Designer
Yano Yuta
Yuta Yano is a designer and architect from Kitami, Hokkaido, born in 1985. He began his career as a carpenter before becoming an architect, eventually founding Yano Gumi in 2013—built on the simple idea that honesty in building creates genuine trust and lasting value.
In 2023, Yano launched BEFORE VINTAGE FURNITURE, a brand shaped by the philosophy “Furniture, Made to Become Vintage.” His work focuses on crafting pieces that don’t peak when they leave the workshop, but instead grow deeper in character over 10, 50, or even 100 years.
He works with “sleeping wood”—materials overlooked by the market yet inherently beautiful—and revives them through skilled craftsmanship. This idea fuels another central belief of the brand: “The Power of Sleeping Wood, Awakened as Vintage.” By sourcing such wood independently, Yano creates furniture that is both accessible and exceptionally durable, each piece individually numbered and documented to preserve its story and future value.
Inspired by the resourceful traditions of people who lived in Hokkaido’s harsh northern climate, Yano designs with a deep respect for nature and for the individuality of every material. His background as both architect and craftsman enables him to create furniture and spaces that quietly enrich the lives of those who use them—objects meant not just to be owned, but to be lived with over generations.
In 2023, Yano launched BEFORE VINTAGE FURNITURE, a brand shaped by the philosophy “Furniture, Made to Become Vintage.” His work focuses on crafting pieces that don’t peak when they leave the workshop, but instead grow deeper in character over 10, 50, or even 100 years.
He works with “sleeping wood”—materials overlooked by the market yet inherently beautiful—and revives them through skilled craftsmanship. This idea fuels another central belief of the brand: “The Power of Sleeping Wood, Awakened as Vintage.” By sourcing such wood independently, Yano creates furniture that is both accessible and exceptionally durable, each piece individually numbered and documented to preserve its story and future value.
Inspired by the resourceful traditions of people who lived in Hokkaido’s harsh northern climate, Yano designs with a deep respect for nature and for the individuality of every material. His background as both architect and craftsman enables him to create furniture and spaces that quietly enrich the lives of those who use them—objects meant not just to be owned, but to be lived with over generations.
