Kohler Debuts Pearlized Artist Editions Sink at Design Miami with Immersive Crosby Studios Installation
- camilarosiaz
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Kohler introduced its new Pearlized finish at Design Miami, unveiling an iridescent ceramic surface developed through a collaboration between the company’s engineers and artist David Franklin. The finish debuts on the Kohler Derring Carillon Artist Editions sink, created by artisans at the brand’s Wisconsin headquarters.
Franklin, a resident of Kohler MakerSpace and a two-time participant in the Arts/Industry program with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, first explored the concept while working on Once and Forever Lake Michigan, a sculpture composed of 1,600 ceramic fish now installed at the Shedd Aquarium. During the project, Franklin and Kohler’s engineering team began experimenting with applying PVD technology—traditionally used for metal fixtures—to ceramic surfaces. The resulting pearlescent effect became the foundation for the Pearlized finish revealed in Miami.
For its debut, Kohler collaborated with artist and Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev, who created an immersive installation responding to Design Miami’s 2025 theme, Make.Believe. Nuriev designed a shifting, reflective environment that highlights the Pearlized finish’s ability to transform with light and movement while underscoring Franklin’s history of experimental surface work.
The installation will be on view December 3–7 at booth X-08. Kohler will also host a Design Talk on December 2 titled The Alchemy of Making: From Imagination to Innovation, featuring Nuriev, Franklin, and Kohler VP of Industrial Design Michael Seum, who will discuss how artistic experimentation can inform industrial design.
More information about the Pearlized finish and Kohler’s broader design initiatives is available at Kohler.