Spina B2.1 Bench by Cara Davide

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.

Galerie Philia is an international contemporary sculptural design and art gallery representing emerging and established designers and artists. The gallery is the brainchild of two brothers who share a lifetime passion for art, literature and philosophy. Their distinct academic background sets them apart from their peers, as it sees them following a rhizomatic and transcultural approach in the way they select works. This involves combining elements from multiple cultures in what becomes a network of harmoniously interconnected roots, ultimately revealing the beauty of each unique creation. The gallery’s non-hierarchical curation sits apart from the ephemerality of trends and focuses instead on the true aesthetic quality of the piece – alluring and timeless. Unlike others, Galerie Philia does not focus on a single style – whether minimalist, organic or raw – but rather embraces heterogeneity. The Galerie Philia takes pride in discovering new talents, providing them with multiple international platforms to showcase their latest creations. As well as propelling the newest generation of 21st century collectible design, Galerie Philia also works with internationally known design artists. Galerie Philia has a strong international presence, with galleries in Geneva, New York and Singapore. In addition to their permanent spaces, the gallery organizes temporary group exhibitions and artists residencies in first-class locations around the world.