The second installment of Zafferano's Joyful Living campaign takes place in New York, in the home of Kickie Chudikova.
A New York-based industrial designer who specializes in creating products, furniture, and lighting. In her work, Kickie combines her background in Industrial Design with a deep understanding of craftsmanship. Her appreciation of raw materials such as glass, iron, porcelain, or marble is enhanced with her use of cutting-edge technology, such as 3D-printing.
With a passion for color, Kickie uses bold hues throughout her work. Her work has been exhibited around the world and has received numerous awards.
You can enjoy the first chapter of the Joyful Living campaign here
My name is Kickie Chudikova and I am product, furniture, and lighting designer. I come from Slovakia, but I have been based [in New York City] over a decade. I originally studied Industrial Design, but I call myself a “designer” as that better describes the breadth of my work.
I started my own design practice in 2020. As a designer, I aim to bring moments of positivity and beauty into people’s lives by creating objects that trigger an emotion and bring life to their surroundings. I want to bring something new to the market which sparks joy and brings a smile to people’s faces.
I design furniture, lights, and different objects for companies, but I also have my own product line. I am particularly passionate about working with glass, collaborating with master glassmakers in Murano and designing a cocktail glass collection that I produce in the Czech Republic.
As a designer, I like to feel a connection with the materials I use. I currently have a residency in a ceramic studio, where I use a 3D printer to model clay.
I grew up in Bratislava, in Slovakia. I believe wherever you grow up influences your thinking, your values, your style, your approach to life, and your aesthetic choices.
I grew up in in an old, modernist house built in the 1930s by a renowned architect that previously belonged to a painter. When my parents moved in in the 70s, the walls were painted with dark, saturated colors. They brightened it up by furnishing it with the most stylish items they could get in a communist country. The furniture has not changed since: red floral carpets, yellow walls, orange pendant lights, green kitchen cabinets. Each room has its own color. I grew up surrounded by these colors, and their influence and love for color is evident in my work.
My father was a civil engineer. We always had a project in the house to work on, repairing or improving something. My mom has a great sense of style in both clothes and home décor, and has always decorated her home in the most creative ways. I am sure this influenced my aesthetic, my thinking, and my urge to become a designer. I have never wanted to be anything else.
I studied Industrial Design in Vienna, Austria with Hartmut Esslinger, founder of Frog Design and a design legend well known for his work for Apple in the 80s. I did an exchange at the Politecnico in Milano, where I was able to deeply study Italian Design and Culture.
After my studies, I moved to New York to work with Karim Rashid, developing projects and furniture for top furniture and lighting brands, before starting my own studio in 2020 in Brooklyn. I feel very lucky to understand both European and American markets; this understanding helps me create objects for a global audience.
Color is a very powerful tool: with LIGHT comes COLOR. COLOR = ENERGY. This affects our mood and our perception, triggering various emotions.
I am a very optimistic person and color for me is joy. I love to dress colorfully. I have a reputation as the woman who wears a lot of color. Some people have never even seen me wearing black and are surprised to see me in it!
I am known for using a lot of color in both my life and my work, as well as my organic yet minimal design language. I like to call it “Minimal with a twist.” I always strive to bring something new to the market, never before seen and pleasantly surprising.
Color can make or break an object – as designers, we must be careful to use it in the right way.
My goal as a designer is to create joyful experiences, uplifting and inspiring people through the means of creation. We all perceive color in a different way, based on our prior experience. It is very personal.
I love being close to the window when the sun falls on me and I feel like I’m outside. So, it’s mostly at my studio desk or on the sofa, which get the most light. Sunshine brings color and joy into my home. I recently moved into a new apartment with floor to ceiling windows. It’s life changing compared to my old Brooklyn apartment, which had plenty of charm but not so much light.
In New York, any place where I can see the Chrysler building feels like home. The building is alive, familiar, and somehow reminds me of a European Gothic cathedral even though the Chrysler building was only finished in the 1930s – it isn’t even 100 years old! And yet it is so iconic. I have even made jewelry inspired by it.
I am very optimistic: I consider myself lucky to be able to do what I love and meet good people.
I am a person who likes to feel very connected to nature. It inspires me immensely. So anything I can do outside makes me happy – biking to Rockaway Beach, hiking, swimming, doing yoga.
I am also very passionate about foraging mushrooms, a passion which dates to my childhood in the forests of Slovakia. There is nothing more joyous than finding a porcini – I always scream!
New York itself brings me so much joy. The city is such an eclectic place. I am constantly inspired by the interesting people I meet from across the globe, when I eat a creative or surprising meal, see a concert, go to a gallery to see a show, or visit a museum. There is so much joy in this world and I love being an active participant.
I really like the Amelie for its friendly gestures and mushroom-like shape.
