Karina Steele’s design inspiration lay heavily influenced by her connection to nature. Growing up in Evergreen, Colorado in the 70’s and 80’s, she briefly left to attend college at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR earning a degree in Biology, thinking she would be a wildlife biologist. After college, she returned to Colorado in Crested Butte where she spent 15 years in various seasonal jobs and covering many miles of trails both snowy and dry. In 2013 She decided to shift gears and started her journey into woodworking and furniture making with a short course at the California College of Art. She continued her training at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine and for two years, she learned the trade of furniture making. She moved permanently from Colorado to Maine in 2015 and started creating small household/kitchen objects out of her garage studio. In 2018 she started experimenting more with bending wood and exploring sculptural wall hangings. She now focuses on one of a kind pieces for the home as well as large scale installations for commercial spaces.