KOBA is a Baltimore-based handmade furniture line founded by the team behind the award-winning fabrication studio, Two Bolts Studios. We recently helped him brand the company and launch with momentum, telling his dynamic story to an audience often jaded by new consumer goods. When we met the founder, Sam Acuff, it was clear his approach to design was fueled by something more profound than just creating another furniture line. KOBA, after all, is more than a collection of pieces; it's a homage to small, intimate spaces and an invitation to break free from traditional design patterns.
It felt like to be a proper "business" I couldn't be labeled as an artist... but I don't believe that anymore.
—Sam Accuff, KOBA
What originally inspired the KOBA name and concept?
I named the line "Koba" in homage to a dive bar in Hiroshima with that name, where my wife and I honeymooned just before I initiated the project. The concept emerged from my inspiration drawn from furniture and architectural movements, leading me to create the pieces I desired. As the project evolved, I noticed a distinct lack of similar works, which further inspired a playful visual language that breaks away from common patterns in modern designer furniture. My fond memories of KOBA, particularly from our last night in Japan, fueled this inspiration; I had planned our final day around visiting the bar, known as a hidden gem and punk rock izakaya, which exceeded my expectations. This resonated with my design philosophy of creating what I love and seeking an audience that appreciates it, rather than following trends. Additionally, the name KOBA loosely translates to "small intimate spaces," which perfectly encapsulates the essence I aim to achieve in my furniture design.
Why did that idea evolve into a furniture line?
I've run a custom fabrication shop for almost nine years here in Baltimore and have had a lot of projects that involve some level of participation in the design process. I always enjoyed that element of the work but having no formal education in design I always looked at that aspect of the job as educational experiences. Then over the last 3 years I've experimented with fully designing work, I tried to launch a line under the name of the fabrication shop but I think using the aesthetics and reputation of the fab shop was holding the idea back. So I decided if I was doing it it had to be a completely new venture...
As an art school graduate, what does “art” mean to you now? Has being a business owner changed that?
I went to school for painting but started the fabrication shop after graduating to (eventually) pay the bills while I also made paintings. After a short career trying to sell my work, I put all my focus on the fab shop and got pretty serious about growing it. For years after I got started, clients called me an artist and I actually kind of took that as an insult, which is weird to me now. I think I felt it undermined that I was trying to be more of a craftsman than an artist. But since that time, I feel like those labels limit you. That all being said, I think it was hard for me personally to figure out how to make art as a business. It felt like to be a proper "business" I couldn't be labeled as an artist... but I don't believe that anymore. However, I do think it's less straightforward to occupy both spaces and it takes some time to figure out where the sweet spot is for everyone.
What drives you to create? What keeps that creative impulse alive?
This one's easy, I don't think I'd feel fulfilled doing anything else.
Were you hesitant to work with an agency to build a brand? Did you know what you were getting into?
Yes and no. I know starting a brand comes with a huge risk of not being financially successful for a while and that weighed heavy on me for a while in terms of if it was a responsible decision. At the same time I know a huge factor of why my previous attempts to create a line or start a "brand" were unsuccessful came from my lack of expertise in doing everything that a company like Cohere helps you develop. In terms of knowing what I was getting into, no not at all, but the experience challenged me to think in ways that I know helped inform more than just the brand and am so grateful to have had that kind of experience on top of the amazing work they did defining our voice.
What are you most proud of in building KOBA?
Lately, we've been connecting with an audience that is seemingly invested in the brand and its future. This gets me energized to do more!
Some pieces—like the Monoblock chair—have transcended time to become part of the human experience. How do you approach contributing to a world filled with designs? What motivates you to add something new?
I don't know that it does, at least that's not the sentiment that drives me. A professor once told me being an artist is the most selfish profession there is because your job is to create something you want in the world that doesn't exist. I think he was being a little hyperbolic and trying to make a point but I certainly think the gist of what he was saying holds weight, and I embrace it. You have to make "Art" for yourself, otherwise, you're making it to have some level of mass appeal, and I don't think it's a very novel concept to say the most interesting art comes from creators who weren't trying to make the most palatable piece. I don't think that necessarily means you have to go out and make the most unconventional design you can think of to be authentic either, but I think it has to be for you to some extent. So I'd say that's a big factor, to make something that I want to see in the world, but also something that challenges me or makes me a little uncomfortable. Following those instincts seems to lead to better products and keeps me interested.