A collection of massive stones took over a portion of Design Miami this year. “Stone Flow,” an installation conceived by the New York–based artist and Snarkitecture co-founder Daniel Arsham, commanded the room with its monumental scale and organic forms. He also presented a dining table and four chairs from his Objects for Living: Collection II furniture line and a smaller configuration of impressively sized stones that served as a pedestal for his latest project, the Rock.01 sink for Kohler.
Rock.01 may follow the basic “form follows function” tenet, but in a grudging manner—it’s art first, sink second. Like many designers seeking inspiration during the 2020 lockdowns, Arsham found the natural world to be a rich source of potential. In particular, he found the smooth stones spat out by the ocean surrounding his Long Island home captivating.
Arsham then translated those forms into a sink using Kohler’s cutting-edge 3D-printing capabilities. Made of a vitreous china, the pebble-shaped basin is layered over a hand-poured brass “rock” that will patina over time thanks to a process typically used in sculpture.
“A lot of my work is about taking things that people already know or that they’re already familiar with and engaging them in those spaces that are not a museum or a gallery or a traditional place that you might expect to see art,” says Arsham, who experimented with his sons’ Play-Doh during the creative process. “So obviously, a bathroom—something that you are engaging with every day, multiple times a day—is a really interesting place to work.”
In addition to the collaboration with Ashram, Kohler unveiled a faucet and two shower collections at Design Miami this year. The faucet collection, Occasion, nods to the glamour of Old Hollywood stylings, with a delicate balance of flared and angled details.
The Anthem’s showering valves and controls integrate the on-demand convenience of voice-activated and app-enabled technology with the same attention to aesthetic and quality the Wisconsin-based brand is known for. Statement showering components elevates the daily ritual of showering to full-on luxury, with a wide-coverage oblong showerhead, immersive spray, massage, and rain experiences.
Kohler x Daniel Arsham’s Rock.01 was produced in a limited-edition series of 99 sinks, and went live for sale on Dec. 10, selling out within 30 minutes.
