claesson koivisto rune's 'soft stone' massage pillow is sculpted like a beach pebble

claesson koivisto rune has debuted the ‘soft stone’ neck and back pillow during tokyo design week 2016. the aesthetic of the electrical massage units is sourced directly from nature, drawn from the many pebble beaches found throughout the studio’s native sweden. users are guided to the perfect position by the pillow’s natural indentations and rounded, stone-like shape, allowing them to comfortably lie on the floor and arch their chest and neck. ‘soft stone’s’ massage feels similar to one provided by hand, delivering relief for muscle tension caused by stress and improving blood circulation.

claesson koivisto rune always regarded rounded stones picked up on the beach to be pleasing to the touch, and were curious about how they could be used in a creative application. ‘you understand that the water of the ocean has shaped the pebble stones,’ they say, ‘but you can’t really grasp how the movement of water alone can soften something so firm? the waves massaging the stones for tens of thousands of years is such a beautiful thought, with such a beautiful result.’

in the design of ‘soft stone’ pillows, the aesthetic characteristics of beach rocks have been translated into a plush, friendly and organic object for the home. the devices can be easily integrated into a living room, without the appearance of being a medical massage machine.

the ‘soft stone’ neck and back pillow, produced by dream co, japan for &medical, spent two years in design, research and development stages before finally arriving at the desired shape and form. ‘one of the main challenges of this commission was to encourage the brand to go against the japanese medical device market sector norms of employing an attention-grabbing mixture of fabrics, colors and forms for the product’s design in order to communicate various functions and carve out a market position,’ the studio says.