Murano

Murano, A Light Display In Long Island City

Colorful Murano glass is famous around the world and now a real estate development with the same name hopes to build on that legacy. The Murano building in Long Island City, New York is described as a "glowing glass sculpture" and will light up the sky when it officially launches sales on June 6, 2010. The condo takes its name from the island off the coast of Venice known for its glassmaking, and will emanate a different hued color every hour on the hour, starting from dusk until 10 pm every night. Between the seventh and eighth floors LED screen lights will send colors from Long Island City all the way to Manhattan. The building also has a wall in the lobby that will emit a display of varied colors through LED lighting.

Tags: long island city, murano, new york city

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The Best Way to Wear Murano Glass: Attombri in Venice

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's easy to feel drab in Venice, with all that iconic golden light bathing the colors of sunset all day, from the faded ruddy watercolor buildings, to the chalky green canal water, to the blue and white striped shirt gondoliers.

Plus, if you get the urge to spruce up a bit, the shopping isn't entirely inspiring -- the shops seem to be either ubiquitous internationally available boutiques or in the business of peddling tourist tchochkes.

A solution: Attombri.

Okay, so this jewelry shop, run by two brothers, has received international recognition -- see Dolce & Gabbana, Vogue, etc. -- but their materials are entirely Venetian. The brothers purchased heaps of antique Murano glass beads, my understanding is that they were procured from a glass company going out of business. They do all their work by hand, and the pieces tend to play the shine of the glass off of intricately twisted metal. Their pieces some how retain the feeling of the antique that pervades Venice, but with the aid of the occasional asymmetrical line and a fine editing eye, still look contemporary. (See the gallery below.)

I arrived at their studio/gallery in Campo San Maurizio, which is in the San Marco area, in the early afternoon. (That's the door of their shop above, reflecting the square.) But the door was locked, and a handwritten note was affixed: out to lunch for a few hours. Only a small set back; I'd already been in Venice for a few days at this point, I'd become accustomed to two things: getting lost and changing my plans.

Gallery: Attombri in Venice

Tags: italy, jewelry, Murano, Murano glass, shopping in venice, Venice

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Venini Bolle Bottles

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

There is something about these bottles that I find very peaceful and serene. Glowing bands of Murano glass are fused together to create a single vessel and the result is beautiful and calm. It is fitting that the technique used to join the glass is known as the Incalmo method. Designed in 1968 by Tapio Wirkkala for Venini, the gently curving shapes of the bottles are set off by vibrant swaths of red and green, subdued with softer shades of blue and gray. And that dash of lemon yellow keeps these mellow bottles from being too quiet. $7380 for the set of five.

Source

Tags: bolle, bottles, decor, designer glass, DesignerGlass, glass, incalmo, italian glass, ItalianGlass, luxe, luxury, Murano, Tapia Wirkkala, TapiaWirkkala, venini

Mouth-Blown Venetian Glass Lighting

by Jaime El-Helw (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art

Melograno Blu set up their studios 5 years ago in Venice, and have been creating a storm of attention the world over for their delicate mouth-blown glass chandeliers. They have launched themselves from obscurity with success at the Paris Maison et Object Fair last year, and can now be found in some of the hippest hotels from Hollywood to the Cote D'Azur, and in some lucky private residences worldwide. The ethereal qualities of these glittering blown glasses cannot be described; they must be experienced. They literally define the space -- you could design an entire residential design scheme around them.

Each piece is first hand crafted by Murano artisans (thus creating one-offs) then, they are accessorized with silk tassels, natural beaded shells, sculpted egg pendants, or glass coral branches to create that sultry environment evocative of old Oriental-style lighting in the 1920's Paris and Berlin nightclubs. There are several glass forms and sizes to choose from, creating numerous possible combinations, which are then customized to your needs. Prices can be inquired upon by requesting information through the studio's website, but expect to pay upwards of 6,000 Euros for your divine chandelier creation.

Tags: commercial lighting, murano, residential ligthing, venetian glass