Sten Studio

México está redefiniendo la experimentación con materiales y consolidando su presencia en la escena global del diseño. Más allá de la artesanía tradicional, el nuevo diseño mexicano explora lenguajes brutalistas, minerales y tecnológicos 🌱. En ese contexto, @sten.studio —con base en Ciudad de México— se posiciona como un referente. Su práctica parte de una idea esencial: el mineral es materia y musa. Desde ahí desarrollan mobiliario y objetos decorativos que no se imponen sobre la piedra, sino que dialogan con ella 🪨. Presentada en Design Miami 2025, la colección Lithic Bloom traduce lo orgánico en lo geológico: piezas que evocan pétalos convertidos en geometría mineral. El resultado es un diseño que entiende la naturaleza no como fragilidad, sino como permanencia escultórica. Foto: @ximenamorfin Asistente de foto: @this_is_rulo

The Making of The Wedding Part 5 Every wedding begins with a walk down the aisle. With this in mind, we knew the installation needed a carpet that could enhance the narrative and elevate the atmosphere of the chapel. It could not feel conventional, it had to carry the same strength and presence as the sculptural stone pieces. A few months earlier, I met Tomás from @verdidesign . I had long admired his work and was fascinated by his use of woven metal threads. When he saw the project, he immediately connected with the vision and proposed a carpet he had been developing, remarkably, its pattern echoed the geometry of the chapel floor itself. The result felt almost surreal. Rather than covering the floor, the carpet seemed to extend it, creating a new shimmering layer that remained in dialogue with the original architecture. Woven from copper and stainless steel threads combined with natural fibers, the piece transformed continuously as daylight moved through the space. The shifting reflections brought movement, light, and rhythm into the ceremony, making the chapel feel alive. It could not have been more perfect. Video: @beatrice_arenella

The Making of The Wedding Part 4 No wedding could exist without flowers. To complete the atmosphere of the ceremony, we invited British artist @hamishpowell to create a series of floral sculptures that would enter into dialogue with our stone pieces. The project was guided by creative freedom, and the flowers followed the same spirit. There were only two requests: they needed to be spectacular, and they needed to last throughout the twelve days of the exhibition. Hamish immediately understood the vision, applying his knowledge as a botanist and his creativity as an artist to create a new layer within the narrative. The result was extraordinary, sculptural floral compositions inspired by Italian fountains that subtly transformed as daylight shifted through the chapel. Together, the flowers, the stone pieces, and the abandoned architecture created a harmony that felt suspended in time, as if the ritual ceremony had been frozen forever. Video: @beatrice_arenella

The Making of The Wedding Part 3 The supporting pieces in the collection were conceived as extensions of the main characters. The stools inspired by Aurella take the role of bridesmaids, while those echoing Vireon become the groomsmen, each rendered in different stones and compositions, reflecting the individuality and personal style of each guest. Other elements: the bench, console, foyer table, vase, and high tables draw directly from key features of the protagonists. Aurella’s skirt and necklace, along with Vireon’s hat and the structure of his tuxedo, were translated into form, allowing the entire collection to remain visually and conceptually coherent. This approach also became a strategy of efficiency, responding to the condensed timeline while preserving a unified language. Finally, Lucelle and Lucerna were inspired by the Crassula succulent, extending the botanical exploration introduced in Lithic Bloom. The candleholders complete the narrative: fire, as a sacred element, brings light into the abandoned chapel, activating the space and shaping the atmosphere of the ceremony. Video: @beatrice_arenella

The Making of The Wedding Part 2 The greatest challenge in this project was designing the bride and the groom. Within the studio, we follow a set of compositional rules for our totemic sculptures, a language defined by the interplay of different stones, textures, and finishes to create rhythm and dynamism within each piece. For these particular works, fashion became a central source of inspiration. The design process was both intimate and fluid. Lili was the head of design, she recently got married and she brings a deep passion for fashion. Our conversations evolved naturally, with ideas flowing and aligning effortlessly. The bride became, in many ways, a reflection of her, a personal expression translated into form. In contrast, I found a strong connection with the groom. Through both figures, we projected parts of ourselves, allowing the pieces to carry not only a narrative, but an emotional imprint. More than objects, they became vessels of memory, shaped by dialogue, intuition, and a shared creative process. J. Video: @beatrice_arenella

The Making of The Wedding Part 1 The idea of The Wedding was born from the abandoned chapel itself. The space suggested a ceremony, a staging of objects coming together to create an atmosphere rather than a conventional display. For the first time, the architecture defined the narrative, guiding the way we approached the project. What began as a collection evolved into something more personal, a shared reflection within the studio. Many of us could immediately relate to the theme, especially as two members of the team had recently been married, making the conversations intuitive, emotional, and fluid. Gradually, the process shifted. We were no longer just designing objects, but emotions and experiences, incorporating elements such as music and scent to fully immerse visitors in the celebration. A wedding is a powerful and universal moment, one many people dream of. Our intention was to create a space where, upon entering, visitors are met with a sense of joy, love, and presence. Video: @beatrice_arenella

Light enters the chapel softly, tracing time across its worn surfaces. In this quiet setting, The Wedding unfolds as a suspended moment, where objects gather not only as witnesses, but as keepers of a shared presence. Lucerna candleholders frame the scene, their gentle glow echoing the intimacy of ritual. At the center, Orlena and Virena hold a moment of balance, where mineral forms meet a living composition, dissolving the boundary between the fixed and the fleeting. Through his floral intervention, Hamish Powell reflects on the central paradox of the ceremony: a wedding exists as a fleeting moment, yet carries a meaning intended to last a lifetime. Preserved Italian dandelion introduces a sense of lightness and transience, while amaranthus, rooted in Mexican tradition, anchors the composition with a quiet permanence, bringing together place and identity in a single gesture. Inspired by Milan’s Piazza Castello fountains, the arrangement draws on the force of water shaping stone, and the stillness of a gesture suspended in time, where Italian setting and Mexican influence meet in a shared language of ritual. A subtle soundscape by harpist Michela La Fauci moves through the space, extending the experience beyond the visible. Together, light, sound, and matter shape a space that feels both grounded and ephemeral, where each element lingers, even as it passes. The wedding is on view at @alcova.milano until April 26th. Floral sculptures: @hamishpowell Carpet: @verdidesign Harpist: @michelarpa Scent: @penhaligons Photos: @ramonabalaban.photographer

Aurella and Vireon share a love for design. They first met last year at @alcova.milano , at Villa Bagatti, crossing paths at the entrance of Sten Studio’s Cosmic Resonance. Drawn by their shared fascination for stone, they began exchanging thoughts, an instant connection that felt both natural and inevitable. A few days later, Vireon invited her to a candlelit harp concert by @michelarpa . That night, she fell in love with him, and with the music that now echoes through their story. Nine months later, they were engaged. For their wedding, they envisioned something intimate yet deeply expressive, unconventional, layered with meaning, and reflective of their personalities. They found it in an abandoned chapel within the Ospedale Militare Baggio in Milan, the city where their story began. Aurella dreamed of flowers by @hamishpowell , whose sculptural compositions blur the line between nature and art. Vireon made sure that dream became reality, even inviting @michelarpa to perform once again. Together, they collaborated with @verdidesign design to create a custom carpet woven in copper and stainless steel, casting a subtle shimmer as guests walk through the space. Seeking to complete the atmosphere, they turned to @penhaligons , selecting the fragrance Halfeti and their stone diffusers to hold the memory of the day in a scent. Everything was ready. They arrived, exchanged their vows… and chose to engrave them in stone. — The Wedding, 2026 Sten Studio With deep gratitude: To Diana, Martin, Gustavo, Victor, Omar, and the artisans behind their workshops, for producing every piece in just four weeks. To Tomas, Hamish, Michela, Jonathan, Ramona, and Beatrice, for sharing their gifts and elevating the frequency of the presentation. And to Liliana, Teresa, Val, Miriam, Enrique, Henry, Angel, and Ricky, the Sten Studio team, for their constant support and for creating magic together. With much gratitude and love, Jose. Video: @beatrice_arenella

The Wedding Some unions are written in stone. In an abandoned chapel, where vows were once spoken and the air still holds their echoes, Sten Studio summons a new ceremony. The Wedding is a sculptural installation that stages a symbolic union between complementary forces: feminine and masculine, softness and structure, intuition and form. Within the chapel, stone becomes the language of a ritual, and objects gather like silent witnesses around a moment of encounter, transforming the space into a celebration carved in matter. What is usually fleeting, flowers, light, ceremony, is translated into stone, replacing the ephemeral with the enduring. The installation invites visitors to step into a scene that feels both intimate and universal: a moment of union, balance, and shared presence. More than a collection, The Wedding is a meditation on permanence, on how love, like stone, is formed under pressure and shaped over time; in this ceremony, matter becomes emotion, and the chapel becomes a stage where design, ritual, and narrative meet. On view at @alcova.milano for Milan Design Week from April 20th until the 27th. Flower sculptures: @hamishpowell Carpet: @verdidesign Scent: @penhaligons Photo: @ramonabalaban.photographer Harp: @michelarpa

From the very first glance, Vireon carries the presence of a true gentleman. There is a quiet strength in him, attentive, composed, and deeply devoted. His style is timeless, yet never predictable. He favors subtle gestures that set him apart, like a brooch, an element he believes every tuxedo should carry. For his wedding, he chose a family relic: a pyrite stone gifted by his grandfather, a way to keep him present on this day. Vireon moves with confidence, grounded yet soft, creating a sense of ease wherever he stands. He is ready. He is waiting. To see his bride.

Sten Studio invites you to The Wedding During Milan Design Week, inside an abandoned chapel where vows once echoed, a new ceremony takes shape. The Wedding is a sculptural installation where stone becomes the language of a ritual, a symbolic union between form, matter, and emotion. Objects gather like silent witnesses, holding a moment of encounter where what is fleeting, light, flowers, presence, is translated into something enduring. The space transforms into a quiet celebration carved in stone, inviting you to step into an atmosphere that feels both intimate and universal. Within this invitation, you will find more details about the installation. We invite you to experience The Wedding at @alcova.milano from April 20 to 26.

Aurella is joy, light, and presence. She carries an effortless sense of style, her aura stands out, glowing with a quiet confidence. For her wedding, she chose to step away from the expected. Instead of a conventional dress, she envisioned an organic headpiece, a sculptural form reflecting the uniqueness of her spirit. She honors tradition with a blue calcite necklace, a gift from her mother, carrying with it a sense of continuity and memory. Triangular forms crown her silhouette, expressing strength and certainty. Her first skirt draws inspiration from Japanese plissé techniques, structured yet fluid, while the lower layers soften into gentle curves, revealing her more delicate side. She wanted to glow on her wedding day, not from ornament, but from within.