Überfunctional Design Meets Beauty In This Brutalist Collection

Designer Kaitlyn Wolfe. Photo: Matthew Keough

For most people, a plane ride is a chance to catch up on a book. For Kaitlyn Wolfe, founder of design-build firm Iconic, it provided the opportunity to design Ground Floor, her capsule collection of furnishings. Looking through the portfolio of cabinets, light fixtures, consoles, tables and more, the functionality and versatility on which Wolfe has built her reputation in architecture are abundantly clear. But the product line distills her telltale style into something intensely usable.

Photo: Stephanie Neiheisel

Photo: Stephanie Neiheisel

Photo: Stephanie Neiheisel

Photo: Stephanie Neiheisel

“Our first collection, 00Blueprint, was inspired by brutalist architecture with a focus on bringing functionality and a unique perspective to everyday homewares,” Wolfe explains. The terms—Ground Floor, Blueprint—hint at what the collection reveals: These are limited-edition pieces meant to be foundational to a home’s design. Some pieces can be turned on their sides, and many incorporate lighting or storage for added utility. The shapes are sometimes blunt (there’s that brutalist element) but enhanced by thoughtful proportions and arrangements. That is the essential surprise of Wolfe’s take on überfunctional design: It’s still beautiful. If you missed the first collection, you’re in luck: Wolfe plans to release three capsules each year.