With appropriate margins
FILM, located along Meguro Street, is a 20-minute walk from Gakugei University towards Meguro Station. It is an interior design shop that selects high-quality vintage furniture, both famous and unknown, purchased in Europe, mainly in the Netherlands. It is run by two people: owner Iwadate Ryota, who is in charge of buying, and repair specialist Asai Yohei. The purchased items are not simply displayed in the store as is; rather, Asai, who is in charge of repairs, repairs them in his own workshop by tightening them, fixing any looseness, and sanding them, breathing new life into them before sending them out into the world. The two started FILM in 2019, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we spoke to owner Iwadate about the story so far. 
"We decided on the name 'FILM' just because it sounded right. We wanted to combine various words to create something with depth, but no matter how much we thought about it, we couldn't find anything that really clicked with us. 'FILM' seems like something people will remember once they hear it, and more than anything, it's easy to read. We like the fact that it seems like it might have some meaning, but doesn't."
Iwadate and Asai had both worked at the same vintage shop until just before going independent. They worked as a buyer and a maintenance craftsman, respectively, but because the store and the maintenance were in different locations, they didn't have much daily interaction. However, once they decided to open a new store, everything moved forward at a rapid pace. 
The gently lit first floor of the store has a calm, studio-like atmosphere, and is stocked with sofas, side tables, chairs and other items made from a variety of materials, including iron and glass.
"We thought, 'As long as we can secure the location and the funds, we'll be fine!' We went to the bank and took out a loan, and then went buying from there. This location was the vintage shop where they had previously worked, but just as they were looking for a place to set up shop, the store decided to close, so we decided to take it over. The familiar store where we used to work ended up being the location for our new shop. I'd been working here since 2010, so I knew the ropes, so I was lucky. The first floor of the interior has remained almost unchanged, but the second floor had an abandoned building-like interior, so we painted the walls and floors white ourselves to create a studio-like atmosphere."
To bring new light to items that have once fulfilled their purpose
The store is filled with a wide variety of sturdy, simply constructed items known as "Dutch design," which may not be a familiar term to many people. The layout is thoughtfully designed to allow a certain amount of space to stand out and beautifully highlight the furniture's contours. The store is split between the first and second floors of the same building, and the first floor is fully equipped with a back space that the store built themselves for maintenance work, where careful maintenance is carried out to bring out the individuality of the furniture.
"Even if an item is in very bad condition, I buy it knowing that he can fix it. I've been watching Asai's work for a long time, so I have complete confidence in his skills as a craftsman." 
Many everyday tools are hung on the walls of the studio area on the first floor.
"The walls of our studio are compact, but we built them ourselves to make them easy to use. We repair anything we can here, but it's quite small, so we have another studio in Saitama Prefecture. I know it's inefficient, but now we do everything ourselves, so we decide on a weekly routine together, repair the items here up to the point where they're ready to be painted, then carry them over there, and then carry them back here for the finishing touches. It's divided into two locations on two floors, so the stairs can be quite difficult (laughs)."
The selected furniture is never sold as is, but is repaired with the intention of restoring it to its original form as much as possible. Asai uses his imagination and imagination to restore the pieces to their original state, making full use of the large number of vintage screws and bolts he has collected over the past 20 years, and the repairs he makes are in keeping with many eras and makers. Naturally, the condition is as good as new, but it also has the depth of a vintage piece that has aged over time. Although it may be called vintage, it has a bright and easy-to-pick-up atmosphere, exuding an air that blends seamlessly with your lifestyle.
"We sometimes guide our customers through the process of reupholstering sofas and chairs, allowing them to choose from a range of fabrics. They get to see our newly selected items, which have yet to be serviced, and they enjoy using their imagination to make their selection. However, after the repairs are complete, they are always amazed at how completely different the item looks." 
Screws and chair legs that come out when repairing various pieces of furniture are carefully stored in case they can be used in the next repair. These are valuable items that have come out of my 20 years of repair experience.
To enjoy the space more freely
The second floor, which Iwadate says is his favorite, is a spacious space filled with pleasant light coming in through the windows. When he first opened, he mainly selected items from the 1960s, but because that alone made the interior feel heavy, he now uses lighter pieces from the 1980s and 1990s to tighten things up or as accent pieces. In addition to vintage furniture, there are also many one-of-a-kind artworks and objects that can become focal points in the interior.
"The fun thing about buying is that the items I come across are different every time, so it's exciting to think, 'I wonder what I'll find!' When I wander into an antique shop and end up buying a really cool piece of art that I saw only once, I get incredibly excited. We also stock designer furniture, but we don't specialize in that. So, rather than people who want to know the designer's roots or trivia, I think most of our customers choose things intuitively and value the encounters they make. There are so many well-made European vintage pieces, and Scandinavian furniture in particular is a testament to the craftsmanship of artisans, and from an artisan's perspective, a lot of it is very well made. In the Netherlands, they produce items that mix these elements and add a twist, so I personally like items from the 1960s."
As the shop is based almost entirely on intuition, the selections are made with a neutral perspective, creating a space where customers can freely approach the furniture, transcending the boundaries of country and style. Looking at the beautifully laid out store, one can see that the impression of a space can be greatly changed by choosing items with that in mind. 
The second floor of the store is bathed in bright sunlight, and the wooden furniture stands out beautifully against the white walls and floors.
New attempts and further prospects
"Recently, I've been purchasing a lot of German flower vases from around the 1960s. I thought they looked a little dull on their own as furniture, so I initially purchased around 20 of them to display on cabinets. At first, I didn't sell them, but as more and more people wanted them, I decided to purchase a lot more. One of the customers happened to be collectors, so I've been able to stock a steady supply of them. Many people are now spending more time at home and have become interested in flowers and greenery, so they often drop in and buy something. Glass flower vases are also popular, so I'm currently expanding my lineup. Some people buy them for their own homes, but many also purchase them for apparel shops and restaurants."
German vintage flower vases with unique shapes and colors.
Glass flower vases are just as popular as ceramic ones, and are apparently popular not only in the summer but all year round.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Iwadate-san had to buy items by communicating with dealers through social media and other channels, with limited information available. He says that now he enjoys going to the site and touching the items in person. He encourages customers to experience the joy of intuitively accepting and selecting the items they have chosen in the past. Why not experience the completely different atmosphere of the store just by having even one old item that has never been there before? He spoke of even broader visions for the future, saying that in the future he would like to furnish a local rental house or an Airbnb-like space entirely with furniture from FILM. We look forward to seeing FILM's scope expand.
This time, I had the flowers arranged in a flower vase by Hanasuke in Meguro.
The owner, Jiroken, also known as Kenjiro Takahashi, grew up watching his parents run a flower shop in Meguro, and before he knew it, he had been working with flowers for over 35 years. He currently lives near Gakugeidaigaku Station, goes to the market every morning, and continues to run his flower shop, rooted in the local community.
"It's boring to just sell flowers," says Jiroken. His "customer-selected" bouquets, tailored to the customer's mood, are especially popular, and when it comes to choosing flowers, he believes in "subtracting rather than adding." He says that by not packing in too much and leaving some space, the beauty of the flowers themselves stands out. This sensibility is exactly what FILM values: "creating a space with space."
"FILM vases have a weight at the bottom, making them stable. They look good even without flowers in them," says Jiroken. He recommends not packing them full of flowers, but displaying two or three in a row.
Just like with furniture, leaving some space for flowers and vases creates a comfortable rhythm in the space.
