Like door swings on architectural blueprints come to life, these works of metal-framed wood furniture express their embedded potential in physical space.

The new Trace Collection from Nendo takes the architect’s approach to the next level, physically representing the movements of furniture doors and drawers via three-dimensional frameworks. Their installation was recently featured at the Collective Design Fair in New York.

“Although they may not be visible, we are subconsciously aware of the ‘traces’ of their movements every day,” explains designer Oki Sato. For example, because of that, we do not put a vase in front of a door. It is essential for a person who specializes in space design to be even more aware of this, as they have to portray these ‘traces’ onto drawings.”

The visualized actions speak volumes about potential options for opening the various swing, flip and sliding doors in each piece. While the results may not be the most practical furniture, they do cause one to think a bit more about the embedded possibilities of everyday furnishings.