't come again. We make things for the small everyday moments worth slowing down for.
Ikigai
A reason for being. We only make what we'd keep on our own desks, and what we'd be proud to give a friend.
A family, not a factory
Every piece we make, the three of us make here ourselves, and packing each one up for you is one of our favorite parts.
Three ways we make
Every piece has its own process
Pick one and follow it from the first sketch to the box on your doorstep.
Printed pieces
The Zen MagSafe Charger Stand, Zen MagSafe Charger Puck and Fa Trinket Tray, printed on our own print farm and finished by hand.
The desk mat
Natural linoleum and merino wool, cut and finished by hand, one mat at a time.
Printed in our studio
The first thing you'll notice is the weight
Pick up a Zen MagSafe Charger Stand and it's heavier than it looks, and your phone lands exactly where it should. Here's how it gets that way.
I hope that this could bring some peaceful and zen vibes to you when you guys open it.
-
It starts with a small moment
Setting your phone down at the end of the day, or finding a home for your rings. We draw the shape around that moment, and choose the colors for how it should feel on your desk.
-
It lands exactly where it should
Your phone should settle onto the stand without a second thought. To get there, we print each design again and again until it fits just so and snaps onto its base. Then it's made here in our studio, in plant-based PLA, with every roll planned so none of it goes to waste.
-
Smooth in your hand
Every piece passes through our hands before it reaches yours. We pluck the little strings the printer leaves and soften each edge, and any piece that isn't quite right is set aside for a second life as Imperfectly Perfect. Inside the stand and the Fa Trinket Tray sits a solid block of metal, which is why they feel so settled on your desk.
-
The last thing we touch is the first thing you see
Opening the box should feel like a gift from a friend. Last in is the card: one of Ash's illustrations, drawn from the feeling we want you to have, printed here in our studio and tucked in beside your piece.
made to order, by hand made & ready
Every one of them snaps onto a Pro Desk Mat or a Zen Tray.
Zen MagSafe Charger Stand →Fa Trinket Tray →Zen MagSafe Charger Puck →
Cut and finished by hand
Work on one side, wind down on the other
Unroll it and there are two sides: smooth linoleum for the workday, soft merino wool for the evening. Every one is made in our studio, one mat at a time.
-
Natural under your hands
Smooth natural linoleum for the workday, soft OEKO-TEX® certified merino wool for when the day slows down. We choose every color to feel calm on a busy desk. On the Pro, a thin sheet-metal layer inside lets the Zen MagSafe Charger Stand, Zen MagSafe Charger Puck and Fa Trinket Tray snap on and stay.
-
Soft, even edges
Run your fingers along the edge and it's smooth all the way around. We cut every mat by hand, file the linoleum edge and trim the wool, one mat at a time.
-
Marked as ours
We engrave our mark into each one, a small sign that it came from our studio and no two are quite alike.
-
Packed to arrive the way it left
It should unroll on your desk as flat and fresh as the day we made it. The Pro travels flat, the Standard rolled and cushioned in kraft paper, with a note on the box asking the courier to leave the razor in the drawer.
Work on the linoleum, wind down on the wool.
Solid wood, finished by hand
Held together by one small wedge
Turn the book stand over and there's no screw in sight. A single wedge, tapped into place, holds the whole thing together, the way it has in Japanese joinery for centuries. Here's how it comes to be.
The elegance is in the simplicity of how everything is put together. A subtle reminder to live slowly and intentionally.
-
Real wood, all the way through
It starts with a board we pick out ourselves: solid maple, white oak, walnut and cherry, most of it from a local lumber yard down the road. Solid all the way through, so it has the weight and warmth only real wood has.
-
Even and smooth to the touch
Each part is cut and sanded until every surface is smooth and even, so the pieces sit flat on your desk and come together without a gap.
-
Joined the traditional way
Every joint is fitted by hand the traditional way, so there's nothing to hide and no screw in sight. The maple book stands get cherry wedges and the oak ones walnut, so the little tusk holding everything together becomes a detail you'll find yourself noticing.
-
It still feels like wood
After sanding, we brush in hard wax oil, then wax and buff each piece for a soft sheen. So when you rest your hand on it, you feel the grain itself, smooth and warm, and the wood keeps its natural color and character. No two pieces are identical. That means the one you have is uniquely yours.
We like to think about why these joints came about in the first place, and bring them into things that fit our lives now, without modernizing them too much.
Made to order & made & ready
Two ways a piece reaches you
Made for you
Most of what we make is made after you order. Each product page shows its lead time and a ships-by date: printed pieces usually leave within a week, desk mats in 1–2 weeks, and wood pieces in 2–4 weeks, in small scheduled batches.
Made & ready
Finished pieces already waiting on our studio shelf. Look for the green dot: they're packed and leave in 1–3 business days. We count the shelf every week, so the number you see is real.
Mixing both? At checkout you can ship everything together in one box once it's all made, or choose Ship ready pieces now to get the ready pieces first and the rest when it's made, in two boxes with a shipping charge for each.
From our studio
Watch us make it
See how a piece goes from an idea on paper to something on your desk.
What's next
See what's on our workbench
Some pieces take months, sometimes years, to get right. Here's what we're making now.
