Parma Tile x Emma Harling - Imitation
A partnership between Emma Harling Studio, and Parma Tile. Trained in textile and surface design, Harling brings a decade of experience creating prints and patterns for New York’s fashion and home industries to a new scale and material. Her transition into tile design continues her fascination with how surfaces tell stories, transforming what is usually soft and woven into something tactile, durable, and architectural.
“I have always been fascinated by the many possibilities of ornament, and the endurance of architectural materials. This collection allows me to explore patterns in a new setting.”
Drawing inspiration from 18th-century Swedish tile stoves and decorative painting, Imitation reintroduces the artistic gestures once used to mimic marble and stone. Through techniques of speckle, splatter, and brushstroke, Harling reinterprets these historic processes using contemporary colors and bisque, creating a ceramic surface that feels both familiar and fresh.
Each of the five colorways references the naturally occurring hues of Sweden’s west coast, where Harling grew up, muted greens, soft neutrals, and mineral tones inspired by weathered stone, sand, and lichen-covered cliffs.
Produced in collaboration with Parma Tile, a second-generation, family-operated brand established in Queens in 1975, Imitation continues the company’s legacy of sourcing and creating tiles that embody craftsmanship, curiosity, and narrative.
