Galerie Philia

Artist Interview: Mélanie Murata

Summer 2023, Los Angeles

Check out my multi-dimensional journey as a designer and artist where I get personal. Thank you Galerie Philia, world-renowned Geneva and New York based gallery, for interviewing me as a featured artist. 

Honored to have debuted the Etérea Collection in Lake Como for Galerie Philia this past Autumn among other esteemed artists in Milan such as Draga & Aurel, Frédéric Soulou, and Piotr Dabrowa. 

At the Lake Como exhibition, KARU was named by Architectural Digest as one of the protagonists of the show. 

Marie Claire Italy

Maison Exhibition at Milan Design Week 2023

Spring 2023, Milan

We are honored to share that 15,000+ visitors attended the Marie Claire Maison exhibition during Milan Design Week. A special thank you to Elena Pelosi, lead creative director, and Federico Delrosso for curating the Karu collection to be a part of the carefully considered scenography. It was surreal to experience a full house during the opening night and thank you to our friends from the USA including Staci Patton from Davidson Hospitality for coming out to support.

Raum Und Wonen Germany

Spring 2023, Germany

The Etérea chair made a nomadic journey from the hills of Tuscany to the sands of the Dubai desert in time for Dubai Design Week 2023. Floating on the ripples of the Arabian Desert, the collectible design chair is enveloped by lush, billowy bouclé handcrafted by The House of Lyria. A special thank you to Riccardo Bruni and Giovanni Liguori from The House of Lyria and Martina Gamboni from Strategic Footprints in Milan.

“Der Bouclé-Stoff für den Sessel «Etéra» von Karu Design stammt vom toskanischen Textilunternehmen. Es ist der Auftakt für die Expansion in die Welt der Inneneinrichtung.”

Voyage LA, LA’s Most Inspiring People

Meet Mélanie Murata of Santa Monica, Montana Neighborhood

Spring 2023, Los Angeles

Based between Santa Monica and Florence, Mélanie Murata is an artist of collectible furniture and an architectural designer for luxury hospitality interiors around the world. Educated and trained in Milan and Florence, with Latin American roots, the designer coalesces diverse cultural influences in succinct concepts. From objects, to furniture to buildings, Murata draws inspiration from her interdisciplinary architectural background and weaves it together to achieve culturally relevant ideas with a unique design sensibility. Nomadic by nature, Murata is not tied to any specific social norm and feels the freedom to bring forth new ideas in order to create a new future. Her collectible furniture is represented by Galerie Philia, world renowned gallery based in Geneva, and is available to purchase on 1st dibs.

For Murata, luxury is being able to see how things are made. Sustainability is defined by the idea of buying well once, uncompromisingly crafted heirloom pieces that can be passed down from generation to generation. The Etérea Collection demonstrates her honed aesthetic and formal sensibilities. Karu produces pared-back yet deeply textured and warmly accented interiors for various hospitality, retail, and residential clients, throughout the globe. Her latest venture, The Etérea Collection, coalesces this dynamic approach. Aligned with current trends–monolithic forms, natural materials, and earth tones—the collection is also a celebration of multiculturalism, bespoke design, and the craft revival movement. These refined forms reflect a comprehensive vision, aesthetic, and philosophy that Murata has cultivated over the past decade.

Architectural Digest Italy

DISTINGUISHES KARU AS A PROTAGONIST OF THE GALERIE PHILIA SHOW AT CASA BIANCA

Fall 2022, Lake Como

Ancora il design sarà protagonista alla Casa Bianca, residenza aperta per la prima volta al grande pubblico in occasione di questa quarta edizione. La villa ospiterà nelle sue sale una selezione di progettisti curata da Galerie Philia, galleria internazionale di design contemporaneo e arte moderna con sedi a New York, Ginevra, Singapore e Città del Messico. Lorenzo Bini, Agustina Bottoni, Cara/Davide, Samuel Constantini, dAM Atelier, Piotr Dabrowa, Draga & Aurel, Emelianova Studio, Pietro Franceschini, Karu Design, Jan Garnareck, Lupo Horiokami, Morghen Studio, Frederic Saulou sono i protagonisti di questa installazione unica nei due piani della storica villa affacciata sul primo bacino del Lago di Como.

Architectural Digest Spain

Fall 2021, Mallorca

El equilibrio entre lujo y sostenibilidad no es tan difícil de lograr. De hecho, deberían ser la misma cosa, aunque a priori resulte paradójico. Esta villa cerca de Binissalem, una región vinícola de Mallorca, es un buen ejemplo de ello. Sus propietarios son una pareja de fotógrafos de viajes y de decoración que, tras vivir 14 años en Ibiza, decidieron cambiar de isla justo antes de la pandemia. Habían adquirido esta casa de 110 y unos 40.000m2 de finca unos años antes y la transformaron por completo gracias su conocimiento de interiores y la ayuda de varios especialistas como Rafael Bennasar Miguel, de 25 Projects, la interiorista Melanie Murata, de Karu Design (para las mesillas y las lámparas), el paisajismo de Mashamba Mallorca, así como los diseños de Ksar Ibiza.

IMAGICASA

October 2021, Mallorca

Architects Rafael Bennasar Miguel at 25 Projects Mallorca worked with interior designer Melanie Murata of Karu Design who helped them with the decoration. The interior features exposed stone walls, polished concrete floors and a wooden bathtub with a brushed metal feel. They also stayed true to the typical beige colours of the island. For the furniture, the designers chose dining chairs, outdoor cushions and mirrors from KSAR Ibiza. All wooden furniture, bed frames, coffee tables and tables were made by Ana's partner, Matias Alexandro. Furthermore, the design firm will soon launch custom-made, handcrafted pieces from recycled pieces of wood they found on the land.

Hospitality Design Magazine Awards 2021

September 2021, New York City

The Purity Console won 1st Place in the Hospitality Design Magazine Awards 2021 announced at Cipriani New York. It was an honor to work with Anthony Davani, Creative Director of The Davani Group Inc. to design a capsule and bespoke collection celebrating nature and travertine as the protagonist and medium. We worked remotely through the ups and downs of the pandemic and I'm proud that we never gave up. Thank you to all who supported the making of the Purity Collection with so much hard work here in Italy and the United States. The Karu product design studio is officially launched. Congratulations to all awards winners and thank you to the judges Aaron Anderson, John Cooper, Verena Haller, Nigel Hatcher, Alex Holloway, Na Li, Kimberly Jackson, AIA, NOMA, Emily Keip, Markus Schreyer, Meridith Zimmerman, Malene Barnett, Matthew Berman, Sara Talleux, and Gina Deary for taking the time to review the final submissions. The full Purity travertine collection is handcrafted in Italy and available to order now. Contact us today for information or to place an order at studio@karu.design.

Interior Design Magazine, Best of Year 2020

October 2020, Chicago

Thank you Interior Design Magazine for selecting the Purity Dining Table as a Best of Year 2020 Award finalist in the product design category. This piece is the protagonist of the Purity Capsule Collection currently being handcrafted in Italy. Thank you to all who voted each day. Award winners will be announced on December 8, 2020 at the 2020 Interior Design Annual Awards Ceremony via Instagram live.

NEWH Magazine

March 2020, Milan

I launched my hospitality career in 2014 with Gensler, working on projects with world-renowned developers and brands such as Marriott International, Hilton, Shanghai Construction Group, Pacifica Hotels, and Alliance Residential Company. During my 5-year tenure at Gensler, I developed a solid foundation and understanding of luxury hospitality projects of all scales and established a reputation in the industry.

Since then, I chose Milan, Italy-the global capital of design-to continue my work as a hospitality designer. Milan is living a special renaissance as a creative hub, and as a young designer, it's the perfect place to push interesting and new work forward. Now immersed in the center of the international hospitality design scene, I collaborate with the city's top boutique design firms to work on ambitious projects such as an Autograph Collection hotel and a luxury hotel and golf resort in Budapest, a retail exhibition in Dusseldorf, and more.

Architectural Digest US

May 2016, Newport Beach, California

With ten miles of waterfront along the Pacific Ocean, it’s no wonder that Newport Beach is a haven for an active outdoor lifestyle, offering excellent surfing, swimming, fishing, and more. But the Orange County town offers plenty of luxe activities on land, too. We’ve rounded up the hottest new stores, restaurants, and spas to visit this spring.

Lavender Salon brings Paris’s Left Bank style and beauty to the Left Coast. In addition to boasting some of the area’s best hairstylists, the salon offers guests lavender Bellini cocktails, tea and coffee served in Hermès china, and macarons. 1617 Westcliff Drive;