Carabottino Mirror, in basswood, by Cara Davide for Medulum

Italian design studio Cara e Davide is known internationally for its well-made tables, chairs and storage cabinets. The brand’s sculptural furnishings, which feature sleek curving forms and architectural columns that are attention-grabbing in any space, owe to ongoing research in regional materials, processes and experimentation with various techniques.

Cara e Davide comes from the names of the studio's founding designers, South African artist Cara Judd and Italian artist Davide Gramatica. They met while they were attending IED Milano, studying product design. 

After graduating in 2011, Judd and Gramatica began their professional design careers separately — they explored various areas that included apprenticeships at ateliers and workshops and working with both small studios as well as large-scale companies. Five years later, the two decided to merge their talents and established the Cara e Davide studio in Milan. That same year, they exhibited their first furniture collection at the Salone del Mobile, garnering acclaim among critics and private clients. The studio unveiled a second collection at the London Design Fair.

Cara e Davide specializes in designing contemporary furniture — they’ve created bold pieces by working with wood-based filament printing technologies, Rosso Levanto marble, aluminum and more. The studio’s offerings are frequently produced in collaboration with artisans from South Africa and Italy. The brand has partnered with a range of manufacturers, art spaces and retailers to create these works, including Rinascente, Medulum, Portego, Uniqka, Aybar Gallery and Galerie Philia. When Judd and Gramatica are not in their studio, they’re teaching product design at IED Milan.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of Cara e Davide tables, seating, case pieces and storage cabinets.

An ancient river flowing in the green countryside of the Veneto hinterland, between emerged lands and swamps that have now disappeared. Medulum, one of the favourite waterways of the Venetian aristocracy of old, indispensable for reaching their country homes. This is where our work draws its inspiration. We combine the experience of 40 years with innovative solutions, collaborating with architect and designer studios in the search and experimentation of new languages, through the craftsmanship of artisanal productions. Medulum has been designing and making furniture and accessories by searching for and experimenting with new languages, collaborating with architects and designers, with the craftsmanship typical of artisanal productions. The very name of the brand is both a reference and a tribute to the area: Medulum is the Latin name for the river that was the Venetian nobility’s preferred way to travel to their summer residences from Venice. And it is the landscape of the Lagoon that provides the backdrop for company owner Diego Zanchettin’s daily journey to Medulum’s headquarters.