New York, N.Y. (May, 9, 2006) - Interior designers and artists will get an exclusive first hand look at Precious Pieces' extensive line of Washi, handcrafted Japanese parchment, at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), May 20-23, 2006 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York. Precious Pieces is the only U.S. distributor of Washi from Northern Japan. Unmatched in it beauty and versatility, Washi holds boundless possibilities for use in any interior application (e.g. lighting and decorative hanging).

What Makes Washi from Precious Pieces Special?
With a history of over 1,500 years, creating Washi is a highly respected craft involving the skills of brilliant artisans and the labor of entire villages. Precious Pieces has direct access to a studio in Northern Japan renowned for its use of all natural, long fibers for increased durability and for producing the ultimate luxury parchment through a painstaking hand process.

Custom Orders and Large Sheets Only Available at Precious Pieces
All 20 patterns of parchment which sell for $50 to $100 per square foot, will be on display in booth #1850 during the ICFF event. Designers can also have Washi custom crafted to their exact specifications and order hard-to-find large sheets, as big as 30 by 100 feet, which take two years to make. Owner Hiro Odaira, an architect trained in Tokyo notes, "Washi is the perfect choice for a client wanting to make a one of a kind, dramatic, and upscale statement. We are excited about educating designers at ICFF about an art form that is thousands of years old, but brand new to the U.S. Washi creations are a unique blend of contemporary design and Japanese tradition and Washi from the studio we work with in Northern Japan is the highest quality and most beautiful available. Our clients especially enjoy the versatility of custom ordering."

Washi Projects and Showroom in NYC
Precious Pieces has completed commercial and residential projects in the US and Japan. In NYC, custom projects include Ito-en Tea Store (822 Madison Ave.,) Radisson Hotel (511 Lexington Ave.), and Hedeh Japanese Restaurant (57 Great Jones St.). The Precious Pieces showroom is located at: 259 East 10th Street (First Avenue).

For more information on Precious Pieces and Washi visit: www.precious-piece.com
or call (212) 598-5903.

For more information on International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) visit: www.icff.com