Bejing/Hangzhou-based Fnji Furniture is the brainchild of industrial designer Gu Qi Gao, who seeks to "discover meaningful things invented by Chinese people and to use them to serve modern Chinese people," according to Shanghai Daily. His solid wood pieces, which make use of Chinese mortise and tenon joint structure, are influenced by the shapes and forms of ancient Chinese furniture, but with minimalist lines.
Gu Qi began designing furniture when he opened a cafe in Shanghai and couldn't find pieces that he liked. "Design is connected to everything; it is the core to everything," he told Design China. "The situation right now is that most people live their lives according to a very Western lifestyle. They have abandoned the Chinese way of life." To see more, go to Fnji Furniture.
Above: Gu Qi's double-height showroom, which doubles as the living space that he shares with his artist girlfriend, Mobai, features metal factory windows and is filled with pieces from the Fnji line.
Above: "My father's generation used to make their own furniture from wood, but these processes have slowly been replaced by machine-made, mass-produced items that are usually very low in quality and very cheap," Gu Qi says. The Buddhist Bench (foreground) is ¥7200.
Above: An Eave Round Angle Dining Table (¥5500) and matching Bench (¥1750) .
Above L: The Round-Backed Armchair is ¥3500. Above R: The Bamboo Chair is ¥2100.
Above: A mix of chairs surround the Shoulders Working Table (¥6500).
Above: The Fnji Couch is ¥9200 and available in ash or black walnut.
Above: A pair of Round-Backed Armchairs (¥3500) with a Teapoy Table (¥1800).
Above: The High L Shape Back Chair is ¥1350.
Above: The Wall Cabinet with display shelf is ¥2600.
Above: The Round Sofa Chair is ¥8600.
Above: The entrance to the Fnji showroom.
For more inspiration, peruse our Furniture posts, including Tiny Altars: Furniture Inspired by Japanese Temples and Economy + Style: 6 Trestle Desks.