Glassy Surfaces

2016 saw an exciting range of new designs that use glass in ways previously unimaginable, with textured glass featuring widely, along with glass blown into smoky oversized table lamps, as seen at Pulpo, and amorphous table accessories at Piet Boon.

Collector by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby is a display case for ornaments and collectables featuring a top in transparent extralight 8mm glass. It sits on a black lacquered ash base and can have a recessed mirror inserted in the base of the low table version.

Collector by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby is a display case for ornaments and collectables featuring a top in transparent extralight 8mm glass. It sits on a black lacquered ash base and can have a recessed mirror inserted in the base of the low table version.

The standout collection was Glas Italia’s Lady Hio range of glass coffee tables designed by Philippe Starck and Sergio Schito. A feat in technological innovation, their tubular table legs are capped top and bottom with brushed anodised aluminium and the glass comes tinted in yellow, warm grey or orange.

Piero Lissoni has created the Commodore range of cabinets for Glas Italia which feature a chequered surface and modern, graphic styling. 

Piero Lissoni’s Commodore storage unit uses a striped and checked printed glass with mirror lacquered details. The transparent appearance of the cabinet showcases the different layers of glass, highlighting various shades and textures.

Piet Boon’s Finn Cabinet was specially updated by the artist Casper Faassen who applied cherry blossoms to the translucent glass doors.

Casper Faassen adds a decorative ‘Blossom’ finish to make a limited edition version of the Finn cabinet, or you could put it all on display in the original glass version.

The lighting collection by Czech brand Brokis is designed by internationally known artists and is brought to life by master artisans continuing centuries-old Bohemian glassblowing skills and traditions. The Muffins range, by Lucie Koldova and Dan Yeffet, has taken on iconic status since its debut and has become a symbol of the Brokis brand. Their newest release Lightline, by Lucie Koldova uniformly disperses light over a sandblasted surface, which in profile creates the impression of a luminous line.

The Tartan suspension lamp has a blown glass diffuser made using the technique of mouth blowing into a mould with a design engraved in it, enriching it with lines and folds echoing the weave of Scottish cloth and a graphic play of light and shadow.

The Buds range by Rodolfo Dordoni had a new table lamp debuting at Milan. Five different layers (crystal, color, white, paliesco and crystal again) are overlapped as the glass is mouth-blown, making each piece unique.

Giopato & Coombes’ playful Flauti pendant lamps are a riot of colour, and feature textures which give them a nostalgic air. Or perhaps you will prefer their rather minimal but no less spirited Bolle range featuring multi-sized glass bubbles with brass detailing, scattered through space.

This innovative use of glass throughout this year’s Salone is a breath of fresh air. We are delighted to be able to bring these novel designs to New Zealand.

A unique collaboration between Pulpo and German tableware producer Rosenthal has produced Boule, a refined table lamp with a handblown glass diffuser sitting on a porcelain base. Boule comes in white, smoky grey and transparent glass variations in two sizes.