In a bid to avoid the visual noise of typical architectural hardware, Japanese studio nendo has designed SOROE; a collection of uniform and minimal hardware. The base element is a cylinder with a “face” sliced down the side. When multiple cylinders are next to one another, some gaps form. Creating faces resolves this, making it easier to fit pieces together and hook items on the fittings. Furthermore, because the design emphasises a vertical or horizontal line, the hardware does not interfere with the existing horizontal floors and vertical walls.

The base form extended horizontally is the “bar,” which can be used as a door handle, towel hanger, or a supporting piece for a shelf. The flat face allows add-ons like trays, containers, mirrors, cups, and soap dispensers to be attached easily and reliably. These items are anticipated to be used not only in the bathroom, but also in closets, entryways, kitchens, and other areas of the home.

The dust box in the collection has a lid that is balanced on only two supporting points, meaning that just lightly lifting one end will cause the box to open, and a soft touch will close it. The cups, made of highly transparent silicone, are easy to stack and insert in cup holders because of the flat faces. While they look like glass, they are soft like rubber.

The items and accessories that are typically placed haphazardly on countertops become more organised, naturally, through the design. While the items in the collection are not the main characters of a living space, by having them share the element of a sliced off “face”, they help bring a sense of unity to the spatial whole.