Are digital cameras no longer necessary?

AD CORE DEVISE DESIGNER COLUMN Vol.178 I recently switched to the latest iPhone 17 Pro. Perhaps because it's been evolving gradually, I haven't felt like there's been a dramatic change in the last few years. However, with the iPhone 17, the camera function has improved even further, and I feel that my DSLR camera is becoming less and less necessary. For the past few years, I've only used my DSLR camera for studio photography for print catalogs or as a selfie camera for web seminars. I remember first using an iPhone was the second-generation iPhone 3G in 2008. Am I the only one who thinks it's only been 16 years since the excitement of first touching an iPhone...? Before that, I carried a flip phone and sent short messages with just text using button operation, but it was very convenient, and although the screen was small, I was happy to look at the photos I took, and I thought that a flip phone that fit in my pocket was the best. The iPhone changed things dramatically. The large touch-sensitive screen was revolutionary, and I was amazed that I could send PC emails and search the internet, and that I could have a computer the size of my own. That said, the iPhone 3G had 8GB of storage, a fixed-focus 2-megapixel camera (the iPhone 17 has 48 megapixels), no zoom, flash, autofocus, or image stabilization, and couldn't even shoot video. The cameras on other companies' flip phones were still superior. At that time, the camera used for overseas coverage, such as at the Milan Salone, was the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX3, a high-end compact digital camera with 10 megapixels and image stabilization, making it several steps ahead in terms of camera functionality. Even so, when taking photos of dimly lit interiors or at exhibitions like the Milan Salone, you had to keep your arm still and move the camera as little as possible to get a clear picture, otherwise you'd end up with a dark, blurry image. Compact digital cameras have since evolved with the development of mirrorless SLR cameras and other technologies that improve image quality with optical and digital image stabilization, and the iPhone's camera functionality still lags behind. Initially, the iPhone camera was like an afterthought, but the evolution of the iPhone camera continued. From the iPhone 6s in 2015, it reached 12 megapixels, finally catching up with digital cameras. Then, from the Pro series starting with the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019, Night Mode was added, and the image quality dramatically improved with three lenses: ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto. Apple used advertising photos taken with an iPhone as part of their "Shot on iPhone" campaign. I learned this from graphic designer Hiroshi Takahara, who accompanied us on a catalog shoot on the West Coast of the United States in 2017. In Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Takahara's daughter's American husband, who was in charge of Apple's global advertising campaign and was the person who designed those monochrome advertisements. Until then, I thought that photos taken with an iPhone were not suitable for printing, so my perception changed when I learned that those vivid and impressive photo advertisements were not fakes and were actually taken with an iPhone 6. I myself started using iPhone photos for interviews from the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019. Even when shooting indoors, it can capture bright and wide images, comparable to the photos taken with the mirrorless SLR I was using at the time. The sharpness of the shadows and the contrast when viewed on a monitor or projector made it suitable for interior photography. Also, the ultra-wide-angle shots that were distorted around the edges on my digital camera were naturally corrected on the iPhone. This is because the iPhone itself has PC-like correction functions to make photos look good. The camera function of the iPhone 17 that I recently acquired has evolved even further, and what surprised me the most was the addition of a dedicated camera button. In my iPhone interior photography seminar, I mentioned that the volume buttons on the side of the screen can be used as a shutter button, but now there is a lightly pressed shutter button on the left side, and this button can be used for zoom, depth of field, exposure, and focus lock. I thought, "This one device is all I need." The photo editing software on the iPhone 17 has also evolved. I used to use Snapseed, which is distributed for free by Google and can be used on the iPhone, or Photoshop on my PC, but now it is possible to correct perspective and delete unwanted parts, so I thought this one device would be sufficient. The Milan Furniture Fair will be held from April 21st. I've been visiting Milan since 1986, 40 years ago. Back then, I would bring a paper map and a film camera that could only take a maximum of 36 photos. Lately, however, I use my iPhone to check Google Maps, and I can do all my work, interviews, and photo editing with just this one device. Plus, I save everything to iCloud, so even if it gets stolen, I know I'll still have the images. It really is a convenient age. But photography is all about composition, so try to keep your photos as horizontal and vertical as possible! (Noboru Seto, Creative Director)

Interior art is an expression of intelligence and value.

AD CORE DEVISE DESIGNER COLUMN Vol.177 At the West Coast Architecture Seminar held in the New Year of 2026, we toured five buildings used in our catalog photography. Many customers expressed interest in purchasing the images used in the seminar, so we reviewed the images for other photos to revise them. Each home was a sight to behold. We were reminded of the meticulous care of not only the interiors but also the gardens, and the interior accessories, all of which reflect the owner's taste and intellect. In particular, we were able to see the artwork by a famous artist, which we hadn't noticed when creating the slides, and the books and accessories casually placed in the interior, which gave us a glimpse into the owner's taste. In the West, interior design is said to be an expression of intellect, and the furniture, accessories, and art placed in the interior are often placed to convey the owner's knowledge. This is true not only in Western architecture, but also in Japanese architecture, where the intellect of the resident is expressed through the hanging scrolls, fresh flowers, and flower vases in the tokonoma alcove. It's said that Western interior design is about addition, while Japanese interior design is about subtraction. Perhaps art in Japan is what remains after subtraction. The owner of the Beverly Hills home used for filming in 2008 was a Hollywood star's agent. Each room was decorated with paintings and sculptures by famous artists, and the minimalist interior décor evoked a sense of depth and richness, a Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. While the home's size was anything but modest, it evoked a Japanese aesthetic, rather than the ornate, décor found in Beverly Hills mansions. Most of the floors were finished in the same type of terrazzo artificial marble, and the wall storage and furniture were made of simple teak planks, creating a California-style building with roots in Japanese architecture. The entrance hallway featured large paintings, including Takashi Murakami's "Superflat Monogram" and Richard Prince's "UNTITLED" series. The formal living room featured Yoshitomo Nara's "Morioka-nko" sculpture and a large oil painting by Nigel Cook on the wall. The home felt like an art gallery, with a Jeff Koons "Puppy Vase" in the family room kitchen. Looking back at the photos of the home, I couldn't help but wonder how much the total cost would be. The five pieces of art mentioned above alone would likely have a reference price of over $200 million (3 million yen) at Sotheby's. In the United States, like real estate, art and vintage cars are not collected for personal gain; they are popular speculations, offering the potential for capital gains without depreciation, attracting many wealthy individuals worldwide. Among these, contemporary art is traded as a reliable speculative commodity. Apparently, many Japanese buyers lock their art in safes after purchase. However, this Beverly Hills owner used it as part of the interior, alongside the furniture, adding a touch of elegance to the space. In the homes I've visited on the West Coast, many have casually used expensive art that would be unthinkable in Japan, and I was able to use it in many of my catalogue shoots. Traveling to the West Coast reveals that contemporary art is a part of everyday life. In the United States, people tend to own real estate, including buildings, as a form of savings, gradually moving up the ladder to a smaller final home, where they can spend the rest of their lives with any remaining money. To this end, interior design and gardens are crucial, and they are often furnished with furniture and decorated with accessories and art to enhance their appearance. Kitchens are also important, and even if they aren't often used, they are often fitted with a fine kitchen appropriate to the size of the home. They are also used beautifully to sell at a higher price. While furniture is often included in homes, art is not, but it is displayed to increase the home's value. Every home I've seen on the American West Coast has been carefully designed and designed to increase its value and spur the next step. Decorators are instrumental in this endeavor, and I believe it's the owner's intelligence and sense that enhance the value of the completed interior. In Japan, some people buy new cars like Ferraris for speculative purposes and keep them without ever driving them. However, the recent drop in used car prices has undermined this profit-making objective. Rather than shoddy antiques in their rooms, I think it's better to use them as part of the interior, expressing intellect like contemporary art. Our company also has contemporary art and furniture on display that we received from Yasuko, who returned to Japan from Los Angeles. Please be sure to take a look when you visit our showroom. Also, customers who were unable to attend the New Year's West Coast Architecture Seminar have expressed their desire for a webinar, so although it will be a shortened version, we plan to reselect images that were not shown in the live seminar, so please look forward to it! (Creative Director Seto Noboru)

What is timeless design?

AD CORE DEVISE DESIGNER COLUMN Vol. 176, the 2026 New Year's American West Coast Architecture Seminar, commemorates our 40th anniversary and looks back on our catalog shoots on the US West Coast, which began in 2006. To this end, we carefully selected architecture from our archives of photography over the past 20 years and reviewed the images. The architectures we selected this time were homes photographed 20 years ago in 2006, 18 years ago in 2008, and 13 years ago in 2013. Looking at the images, they feel so dated that it's hard to believe they're interiors from over 10 years ago. Looking at fashion magazines and interior design magazines, anything over 10 years old can seem outdated and dated. However, when I looked at the homes we used for the shoot, they still looked fresh. I was surprised that we'd made the right choice, and relieved to see our catalog photos. As a furniture designer, I believe that interior design, unlike fashion, is something that lasts in daily life, and I've always believed in neutral, standard designs that aren't easily influenced by trends. One of the homes we chose was a house used for filming in 2013. Built in the 1980s on the Malibu coastline and renovated in 2008, it was home to a retired couple in their 60s. Three years before our shoot, this house was used for filming Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, and the interior is exactly the same as it was during filming. Because it was an actual space in which someone lived, it felt realistic and like the home of a wealthy Major League Baseball player. The interior, with its refreshing furniture, art, and accessories, still looks fresh and timeless today. The furniture and art are unpretentious and neutral, suggesting the decorators selected modern, durable pieces for an elderly couple. I was 45 when we filmed, and I had always dreamed of living in a house like this when I turned 60, but now I'm 63. It was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire last January, and it's a shame we can't see it again. The Beverly Hills home we shot at at the same time was owned by an agent for Hollywood actors like Tobey Maguire. Built in 1957, it was purchased in 2010 and renovated over two years. The entire house was covered in pristine terrazzo flooring. The owner had spent a year renovating the terrazzo floors, crafting them to resemble the originals. I remember being careful to avoid damaging the floors during filming. The large living room featured a large dog statue by Yoshitomo Nara and a vintage Vladimir Kagan sofa from the 1950s. It was a rather understated piece, even among Vladimir Kagan's designs. During location scouting, it seemed basic and I didn't pay it much attention. Looking back, however, the kidney sofa is a design that has been popular in American modern interiors for the past few years. The eclectic style it combined with modern furniture 13 years ago was ahead of its time. I've visited over 200 homes during location scouting and architectural tours, but designs that were popular at the time tend to feel somewhat dated. In particular, interiors collected during the craze of Eames and Prouvé chairs tend to feel dated. Just like fashion, once a trend fades, it tends to look dated. Looking through the archives this time, I felt that furniture and interiors with a neutral impression that are not influenced by trends retain a fresh feel. Rather than focusing on one design direction, an eclectic style that incorporates vintage furniture and lighting seems timeless. Another important thing is the importance of clean finishes, maintaining a clean look even in shabby chic interiors. This can also be said of today's youth fashion, but pairing oversized vintage denim with clean tops and shoes is a timeless style. Looking through our 20-year archive of the US West Coast, I felt that our catalog imagery still looks fresh even with the passage of time. As a designer, I was pleased to see that our designs still look fresh 10 or 20 years from now. It reaffirmed my commitment to designing furniture that can be used in timeless interiors. Our US West Coast seminar begins this week. You will also be able to compare the original interior with the before and after of our products. Look forward to it! (Creative Director Seto Noboru)

Memories of Los Angeles' Master Architects

AD CORE DEVISE DESIGNER COLUMN Vol.175 2025 is drawing to a close. What kind of year has it been for everyone? This year marks the 40th anniversary of our company's founding, and our 41st year begins in July 2026. Since our founding in 1985, each year has been a whirlwind, but there have been several projects that have changed my work and my outlook on life. One of them was being present at studio shoots for catalogs and magazine advertisements. In the 1980s, print advertising was crucial, and the quality of product photography, along with advertising design, determined product sales. Attending studio shoots from a young age taught me the importance of product viewing angles and presentation. This involved product renderings (sketches), which taught me about the balance of form that creates a cool look. Subsequent shoots taught me so much about design work, from lighting and shadows to creating a three-dimensional effect and balancing layouts in set photos. Every shoot was truly educational. My shoots on the West Coast of the United States, which began in 2007, were like an adventure every time, and they had the greatest impact on my own design. When I began shooting in the United States, I was fortunate to meet Yasuko, a Los Angeles-based film producer. She was well-versed in fashion designers, architects, decorators, and art, and we were able to use her selected homes for location scouting and filming. Similarly, the West Coast architecture tours we conducted with our long-time clients allowed me to experience true interior spaces by seeing homes where people actually live, offices where people actually work, and buildings in use, rather than just publicly accessible exhibits. This experience has become the foundation of my work today. This was before the iPhone and Google Maps were released, so I drove a rental car with a map in hand, unloaded a 40-foot container full of goods with a forklift, sorted it, loaded it onto the truck, rented filming equipment, removed furniture from the owner's home, delivered our products, photographed it, and then returned it to its original state and cleaned it. This was a process I could never have experienced even in Japan. Recently, American architect Frank Gehry passed away. I was reminded of the time I photographed Gehry's masterpiece, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The building resembles a rose petal set in open stainless steel, and just seeing it up close made my heart race. Inside, the interior, modeled after a giant Douglas fir tree, made me yearn for the opportunity to shoot here while experiencing Gehry's architecture. I knew that car manufacturers like Audi and other well-known companies had used the exterior for filming, but renting a large building for filming would require a lot of equipment and personnel, and my biggest concern was whether a small company like ours could rent such a famous public building, one that represents Los Angeles. However, thanks to Yasuko's generosity, permission to film was quickly granted. We were even able to film throughout the entire building, and I was surprised to find that we were even able to film inside the main concert hall. The long access route and security hurdles made filming difficult, so we had to squeeze in a break in a Philharmonic rehearsal in the main hall. The Walt Disney Concert Hall project, which began in 1987, was originally planned to be constructed of stone, but was later changed to cheaper stainless steel. This actually resulted in a building with a distinctive presence. The backyard features a rose fountain made from pieces of Delftware, a favorite of Disney's wife, Lillian, who donated a large sum to the building. The undulating stainless steel panels were originally mirror-finished, but after complaints from neighboring apartment complexes about reflective heat, they were given a vibration treatment and matte finish. Remnants of that mirror finish remain in the interior corridors. We were allowed to film in the main hall, but we were pressed for time due to equipment removal during rehearsals. It's a truly memorable place, as we filmed in front of the pipe organ in the main hall, impressed by the staff who were filming for the first time. There are several Gehry buildings in LA. The Conrad Los Angeles, a hotel in front of the Disney Concert Hall that opened in 2022, and the building with its giant binoculars in Venice Beach are city landmarks. I've visited most of Gehry's buildings in LA, but I regret missing Gehry's own home, which I wanted to visit on an architecture tour. A large area was destroyed in a massive fire near Los Angeles at the end of January this year. Looking at Google Maps, several of the homes I visited were gone. Among them was a house designed by Neuth, and it is a great pity that such a valuable piece of architecture has been lost. At the end of January, we plan to hold an architectural seminar on the house we used in our catalogue photo shoot. Thank you very much for your continued support in 2025. We hope you all have a wonderful year ahead. (Creative Director Seto Noboru)