Interior Design Editor in Chief Cindy Allen revisited her Hello Cindy Instagram live series, capping off Kohler’s DesignTV by SANDOW Takeover Day with a preview of the brand’s upcoming collection. Alexander Lamis (pictured right) and Daniel Lobitz (pictured left), partners at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, joined Allen to share insights into the making of the soon-to-be-released Central Park West collection—a collaboration between the firm and Kohler’s luxury faucet and fixture arm Kallista.
The collection, which offers a complete suite of bathroom hardware from sink faucets to towel bars, draws inspiration from the glamour of old New York. While RAMSA’s work spans the globe, the collaboration with Kallista reflects its roots as a distinctly New York-based firm. Taking what the duo deemed a “modern tradition” approach to design, the team referenced historic design details while ensuring form married function working closely with Kallista. “There’s a bit of an art to finding a product designer to partner with on a design collaboration,” noted Lamis. “We have a great working relationship with Kallista; we know what they stand for and they know what we stand for.”
And the magic of the Central Park West collection lies in that collaborative relationship. “The goal was to create details distilled from a historical precedence, such as product fixtures from the early 20th century, and adapt them to give the collection signature notes,” added Lobitz. To capture that vision, the team started with the tried and true process of drawing product sketches, much the same way they approach building design. “We hope people will see an architectural quality in each piece,” said Lamis.
Allen then asked the pair to elaborate on their approach to product and building design. “Product design is really design you can iterate over and over again and refine, refine, refine in a controlled amount of space,” said Lamis, pointing out the similarities between the two realms. And Kallista and RAMSA left no detail unrefined, from monogramed fixtures that display engraved “H” and “C” letters marking hot and cold taps in a classic font to three different styles of faucets in white metal, bronze, and an unfinished brass finish designed to patina over time.
As Lamis and Lobitz held up two faucets from the Central Park West collection to their screen, Allen gushed at the sight. “They’re just gorgeous,” she said, taking in each detail. Keep an eye out for the collection’s official release this fall.