In an era dominated by mass-produced uniformity and hyper-minimalist digital design, artisan glassmaker Kathrin Schaden is carving out a defiant, brilliantly colored space for the unpredictable. Operating under the evocative alter ego Ursula Futura, Schaden creates mouth-blown glass objects and lighting from her base in Vienna, Austria, with production rooted in the historic furnaces of Bohemia.
Rather than chasing sterile perfection, Schaden embraces the raw, unruly nature of glass—a material she describes as "a liquid pretending to be a solid." Her portfolio features signature statement pieces like NESSIE, PHANTOM, and the widely celebrated Pulsar lamp series. These creations are characterized by organic waves, intentional trapped air bubbles, and a dynamic interaction with light that transforms interior spaces. The Pulsar table lamp, in particular, translates the fluid rhythm of ocean tides and breathing into stepped cones of opaque, colored glass. Each piece is entirely unique, serving as a testament to the erratic beauty of human breath and traditional craftsmanship.
Chronology: The Evolution of Ursula Futura
The journey toward Ursula Futura did not follow a conventional corporate trajectory; rather, it was born out of a personal and creative awakening.
The Formative Years: For much of her early career, Kathrin Schaden navigated a design world that frequently nudged creatives toward restraint, muted palettes, and self-editing. She spent years being told that her vibrant ideas, emotional responses to color, and fascination with bold forms were "too much."
The Birth of the Alter Ego: Recognizing the need to break free from self-censorship, Schaden birthed Ursula Futura. This persona represents the unfiltered half of her creative identity—a space dedicated entirely to pursuing objects that demand attention and evoke unexplainable emotional reactions.
Mastering the Furnace: Moving away from industrial casting or pouring methods, Schaden partnered with traditional glassblowing artisans in Bohemia—a region globally renowned for its centuries-old glassmaking heritage. Here, she refined the technique of mouth-blowing hot glass, learning to work in tandem with a material that actively resists human control.
The Introduction of the Pulsar Series: Marking a significant milestone for the studio, Schaden developed the Pulsar lamp. By channeling the concept of dynamic waves into structured, stepped forms of opaque colored glass, she bridged the gap between functional lighting and sculptural art.
Present Day & Future Expansion: Today, Ursula Futura operates out of Vienna as a beacon of expressive design. Having successfully established her presence with statement table lamps and sculptural objects, Schaden is actively developing new additions to the Pulsar collection, including anticipated pendant and wall lamp variants.
Supporting Data & Materiality
Understanding the value of an Ursula Futura piece requires a closer look at the physics and philosophy of glassmaking.
Production Geography: While conceived in Vienna, Austria, the physical creation of the glassware takes place in the historic furnaces of Bohemia, a region boasting a glassmaking pedigree dating back to the 13th century.
Technique: 100% mouth-blown. No industrial molds dictate a uniform outcome; every piece relies strictly on the lung capacity, timing, and intuition of the artisan.
Material Properties: Glass is fundamentally an amorphous solid—structurally closer to a supercooled liquid than a crystalline solid. When heated to high temperatures in the furnace, the glass "remembers" its liquid state, allowing it to move organically before cooling and locking into its final, permanent shape.
The "Flaws" as Features: Unlike factory settings that discard items with trapped air pockets or minor asymmetrical shifts, Ursula Futura intentionally preserves these anomalies. These bubbles and slight distortions represent "the material arguing back," ensuring no two pieces in the world are identical.
Optical Dynamics: The integration of opaque colored glass allows the objects to perform a visual metamorphosis throughout the day. Natural sunlight passing through a room refracts off the glass, casting shifting color spectra, while interior lighting alters the lamp’s layered surface textures depending on whether the power is switched on or off.
Official Responses & Designer Philosophy
The ethos of Ursula Futura is deeply personal, rooted in emotional resonance rather than market-driven trends. In statements regarding her creative philosophy, Kathrin Schaden has consistently emphasized the necessity of intuition and unbridled expression in design.
Reflecting on the psychological genesis of her work, Schaden explains that the studio began with a simple, arresting moment: "A rainbow appears from nowhere. Light hits glass and the room shifts and you stop and you stare and you feel something you can’t explain. And you don’t want to. That’s where Ursula begins. That’s why she makes anything at all."
This commitment to sensory impact carries over into her structural choices, particularly regarding her signature wave motifs. Discussing the conceptual mechanics behind the Pulsar lamp, Schaden notes:
"I keep coming back to the wave because it never really stops moving, even when it’s frozen in glass. The repetition in the form feels meditative to me. Like breathing, or tides."
By refusing to iron out the physical traces of the maker, Schaden champions an anti-perfectionist movement within high-end decor. Her philosophy dictates that true luxury in the modern age is not flawless uniformity, but genuine human presence captured in physical form.
Implications for Contemporary Interior Design
The emergence and rising acclaim of studios like Ursula Futura signal a broader, much-needed shift in how consumers and interior architects view living spaces.
1. The Death of Sterile Minimalism
For over a decade, interior design was dominated by ultra-clean lines, monochromatic palettes, and mass-produced Scandinavian-inspired minimalism. While functional, this trend occasionally resulted in spaces that felt sterile and devoid of personality. The demand for Ursula Futura’s creations—with names like NESSIE and PHANTOM evoking organic, mysterious lifeforms—points to a collective yearning for emotional warmth, whimsy, and soul in the home.
2. The Rise of "Functional Art"
Objects are no longer expected to be purely utilitarian. Consumers are increasingly investing in statement pieces that serve a dual purpose: illuminating a room while simultaneously acting as monumental sculptures. The Pulsar table lamp blurs the line between fine art and lighting design, proving that functional objects can command a room’s emotional gravity.
3. Valuing the Imperfect Human Touch
In an era where artificial intelligence and automated manufacturing threaten to erase the visibility of human labor, artisanal objects carry profound cultural weight. The intentional preservation of bubbles, asymmetrical waves, and hand-blown quirks in Schaden’s work acts as a tactile anchor. It reminds inhabitants of the physical world, the passage of time, and the rare dedication of the craftsperson.
As Ursula Futura continues to expand its offerings—moving from sculptural table objects into forthcoming pendant and wall-mounted lighting solutions—Kathrin Schaden proves that design does not need to apologize for being bold, emotional, and unapologetically alive.
