Furniture collection by KAIA and Pauline Leprince in New York
Beneath the Surface furniture collection by Pauline Leprince, developed with KAIA in New York, introduces a sculptural furniture series that examines material transformation through a console, mirror, and lamp. As KAIA’s first collaboration, the furniture collection positions design as a medium to question what lies beyond visible form, translating emotional and psychological tension into physical structure.
Developed through a close dialogue between Pauline Leprince and KAIA’s creative direction, the Beneath the Surface furniture collection is defined by restraint and precision. The three pieces operate as independent objects while maintaining a shared language rooted in contrast and balance. Each element addresses the relationship between individual identity and collective expectation, using material composition to express friction, exposure, and control within contemporary living environments.
Central to the Beneath the Surface furniture collection is the transformation of burnt metal. Subjected to fire, the material undergoes an irreversible process that alters both surface and structure. This intervention embeds traces of heat directly into the metal, producing textures that register time and intensity. The resulting surfaces are not decorative but marked by action, carrying evidence of a process that cannot be reversed or refined. Within this framework, material becomes a record of tension rather than a neutral finish.
Glass introduces a contrasting condition within the Beneath the Surface furniture collection. Its presence is defined by fragility and controlled transparency, interrupting the density of metal with moments of exposure. In the console “Under the Surface,” a central glass panel allows light to pass through the structure, generating an internal illumination that shifts perception of mass and depth. The mirror “Disarmed” fragments reflection through recessed positioning, limiting visibility and reframing the act of looking. These interventions position glass as an active component rather than a passive surface.
The “Axis” table lamp continues this material dialogue through a balanced composition of solid base and diffused light. A glass panel beneath the top disperses illumination evenly, establishing a functional yet restrained presence. Across the Beneath the Surface furniture collection, angular geometries interact with curved transitions, maintaining structural clarity while introducing subtle variation in form. The pieces resist ornamental logic, instead asserting themselves through proportion, alignment, and controlled contrast.
Presented at the Women in Design event on March 11, 2026 at the New York Design Center, the Beneath the Surface furniture collection was accompanied by an installation that extended its conceptual framework into space. KAIA’s showroom was transformed using canvas and tensioned straps, referencing physical and symbolic restraint. This temporary architecture reinforced the collection’s underlying themes, inviting reflection on visibility, limitation, and autonomy. Through this collaboration, KAIA and Pauline Leprince articulate a design approach grounded in material truth, where objects operate as both functional elements and carriers of meaning.
Photo credit: Matthew Gordon
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