A Southern California native, Casey Lurie honed his aesthetic in art programs at Cal Arts and Northwestern University, but it wasn’t until he met Teruo Kurosaki, founder of the influential Japanese furniture brand Idée, that his true purpose took root. Jumping at the chance to live and work in Tokyo, Lurie left behind his workshop in downtown Los Angeles—where he had started developing his first design, a line of plywood furniture—and spent three years soaking up the culture in Japan. His Lap table and Primo shelving system are directly influenced by his time there: simple wood and metal components interlock without tools or hardware for a streamlined version of a household staple. Now based in Chicago, Lurie plans to turn his focus to an expanded line of pieces with interlocking parts.