Kiyo's Story - Interview with Jonathan Knyrim

From prototype to own company — after completing his apprenticeship and some time in the graphic design and interior design industry, Düsseldorf-based carpenter and Kiyo co-founder Jonathan Knyrim is shaking up the somewhat dusty furniture market with the piece he designed and built to complete his training. With the German Design Award under his belt and the support of his old school friend Jakob Hunold and entrepreneur Tom Etz, the Kiyo brand has been committed to timeless, simple, and sustainable design since its founding in February 2022. True to the motto "Less is future," the Kiyo team has developed a piece of furniture that, thanks to its modularity, is equipped for virtually all furnishing needs and stands in contrast to "fast furniture." In this interview, Jonathan, usually called Johnny, talked more about the R1 shelving unit, Kiyo's philosophy, and his interior design preferences.

Please introduce yourself briefly: Who are you? I'm Jonathan –– actually, everyone calls me Johnny – I'm 25 years old and grew up in Düsseldorf. After an apprenticeship as a carpenter and some time in graphic, web, and interior design, I founded Kiyo together with Düsseldorf-based entrepreneur Tom Etz. Jakob Hunold, an old school friend of mine, recently joined the team. We've known each other since fifth grade. Back then, we sat next to each other in the back row and just joked around, all within reason, of course.

How did KIYO come about in February 2022? What's happened since then? My journeyman's examination marked the birth of Kiyo. Initially, it was under a different name. The journeyman's piece was the first prototype of today's finished product. The idea was to build the exact opposite of a classic journeyman's piece—a piece of furniture that was as simple as possible.

For the past two and a half years, I've been primarily busy continually developing the current R1 shelving unit and finding reliable manufacturers, which hasn't always been an easy task. The furniture market is a truly stale field. We've now been able to convince our first customers, bring retail partners on board, win the German Design Award, and bring a fantastic product to market.

The necessary structures are now so mature that we are well prepared for the future. Materials research and development, as well as the entire brand and company development, also required a lot of work. However, we've settled in well as a team. Especially when you're close friends, it's all the more fun, and you motivate each other every day.

Does the name have a special meaning? Kiyo is a Japanese first name with many different meanings and interpretations. Among them are purity, simplicity, calm, and honesty. This fits perfectly with the Japanese-inspired appearance of our R1 and our corporate and design philosophy. However, there's also a touch of narcissism in the name, as the letters all come from Johnny Knyrim.

Your design principle is "Less is future." What do you mean by that? From daily work processes to product design, we reduce every question to its core. With this guiding principle, we work to find contemporary and future-oriented solutions. It's important to us that sustainability, adaptability, inclusion, and affordability are reflected in our products. "Less is Future" is our guiding principle and also a form of self-control. Is this really Less? Is this really Future?

Your mission is to combat "fast furniture." How can we imagine that? In Germany alone, the amount of bulky waste in 2021 amounted to 3.1 million tons, or approximately 37 kg per capita. On average, a completely new piece of furniture is purchased in Germany every five years. We find these figures absurd. At Kiyo, we create high-quality products that are not unnecessarily complex and yet still feature an attractive and timeless design. We also offer excellent value for money. Retailers we spoke with told us our R1 shelving system was almost too cheap, or that we could raise the prices significantly. But that's not our vision. We want to make high-quality furniture accessible to a wider audience.

What is special about your R1 shelving system? The uniqueness of our R1 control system lies in its simplicity and modularity. Our basic element, the R1 Cube, consists of a single part. Four identical panels that fit together create the Cube. No screws or tools are required for assembly. Even children can assemble the R1 Cube in no time, and it's just as easy to disassemble.

The space-saving packaging also ensures that a complete wall shelf consisting of R1 elements can be transported in a Smart, allowing us to guarantee a delivery time of five working days. Thanks to our magnetic connection, the R1 is infinitely expandable. There are no limits to personal design, and if you get tired of one setup, you don't have to buy new furniture; you can simply rebuild the R1.

Where do you get your materials from? Transparency is very important to us, so first the unfortunate news: Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to source our magnets from any country other than China. All other materials, including the MDF boards, our coating, and the real wood edge, are sourced entirely from Germany. Our production facility is located in North Rhine-Westphalia. With the exception of the magnets, we can therefore confidently say that our products are "Made in Germany," even "Made in North Rhine-Westphalia."

Who do you want to reach with your concept? Do you have a specific target audience? We want to make high-quality furniture accessible to the masses. Our R1 is so versatile that it has more than just one use case. From completely furnishing office spaces to a record shelf for music lovers to a bedside table next to the bed. For this reason, it's not so easy to define a clear target group. So far, we'd say that the target group is somewhat younger. For students, for example, the R1 is ideal if you want to save on the moving van, or if you're missing a chair at a pre-drinks event, you can grab an element of the R1 and use it as a stool. We don't want to commit to a specific use case and are happy about every customer who enjoys the R1.

How would you describe your personal interior design style? I would describe my personal interior design style as a mix of minimalist and functional. For example, I've recently converted my apartment into a photo studio. Simply because we needed it, and I spend more time at the office than at home anyway.

Is there an interior design here in Düsseldorf that inspires you? Do you have any tips? I always find interior design that inspires me, everywhere. It doesn't always have to be an entire apartment. Sometimes, when visiting friends, a small detail might catch my eye. A certain decorative arrangement, a detail on a piece of furniture. Rarely are it entire rooms. Museums, cafes, and bars always fascinate me, too. For example, the Julien Carrier exhibition at the Langen Foundation recently really inspired me. Somehow, every form of aesthetic also has something to do with interior design.

Which places in Düsseldorf inspire you when developing your concepts? The architect's workshop at the HSD is formative and inspiring for me. Truly innovative designs are created there, and thanks to the workshop's many possibilities, there are few boundaries. In general, we have a fantastic creative scene here in Düsseldorf, so it's hard to escape the inspiration.

What does the future hold? Our goal is to build a comprehensive, yet extremely narrow product range for interior design. We will continually reimagine our products, thereby developing us into a true alternative to Fast Fast Furniture. We already have several partnerships, collaborations, and surprises in store for this! As previously mentioned, we have been intensively involved in material development. We are currently working on one of the biggest milestones in this area. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to reveal any more than that yet.

Text: TheDorf - Lisa Marie
Photos: Michelle Duong