Kitty Kahane’s studio flat
embraces a collage of old and new

- V I T R A  H O M E  S T O R I E S -

I moved into this flat in 1995 and immediately fell in love with it. The layout was different at first, with a series of smaller rooms. We were able to do the interior work ourselves. I love large spaces, and also need them for my work. We tried to combine old with new. I was earning good money and always bought beautiful, high-quality furniture, much of it vintage. I love objects that tell stories. Like my parents’ little tea table, which I’ve had for a very long time. Their home was furnished with these Hellerau designs from the 1950s and ’60s. 

I grew up in East Germany. After leaving school, I went to Meissen and learned the art of porcelain turning and glazing, before going on to study graphic design. I graduated and had a child in 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell. That was the start of my career. I was in the right place – in Berlin – at the right time. I worked as a product designer for twenty years, creating fabrics and later began illustrating books. With my rugs, it was always important to me that they were made honestly and authentically, that they had a story to tell.

"For me, it can’t be too nice. The ruptures and imperfections must always be visible. That applies to my work as well as my home."

In the years between 2009 and 2016, I travelled to 16 countries like Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, just to name a few. I always took my work with me and always brought something back from my travels. Sometimes just a pair of shoes, a small figurine or a little matryoshka. My golden teapot from China may not be valuable, but it reminds me of the people I met there and the moments we spent together.

I really enjoy working at home these days. I couldn’t work in a shared office, I need my own environment. I like to use the sofa as a place to chill out and relax, and develop ideas. I think it helps to sit comfortably in peace and quiet when working.  At the same time, the space shouldn’t be too perfect, too coordinated. Being an artist is a lonely profession. I’m an observer. My principal theme is people and their relationships. Life has its ups and downs. This mix of strength, energy but also pain, suffering and, of course, humour is how I look at life.

Kitty Kahane paints a set of porcelain plates with a steady hand and practised strokes, creating small works of art that will embellish any table. She applies the same care and attention when setting her own dining table. For her guests, but also for herself. In both her profession and this daily ritual, she is guided by a single constant: her passion for detail.

Shop the look

Button Text
In Stock
-20%
Lounge Chair & Ottoman (nieuwe afmetingen) - Leather premium - Nero - Santos Palisander - Vitra - Charles & Ray Eames - Furniture by Designcollectors

Lounge Chair & Ottoman (nieuwe afmetingen) - Leather premium - Nero - Santos Palisander Vitra

11 330,00 € 9 064,00 €
Save 2 266,00 €
(7 490,91 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Akari 10A Staande Lamp - Furniture by Designcollectors

Akari 10A Staande Lamp Vitra

835,00 €
(690,08 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Occasional Table LTR Bijzettafel- HPL black - base chromed - Vitra - Charles & Ray Eames - Furniture by Designcollectors

Occasional Table LTR Bijzettafel- HPL black - base chromed Vitra

295,00 €
(243,80 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Plywood Group LCM Stoel Walnoot Special Edition - Vitra - Charles & Ray Eames - Furniture by Designcollectors

Plywood Group LCM Stoel Walnoot Special Edition Vitra

1 180,00 €
(975,21 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Aluminium Chair EA 117 Stoel - Leather - Nero/nero - Vitra - Charles & Ray Eames - Furniture by Designcollectors

Aluminium Chair EA 117 Stoel - Leather - Nero/nero Vitra

3 852,00 €
(3 183,47 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Akari 13A Staande Lamp - Vitra - Isamu Noguchi - Furniture by Designcollectors

Akari 13A Staande Lamp Vitra

1 005,00 €
(830,58 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Wiggle Side Chair - Vitra - Frank Gehry - Furniture by Designcollectors

Wiggle Side Chair Vitra

1 060,00 €
(876,03 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Wiggle Stool Kruk - Vitra - Frank Gehry - Furniture by Designcollectors

Wiggle Stool Kruk Vitra

580,00 €
(479,34 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Wooden Dolls 1 - Vitra - Alexander Girard - Furniture by Designcollectors

Wooden Dolls 1 Vitra

129,00 €
(106,61 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Wooden Dolls 4 - Vitra - Alexander Girard - Furniture by Designcollectors

Wooden Dolls 4 Vitra

129,00 €
(106,61 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Wooden Dolls 13 - Vitra - Alexander Girard - Furniture by Designcollectors

Wooden Dolls 13 Vitra

129,00 €
(106,61 € excl.VAT*)
Button Text
In Stock
Wooden Dolls 22 - Vitra - Alexander Girard - Furniture by Designcollectors

Wooden Dolls 22 Vitra

129,00 €
(106,61 € excl.VAT*)

Footnotes: 
Photography & text: vitra