satoshi itasaka’s fungi stool is made from real mushrooms

As arts and crafts lovers, we’ve seen a lot of cool bits and bobs that are designed to look like natural things: watermelon-shaped earrings, for example, or floral-themed embroidery. But Japanese designer Satoshi Itasaka has taken it to the next level and made a stool from actual mushrooms. Yes, you read that correctly.

Constructed with stainless steel and wood, the stool is also made from fungi that grow and ‘blossom’ into mushrooms. The piece is a functional object as well as art, and is a comment on our natural environment. “Bacteria and fungi have been the decomposers in the food chain, keeping the earth’s environment in a healthy state,” Satoshi says. “They are the ones we should follow, for we are constantly putting a burden on the earth.” Innovative, creative, evocative. What a mind! Take a peep below for more.