Esther Knopfler

Esther Knopfler is a Hungarian-born designer based in southern France, where she has lived and worked since 2019. Born in Budapest in 1991, she began her career in architecture before turning towards furniture, drawn to the possibilities of creating at a more intimate scale. Her practice brings architectural form into dialogue with natural stone, developing collectible pieces that explore the relationship between structural strength, visual softness, and the expressive qualities of colour.

Marble is central to Knopfler’s work, valued for its weight, veining, and response to light. Her designs combine sculptural volumes with functional purposes, allowing tables, consoles, and seating to stand as independent compositions within a room. Each piece is handcrafted in southern France or Italy through collaboration with specialist artisans, connecting her contemporary approach with stoneworking knowledge passed down through generations. The natural variations of the material contribute to the individual character of the finished objects.

Her Wriggle collection investigates the apparent contradiction between marble’s physical heaviness and the impression of lightness that form can create. Its sculptural approach also carries a personal dimension, reflecting on the uncertainties of contemporary life and the burdens people carry beneath a composed exterior. Through this relationship between appearance and substance, Knopfler gives furniture a narrative role, using the qualities of stone to explore experiences that extend beyond an object’s practical function.

Material reuse takes a prominent role in Strata, developed in collaboration with Marbrerie Provençale. The stool combines layered marble offcuts, bringing contrasting colours, patterns, and geological markings into a single composition. Fragments left from previous production become the foundation of a new object, retaining their differences within the assembled form. The wider Strata series includes a console and coffee table, with variations in stone making each piece unique in appearance. Works are signed, numbered, and accompanied by certificates of authenticity.

Strata was presented at OASIS, Casa AnKan’s exhibition at Alcova during Art Basel Miami 2025, and featured in Design Milk. Its inclusion brought Knopfler’s exploration of reclaimed stone into an exhibition centred on material presence and atmosphere. Alongside her collections, she works with private collectors and interior designers on commissions, developing sculptural furniture whose proportions, stone selection, and craftsmanship establish a distinctive relationship with the spaces it inhabits.

Esther Knopfler’s complete catalog available upon request.