the shibui ethos
Shibui is a Japanese word that refers to an aesthetic of simple, unobtrusive beauty.
It is also the name of a homeware and accessories company based in Switzerland, created by award-winning Greek designers Constantinos Hoursoglou and Athanasios Babalis.
To us shibui means design in harmony with nature, where every form has a function and every detail a purpose. Handmade in Europe by specialist artisans, our creations are inspired by a desire to make elegant, useful objects accessible to all. Shibui products use minimal resources and natural materials, and are made to last. We pride ourselves on honest pricing, consistent quality, and openness to one-off commissions and special requests.
We can tailor any design to your requirements.
Integrity, sustainability, and beautiful simplicity: these are the values of shibui.
Athanasios Babalis
Based in Thessaloniki, Greece, Babalis studied Industrial and Furniture Design at London Metropolitan University and at the Royal College of Art in London.
He began his professional career in London as a freelance furniture designer before going on to New York, where he worked for seven years designing products for companies such as Dimensional Media Associates and Dakota Jackson. In 2003 he returned to Greece, where he established his own design studio in Thessaloniki.
Many of his designs have received awards from bodies such as the EBGE Awards (Greece, 2011), the Dieline Awards (USA, 2010), the Green Good Design (USA, 2011), the British Standards Institute (1996), the Royal Society of Arts (1994 and 1995),the Greek Ministry of Development (2007), the Bank of Greece (2007), Furnidec – Hellexpo (Greece, 1994 and 1995), and Dromeas SA (Greece, 2006). He has exhibited his work in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, St. Etienne, Athens and Thessaloniki.
For more information, visit www.ababalis.com
Constantinos Hoursoglou
A native of Athens, Constantinos studied Industrial Design in the UK and received his Masters from the Royal College of Art. He has worked for Minalle Tatersfield in London, in New York for Ayse Birsel, and for Karim Rashid as a Design Director for clients such as Sony, Prada, Issey Miyake, Tommy Hilfiger and Guzzini.
In 2002 he opened his own design studio (chd industrial &product design) in Athens, and since September 2007 he has been based in Geneva, providing comprehensive services to clients on projects ranging from graphic and exhibition design to product design & development. His work has been featured in international publications such as Young European Designers, Product Design Now and Star Industrial Designers, and he has received wide exposure in the Greek and international press (Interni, Area, ID magazine, among others).
Among his design awards are a Red Dot in 2011and (twice) the Walker of Tomorrow award from Johnnie Walker.
For more information, visit www.hoursoglou.com
