Home furnishings are made sacral and the austere more approachable for daily rituals with the enchanting Credo Collection by DECERES for Obakki – a purpose-led lifestyle brand that connects artisans, designers, and conscious consumers – in a celebration of contemporary Mexican design fused with craft heritage. The monolithic objects comprising the series, which include the Gotha Bookcase, Otler Dining Table, and the Juddas Chair and Stool, speak a shared visual language bewitching to those in their presence.

Thematically, Credo is an elixir of architectural devices – seemingly immovable forms, severe lines, and narrow voids – with religiosity all distilled through the lens of reductionism, each ingredient bringing something potent to the solution. The Gotha bookcase boasts a towering mass and visual gravity created by its structural surfaces suspended in tension on the cusp of connection. Opposite in approach yet equal in impact, the Otler Dining Table grounds itself in a wide stance commanding respect while the trayed tabletop beckons for an audience. And the complementary, multi-use Juddas Chair and Stool flirt with multiple functions as seating and storage. Each piece of furniture is a composition of proportion and plane to evoke the juxtaposition between stark forms and delicate humanness, a narrative informed by DECERES’ personal introspection.

Gotha bookcase detail

The story behind Credo’s visual narrative begins with the designers’ Catholic upbringing on the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, California. Founded on a shared ethos by Denise Martinez and Jorge Arturo Ibarra in 2020 – both with roots in Baja – the two met in Southern California where a decade later DECERES came to be. The duality of having lived between those worlds informs their outlook and approach to design, and the very physical manifestations of their musings.

Olter dining table

The fresh offerings recontextualize traditional items often found in storied places of worship. Though neither designer is practicing religion, the impact of communion is undeniable. “The decadent architecture and ornate interiors in contrast with the austere furnishings made a lasting impact in our approach to design,” the duo says. “We aim to create pieces that have a purposeful functionality that stand out, but do not distract or compete with their surroundings.”

Juddas 01 (dining stool/side table), Juddas 02 (low-back dining chair, side table), Juddas 03 (counter stool/bookcase), Juddas 04 (barstool/bookcase)

An appreciation for the built environment builds onto the art of furniture making. “My parents are engineers and my mother studied architecture, so I grew up with blueprints in my house,” Martinez says. “And while Jorge’s family is in the gastronomy world, his grandfather, a baker by trade who always loved architecture, designed two of their family homes and their bakeries.” Influences from Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute echo through their work. “That is how we approach our own pieces, viewing our furnishings like small-scale architecture. They could all be components of a building. And if you put them all together, you can create these different shapes and structures,” Ibarra adds.

Juddas 02 (low-back dining chair, side table)

Aspects of minimalism from artist Donald Judd also see themselves translated into the scheme of various pieces like the Juddas series. “While an homage, it also is designed with people in mind, the evolution of a person throughout their life, the starting point, and how throughout it, you carry elements from your past and add components, emotions, and perspectives as you grow, which are represented in the seatings’ evolution,” Ibarra says.

Juddas 02 (low-back dining chair, side table), Juddas 03 (counter stool/bookcase)

It is this depth that makes partnering with Obakki the perfect union. The brand works with masters of their craft, the artisans that help bring designs to fruition and imbue each artifact with its unique presence. “One of my tenets is to make sure that no matter what you produce, that you’re being valued for who you are and what you’re making, not less because of the region of the world where you’re working,” Obakki’s founder Treana Peake says. “So for me, working with Deceres was just another extension of that.”

Juddas 02 (low-back dining chair, side table)

Every purchase funds the Obakki Foundation, the brand’s philanthropic counterpart, which is focused on providing sustainable change in Africa and Mexico through clean water access and livelihood initiatives, to date the foundation has helped over 4 million people. For more information visit Obakki.com.

With professional degrees in architecture and journalism, Joseph has a desire to make living beautifully accessible. His work seeks to enrich the lives of others with visual communication and storytelling through design. A regular contributor to titles under the SANDOW Design Group, including Luxe and Metropolis, Joseph serves the Design Milk team as their Managing Editor. When not practicing, he teaches visual communication, theory, and design. The New York-based writer has also contributed to exhibitions hosted by the AIA New York’s Center for Architecture and Architectural Digest, and recently published essays and collage illustrations with Proseterity, a literary publication.

Measuring a tad over 10 feet long and under 5 feet wide, HW Electro’s concept EV, the Puzzle, may present itself as a bewildering vehicle, one of perplexingly tiny proportions to the average American used to driving the equivalent of a living room on wheels. Yet in Japan, the ubiquity of small utilitarian vehicles classified as Kei cars across the nation makes this rectilinear van nothing all too strange, its unique qualities attributed to the van’s maximized capacity, electrified utility, and contemporary interior design.

While Americans may ascribe the van’s name to its diminutive size, the Puzzle actually earns its moniker from its thoughtfully designed exterior and interior construction all engineered to fit together like puzzle pieces.

HW Electro describes their design philosophy as one of form representing function: the panel under the front light and the front edge of the roof, alongside the left front door and right rear door all use the same standardized exterior panel, thus eliminating waste and increasing efficiency of manufacturing. The automaker says by reducing the cost of hardware, they can use those funds to further develop services such as software updates and features.

Similarly, the Puzzle’s design is the embodiment of “waste not, want not” realized on four wheels. Puzzle’s cube-like cargo space maximizes the capacity of the van beyond that of a typical vehicle of similar size, with even the corners near perfectly square to allow for Jenga-like fits when transporting a payload. This space efficiency will make the Puzzle an attractive option for delivery service duties.

Equipped with large batteries, the PUZZLE can also operate as an AC power supply itself, suited to aid in emergencies during instances when the power infrastructure is down. Additionally, a rooftop array of solar panels can eke out additional amounts of power throughout the day, further extending the range of the vehicle.

Check out those 15-inch wheels.

An emergency kit, trio of power outlets, and USB port ensure Puzzle drivers a range of power-connectivity options.

If you’ve ever been in a Kei van or truck, the Puzzle’s pared down interior won’t feel foreign. The van does include a few modern amenities like a small touchscreen infotainment system and center dash display with some basic button controls situated across the steering wheel. A sliding gear shifter is likely a concept flourish rather than a final feature, but we appreciate its novelty.

The interior surfaces of the Puzzle are lined with pegboard-style surfaces, allowing for endless add-on accessories and organizational tools.

An elongated rear view mirror extends to offer the driver improved rear visibility. No word whether the van is equipped with rear view cameras or sensors to aid in reverse mode.

The MyHWE app allows for remote monitoring of the van’s battery level, charging status, and the current location of the vehicle, with plans for additional apps related to supporting services and functions such as disaster support and delivery optimization planned for the near future.

The HWE Puzzle made an appearance at this year’s Japan Mobility Show 2023 as an exhibition car, but there’s no final word when these vehicles will see the reality of rubber on road availability, nor any pricing information. But noting the customizable platform the Puzzle presents, alongside its numerous delivery and disaster relief duty capabilities, we’re optimistic about the concept joining HWE’s existing fleet of Elemo EV-powered kei trucks and vans already on the road.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Veronese continues to challenge itself to push the brand’s glass mastery further and further. In the case of the limited edition Patchwork vessel collection, designed by Dan Yeffet, the vision challenged the technique. Both Yeffet and Ruben Jochimek, Veronese’s creative director, knew the level of difficulty from the start, and spent months figuring out how it would actually work. And then, they created it.

One of the main challenges was determining the precise temperature where the mold-blown base vessel and molten glass patches would fuse, without breaking or melting. The glass patches on the pieces include various thicknesses and shapes, allowing the glass itself to tell the story of each creation and adding depth to their stories.

Jochimek personally got involved in the process, working the cane with Murano artisans to produce the pieces in batches with spontaneously chosen colors and textures. He lived this one-of-a-kind experience as a gesture of trust and friendship after years of silent collaboration with the artisans and a passion for the unpredictable material.

Jochimek shared, “This peak moment of collaboration was the most exciting part of this project for Veronese. Getting on the floor, side-by-side with the artisans we’ve worked with countless times, and experiencing with them the pressure and heat was a moment of pride. To know that Veronese has built such trusting relations with the artisans opens more doors for creativity to flourish even further.”

Yeffet followed Jochimek’s instinct and knowledge of the process and material, seeking to “let the organic nature of the Murano glass lead the way and see where it would take me.” The spontaneous imperfections make each Patchwork vessel truly one-of-a-kind, numbered with Yeffet’s signature.

To learn more about the Patchwork vessel collection, visit veronese.fr.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.