Memories of Italy, where he was raised as a child for a time, beckoned to Alessandro Munge when designing his two inaugural collections for furniture brand Stellar Works.
Pesca, a swiveling one-seater sofa, showcases a cocooning profile that references the peaches he relished on family visits to the homeland. The shape of the fruit and the way it is naturally held “became a practical starting point for thinking about comfort and proportion,” says the founder and principal of Toronto- and Miami-based Studio Munge. “I imagined taking a peach and carving out a portion of it to create a cradle that would become the seat. The plush upholstery and rounded contours make the pieces feel like you are being gently held.”
The Pesca one-seater nods to the soft curves of a peach
For Marea, which comprises an ottoman, chairs, and tables, Munge drew from the classic stilt-built trabocchi along Abruzzo’s Adriatic coastline that once served as fishermen’s houses. “These wooden platforms extend over the sea, and their linear structures and cantilevered geometry informed the way the seat rests lightly within a strong architectural frame. The result feels grounded yet floating,” he explains. Together, Pesca’s soft curves and Marea’s sculptural silhouettes are an arresting juxtaposition.
Studio Munge and Stellar Works, longtime collaborators on the former’s hospitality projects, were in constant dialogue throughout the process, from the narratives and sketches hatched in Toronto to the prototyping and refinement that followed. Stellar Works’ “technical mastery gave us the confidence to push forms further,” says Munge. “Behind the scenes, there was constant problem-solving and many late-night adjustments. These moments remind you why design matters.”
The sculptural Marea coffee table for Stellar Works is made from natural walnut
Munge wanted the Pesca and Marea ranges to both exhibit a pared-back aesthetic, yet they also needed to be durable to withstand the wear and tear of hospitality environments. So, materials like walnut and solid plywood were chosen, melding with hardy fabrics and elevated by such elegant details as stitching and punches of aged gold-hued hairline-finished stainless steel.
The joinery, the lines, and the inviting tactility found in Pesca and Marea mirror the “ethos that guides our architecture—purposeful, warm, and lasting,” says Munge. “I grew up immersed in traditions that celebrate beauty in everyday life, from the way families gather around the table to how objects are made with intention and care. Helping my mother in her drapery workshop taught me the transformative power of craft from a very young age. These values live within the collections.”
This article originally appeared in HD’s December 2025 issue.
