In today's all consuming social media age, it feels that people would not pay attention to work that doesn't look dramatic or eye catching. But often the features that make work stand out in appearance comes at the expense of compromising its function.

So every time I receive work from Japanese woodworker Maeda Mitsuru, I am reminded about his extraordinary ability to stick to making simple and useful wood items.

This simple kitchen stool in Japanese oak is designed to take up minimal space in the kitchen while providing a little resting space for the busy cook.