Katrina is the designer and maker behind Ka Ra Studio, a Melbourne based practice creating  furniture and sculptural objects. Working primarily with timber, Katrina reimagines familiar forms and everyday objects through  shapes & colour.

We met up with Katrina to talk about her journey from interiors to furniture making, her love of timber, the ideas and processes behind her work, and what she’s curious to explore next.

Images by Thomas McCammon

For those discovering Ka Ra Studio for the first time, how would you describe your practice and the ideas behind your work?

I design and make playful furniture and sculptural objects, mostly working with nostalgic and geometric forms inspired by everyday objects and experiences. I like taking something familiar and reimagining it in a way that gives it a bit more character or personality. My aim is to create work that's joyful, interesting and a little bit unexpected, while still being thoughtfully made, high-quality pieces that can be enjoyed for many years.  

Can you tell us about your journey into furniture making and what first drew you to working with wood?

Before getting into furniture design, I studied and worked in interior design. I really enjoyed it, but I found myself particularly drawn to the furniture and object side of things, and how these elements can shape the feel of a space. I’ve also always really loved making and building things with my hands, but didn’t really have much experience with timber other than sanding and re-oiling old mid-century finds. I think those very basic restoration tasks, combined with my love of interiors, sparked an interest in learning more about furniture making and working with timber. That then led me to study Furniture Design at RMIT which felt like a really natural combination of the things I already loved and had an interest in.

I’m also just really drawn to timber because it’s such a beautiful, natural and tactile material. I love the natural variation in timber, both between different species and from one piece to the next, with all the little marks that show its history. I also really like the distinct smells of timber and the natural warmth it brings to a space. I find it to be a really grounding and calming material to be surrounded by.

What is your making process, from  idea through to the finished object?

I usually start by making moodboards and lots of chaotic messy sketches to get ideas down and see where they go. Once I feel like something has potential, I’ll model it up digitally to work out the general proportions and details before getting into the workshop to start building. I generally make the first prototype myself in my home workshop so I can see how an idea works at full scale, as well as troubleshoot any design issues within the build process. There’s always a bit of tweaking and making mistakes along the way before I get it to where I want it. I’ll then either make the final piece myself or work with one of the local makers I collaborate with. Sometimes working with other makers is quite collaborative as well, where they’ll make certain components and then I’ll assemble and finish the pieces from there.

Are there any artists, designers or makers whose work you’re particularly drawn to at the moment/find inspiration?

My inspiration can come from pretty much anywhere, and often from fairly ordinary, mundane things that catch my attention. I like looking at everyday objects and thinking about them slightly differently, or wondering how something simple could be given more character. I’m often taking mental notes of things I see around me, whether it’s an interesting object, a weird shape, or just something unordinary that I find visually pleasing. I also love flicking through design books and blogs, and I try to visit as many exhibitions as I can. Seeing what incredible things other people are making always gets me feeling very inspired! 

I’m always inspired by designers like Faye Toogood and Pamela Weir-Quiton, whose work I’ve been drawn to for a long time. More recently, I’ve been really inspired by a project Taekhan Yun did with children in Cambodia, where he turned their drawings into playful chairs. I absolutely loved the idea of translating their wacky drawings into something functional while keeping all that character and imagination intact. I’ve also been a bit obsessed with Camilo Huinca’s recent range of illustrative, sculptural chairs.  

What does an day in the studio look like? Are there any rituals or routines that have become important to your practice?

I don’t really have much of a studio ritual, to be honest! I work four days a week outside of Ka Ra Studio, so I’m usually trying to fit a lot into my one dedicated studio day, as well as squeezing things in during evenings and weekends. It can be a bit chaotic, so it’s not always as slow and calm as I’d like it to be, but I always start the day with a coffee... and then continue the day with more coffee.

When I can, I try to split my studio days between computer work and making. I’ll usually spend the morning doing things like emails and admin, and then head into the workshop for the afternoon. I get nice afternoon light in the workshop, so it’s always nice to finish the day by doing something hands on in there.

What are you curious to explore next with Ka Ra Studio?

I’m really interested in doing more collaborations and working with people from different creative disciplines. I really enjoyed the process of working with Samantha Curcio on Built Character this year, as having someone with a completely different way of working and thinking involved in the process brought a lot of new ideas to how I work. We’re hoping to continue Built Character and do another exhibition together next year, which I’m really looking forward to.

I’ve also got a few smaller collaborations in the works with some other creative friends, so I’m excited to see what comes from those. I really like that collaborations can take you in directions you probably wouldn’t have found on your own, as well as bringing a sense of community. So I’d love to keep exploring that side of the practice. :)

https://ka-ra.studio/