Seeking The Horizon

木漏れ日  

木 means tree (or trees), 漏 refers to leaking or coming through and 日 is light or sun, together they make up the beautiful yet untranslatable Japanese word komorebi–meaning the sunshine filtering through the leaves of trees. The closest English equivalent is probably dappled sunlight, but it hardly does justice to the poetry contained in the original. That starting point of elusive, natural beauty is the inspiration behind the new custom collection Mist.

The floor as a canvas is not a new concept but with Mist, a stunning collaboration between Shaw and award-winning, multi-disciplinary studio Republic of II by IV, the floor beneath your feet truly becomes a work of art. Capturing all the visual poetry of Komorebi, the designers have used the fluid brush strokes and gossamer fine lines of Japanese landscape painting, delicately balanced with light and shadow, and a subtle palette that captures the soft hues of sunset and sunrise. 

“The design team really focused on how to capture these beautiful fleeting moments in nature–mist, shadows, clouds, and sunlight radiating through foliage–turning them into watercolour-like visuals both dreamlike yet powerful in their representation.”  - The Republic of II BY IV

Mist captures the ethereal transience of dawn and dusk in a painterly collection designed to evoke a transient mood, an encounter with nature that leaves you filled with optimism, calm, yet poised for new adventures. Interior designers have always drawn from nature but now more than ever, we all long for moments of repose. We seek beauty as inspiration and draw comfort from the natural world as an antidote to our busy lives.  Academics in the Netherlands have published research that shows even looking at images of nature can lower the blood pressure and induce a state of relaxation. Art in all its forms has always inspired the human response to the world around us. Mist brings art and nature together in a series of gently captured, perfect moments that draw on our affinity for light.  

Mist transforms the experience of space in subtle, nuanced ways bringing moments of calm to busy entrance ways, elevating hallways with elegant, understated luxury and providing statement rugs that capture the imagination with translucent beauty. The designers have struck a delicate balance that compels us to linger, to take stock, to be present. 

“Every space we design for is unique, the Mist collection offers an original artful perspective that lets the imagination roam free. Clients will be inspired by the ethereal, organic, designs to create nature influenced custom spaces that are filled with beauty.”  - Omoleye Simmons, Senior Designer, Lifestyle Studio, Shaw Contract