The UKB chair brings traditional Japanese craftsmanship to a relaxed and refined contemporary lifestyle. Its minimalist silhouette and precise alignments are made possible only through the intricacy of hand-cut joinery. The broad radius and clean lines pay homage to Streamline architecture and the sweeping horizontal landscapes of LA, the home of Base 10 Furniture.

Design Team

Joshua Friedman - furniture maker

Jennifer Yoko Olson - designer

Base 10 Furniture is proud to present the UKB chair, designed by Jennifer Yoko Olson.

Founded by Joshua Friedman, Base 10 Furniture is a Los Angeles studio specializing in hand-crafted wood furniture that incorporates precision Japanese joinery. Prior to launching his own furniture brand, Friedman studied traditional Japanese timber framing, and practiced specialty carpentry in California and New York.

The UKB chair began with Friedman's first trip to Japan in 2017. Olson, a New York-based industrial designer born and raised in Tokyo, joined Friedman as a friend, translator, and curious student of Japanese woodworking traditions. Together, they visited a series of master craftsmen, touring studios and observing techniques.

Inspired by these discoveries, a collaboration seemed inevitable. Olson approached the project with a clear goal: to design a chair whose form expressed the unique possibilities and personality of Japanese joinery.

This tradition, developed over centuries, creates enduring structures without the use of any hardware, relying instead on the perfect alignment of wooden joints. The geometries of the UKB chair are intentionally unforgiving to highlight the precision of this craft. Friedman's hand-cut joinery, completely invisible from the exterior, provides hidden strength that makes the surprisingly spare structure of the chair possible.

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