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 two award-winning designers, Constantinos Hoursoglou from Switzerland and Athanasios Babalis from Greece.
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.
As of 22024 we have decided to focus our efforts on new special edition pieces.
These new pieces will encapsulate our known ethos and design philosophy and will be made as always from top craftsmen in Europe. They will be made in very small batch production series and although we will try to keep them at affordable costs their pricing will reflect their uniqueness.
Most of our existing product line will be gradually discontinued, we encourage you to contact us if you would like to place an order from our current stock.
We look forward presenting you our new creations!
Athanasios Babalis
Born in Thessaloniki, Greece
Lives & works in Thessaloniki
Athanasios 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 before going on to New York, where he worked for 7 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 serving local and international clients.
Many of his designs have received awards from bodies such as the BIGSEE Awards (Slovenia 2019, the Dieline CWWWR awards (2015 USA), the EBGE Awards (Greece, 2011), the Dieline Awards (USA, 2010), the Good Green 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
Born in Athens, Greece
Lives & works in Geneva
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, Domus, Vogue, ID magazine, among others).
Among his design awards are a Red Dot in 2011 and twice the Walker of Tomorrow award from Johnnie Walker.
For more information, visit www.hoursoglou.com