Anna Karlin Debuts in Milan With Expanded Furniture & Lighting Collection.

London-born, NYC-based designer Anna Karlin made her grand debut in Milan this year with an installation at Rossana Orlandi. Having trained in visual communication at Central St. Martin’s and the Glasgow School of Art, Karlin’s work encompasses projects in print, art direction, fashion shows, interiors and set design.

Her alchemic approach led to the launch of her Furniture + Fine Objects collection as well as Anna Karlin Fine Jewelry, driven by a strong belief that all creative disciplines contribute crucially to one another. The pieces selected for Milan Design Week were new additions to Karlin’s ongoing ‘Subverting Domestic Familiarity’ collection, which explores the relationship between natural forms and the precision of the man-made.

“We have a fundamental need for familiarity or to be surrounded by natural forms,” says Karlin, “Where there is fragility, there is strength. Where there is disequilibrium, there is balance. Where there vulnerability, there is support. The works are a visual interpretation of these emotional paradigms that exist in our everyday lives.”

New products debuted at Rossana Orlandi include Form, a totem-like, floor-to-ceiling lighting sculpture. Cast bronze, handblown glass and marble shapes, both abstract and geometrically precise, stretch along the height of Form, tailored to fit perfectly in any space. Also new is Puddle, two golden Maple burl tables that nest together, or can be moved individually to suit the space.

Dimple explores the idea of dependency and support in both an emotional and physical sense represented in this piece by the inherent material qualities of glass, metal and marble. Whilst the glass is still hot and in the hand blowing stage, an impression is made in the glass oviform allowing the carved marble sphere to nestle in the resulting dimple. The assemblage rests on a brass cube with a hand-antiqued finish.

Other signature items on show were the W chairs, an interpretation of the classic Windsor chair hand-carved from hard maple. Four different seat backs reminiscent of Roman Numerals make up the set. Hand-made in New York, Chess Piece side tables are made to work alone or as a series dotted throughout a space. Each of the four unique shapes is made from cold rolled steel, then brass plated and finished with a hand-rubbed patina.

A standout piece, Karlin’s Curved Chaise is reminiscent of Space Age design, defined by retro-futuristic spheres and cylindrical upholstery. Solid steel is carefully bent into n ideal reclining angle, the curve resting on a single sphere with bolsters for cushioning, hand finished with a light antique brass patina. The original textile offered is a cotton/linen blend though can be customized for specific requests.