Nomaki Etsu | Coffee Podium

Coffee Podium
by Nomaki Etsu

Coffee Podium redefines coffee rituals by blending operational tables, coffee tables, and shelving platforms into a cohesive, multifunctional system. Designed as a bold yet elegant spatial concept, it embodies the designer’s lifestyle and fosters experiences that integrate shelving, brewing, and enjoying coffee. This platform not only supports the daily coffee-making process but also encourages moments of connection and conversation.

Crafted with a robust steel frame and Baltic Birch Plywood surfaces, Coffee Podium features two modular tables. The larger, stationary platform includes shelving units, while the smaller, portable table can function as both an operational platform and a coffee table. With adjustable heights and versatile configurations, it adapts seamlessly to a range of activities, whether standing, sitting, or sharing coffee with friends. A chrome-like powder coating and a mahogany wood stain enhance its modern, refined aesthetic.

The design explores ambiguity and multi-functionality through its detailed surfaces. Chamfered and grooved areas allow for both flexible and specific uses, while the magnetic steel frame enables decorative and practical interactions, such as hanging spoons or attaching wooden components. Coffee Podium transcends conventional furniture, offering a dynamic and performative space that celebrates the art of coffee rituals.

Nomaki Etsu

Nomaki Etsu is an industrial and furniture designer whose work explores the relationship between geometry, material, and spatial presence through objects. Working across collectible furniture and industrial design, his practice bridges rigorous formal systems with material experimentation, positioning objects not only as functional entities but as carriers of meaning and perception. In response to an era shaped by technological expansion and excessive formal possibilities, he advocates for a soulful approach to design—one in which form, proportion, and material are resolved into a coherent and enduring presence.

Etsu’s work has received international recognition through awards, including the MUSE Award, the NY Product Design Award, the SIT Design Award, the International Design Pioneer Award (IDPA), and the International Design Awards (IDA). He has exhibited at ICFF Launch Pad, Manifest Gallery, and Detroit Art & Scene. Nomaki holds a Master of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Product Design from Parsons School of Design. With a cross-cultural background spanning Japan, China, and the United States, his practice situates design as both a physical and philosophical inquiry, seeking to create works that are structurally rigorous, perceptually engaging, and capable of resonating beyond their immediate function.

Nomaki Etsu
Email: nomakietsu@gmail.com
Website: etsunomaki.com
Instagram: @etsunomaki