Our Design Philosophy
We enable presence in the design and crafting process. Our lamps are designed, burned and handcrafted in our little workshop in Estonia.
Burnt Wood
It all starts from the forest. We use regionally sourced wood in our products. Sometimes we even burn the wood in the forest, as it gives us a good moment to wind down.
Using burnt wood originates from Japan, where the charring technique called Yakisugi was used to preserve and protect wood from the weather and insects, as it basically “kills” the material.
Besides protecting it, charring brings out the wood’s grain and leaves it with a matte black finish.
Raw Metal
Opposing lifeless wood, metail is a living material that responds to its environment over time. As it oxidizes, it develops a unique shade, making each piece subtly different.
The surface reflects light softly, creating a gentle, characteristic glow. It brings warmth, depth, and a sense of constant change to the object.
Duality
The combination of dull charred wood and ever-changing copper forms a unique duality: the matte and the glowing, the burnt and the burning, the dead and the living.
The tension reflects the Japanese philosophical embrace of dualism: the opposing forces do not cancel each other out but instead define and elevate one another. Yaki brings this ancient harmony into a modern context and form.
Crafting Process
We create our designs in our tiny workshop in Estonia. The team is still only two people, and thus we’re able to craft only two pieces a month.
We still burn each piece of wood using natural fire, without
any artificial methods.We put ultimate care and attention into each piece and share the process transparently on our social channels.
Our Story
Yaki is created in Estonia by two 25-year-old best friends: Risto and Sander. The first design was born out of an university project and perfected to offer exceptional beauty.
Yaki's first prototype.
Born out of curiosity
While in university, Risto encountered a task to build a lamp. He was curious about how raw copper could reflect light in a room and, in search of a complementary material, discovered burnt wood and an ancient wood-burning technique.
Brought to life by friendship
When he showed the design to his best friend Sander just for fun one day, the seed was planted not to leave the concept in a drawer. Risto began refining the design of the lamp, and Sander started building a website.
Creating peace
When the first floor lamp was ready and lit in the dark room, we found that we could just stay there, looking at the light for a while. It was like sitting next to a living fire. We felt peace. After we understood that having this ritual in our apartment every night had become an enriching part of the day, we were sure we’d want to share it with others.
"Yaki creates an atmosphere that allows to flow into the cosmos of thoughts"
Producer - @thundion
