10 precious design objects that make for perfect well-thought-out presents for family, friends, couples, loved ones, and colleagues.
Africa Vibia
With Africa by Vibia, designer Francisco Gómez Paz has revisited the traditional candle to adapt it to the 21st century. There is something familiar about the elegant proportions and warm light of this lamp, which are combined with impeccable finishes in four different shades. Africa is a refined and tactile extension of a lighting scheme that can be easily moved where needed, according to one’s needs.
Pietra L01 Salvatori
A selection of the home accessories designed for Salvatori by Piero Lissoni: rediscovering some of the most precious stones, chosen to tinge the home.
The Pietra L01 tray, in particular, is composed of a circular marble disc in the vibrant red of Rosso Francia, the inky black of Nero Marquinia or the relaxing green of Verde Alpi. Each disc, available in diameters of 30, 40 or 46 cm, is surrounded by a sturdy iron frame.
Porcelain Cooler Cushion Sieger by FÜRSTENBERG
Designed by Michael Sieger, the Porcelain Cooler Cushion is a sumptuous handcrafted piece using the finest porcelain and 24-karat gold. The Cooler’s elegant relief, made with palpable precision, gives it a sculptural quality. The gleaming gold interior can be used to store cool drinks or to hold a large bouquet of flowers.
The accessory, perfect for those looking for something special, is available polished enamel or punctuated by a fine satin finish that is especially pleasant to the touch, in pure white or black.
Taormina Villari
Villari’s Taormina collection was born from the idea of wanting to recreate a sophisticated and elegant mise en place in order to surprise guests. Made of the finest porcelain, hand-painted with 24-karat gold, it features a refined floral relief decoration, perfect for adding a glamorous touch to any table.
In fact, this collection of accessories is inspired by the lush vegetation of the botanical gardens of Taormina, a city on Sicily’s east coast: tall cypress trees, whimsical cacti and beautiful flowers dot this exotic Mediterranean garden. The complete set consists of a soup plate, bowl, salad bowl, serving dish, dessert plate and fruit plate.
Grace Barovier&Toso
Proud and elegant like a princess of eternal beauty: Grace by Barovier&Toso, designed by Philippe Nigro, who returns to reinterpret Venetian crystal by designing a collection of table lamps imbued with a gentle classical charm, defined by refined proportions and clear volumes.
Grace features an eclectic structure, which borrows the diffuser system from the traditional Murano chandelier: here the cup grows in scale and becomes a wide chalice, strongly flared upward. Within it shines the luminous body, studded with faceted prisms, characteristic of rostrato, finely executed freehand by a master glassmaker.
To guard, to envelop, to highlight: this is the function that the outer diffuser takes on, in the role of “armor,” but also as a showcase, called upon to enhance the precious element in rostrato, the heart of the object that polarizes the gaze. Same material, Venetian Crystal, different faces. Very different forms and processing give voice to Venetian crystal, confronting each other in an eclectic and appealing way.
Also superfine are the techniques with which the Venetian crystal base is created, the result of three crafting techniques combined, according to a process designed to obtain a layered wall, shiny and rich in contrasts, including color.
The bubbles enclosed inside are the result of submerged ballotton, obtained with a pointed wooden mold, called “fracco,” and a precise sequence of hot passes followed by blowing. After tempering, cold, the inner surface is treated by etching and then mirroring.
The final effect is a silvery background that makes the bubble pattern stand out, as well as reflecting the light from the lamp. The inner layer is always transparent crystal, while the outer layer can be colored, in Oliva, Blu Cadetto, Bluastro, Viola, Verde Antalia, and Brown, shades from the new Barovier&Toso palette. The metal elements, base and collar, have a sophisticated character, with their Brushed Gold or Black Chrome finish.
The Tending Box Alessi
Designed by Giulio Iacchetti with mixologist Oscar Quagliarini, Alessi’s The Tending Box collection reinterprets the traditional tools used to prepare cocktails, resulting in objects that combine aesthetics and functionality.
In a balanced synthesis of form and function, the most classic types of this discipline are reinterpreted: cocktail stirrer, mixing glass, bar strainer, cocktail measuring cup, mixing spoon and bar whisk take on new technical features and refined aesthetic details.
“The Tending Box” meets the needs of professionals and novices alike in a line that combines aesthetics with high performance. The “Parisienne” cocktail stirrer doesn’t get out of hand, the tumbler with its weighted base facilitates stirring, and the mixing spoon follows the mixologist’s movements elegantly, sinuously, and silently.
The Quadri Combo Jigger summarizes in a single object all the versatility of this must-have accessory, the “Baton lelè” whisk, with tips of different lengths, recreates the naturalness of the original tool, but it is perhaps the apparent simplicity of the jigger that encapsulates the true complexity of the design with its double spring that allows the bartender to choose the optimal filtration quality to fully enhance the cocktail,” specifies Oscar Quagliarini.
All products in The Tending Box collection are made of 18/10 stainless steel and are offered either individually or in two different sets to build, expand, or rethink one’s personal mixologist equipment.
Medusa Amplified Gifts by Rosenthal meets Versace
Inspired by Donatella Versace’s passion for music, especially hip-hop, Medusa Amplified Gifts prints re-imagine Medusa as a musical icon. The design reinterprets Medusa as if she were a song, rhythm, melody, or musical tempo. The Rosenthal meets Versace accessories collection plays with bold, spring colors, contrasts and size variations of the iconic Medusa.
Rosenthal’s expert lithographers, with great skill and precision have created a line with more than 30 shades of color, the elaborate detailing, the filigree decoration of the Medusa’s head, and the Greca motif bands surrounding them. The Medusa Amplied Gifts collection includes three vases of different sizes, a serving dish, an ashtray, a tray, and a saucer, as well as the famous scented candle.
Roly Poly Glasses SIEGER by Ichendorf
SIEGER by Ichendorf’s Stand Up collection, designed last year, mouth-blown and handcrafted, has been joined this year by two new pieces: a beer/long drink glass and a small carafe.
In fact, last year designer Michael Sieger created the crystal collection that can swing, inspired by the playful lightness of a roly-poly toy.
Whether hollow or full, the accessories gently sway back and forth each time they are touched, to regain balance and rise again. Now the collection expands with a new beer/long drink glass, also ideal for cocktails.
Elegantly curved and more than 12 cm tall, it too dances lively on the table. The crystal glass is perfectly balanced to ensure that the liquid inside does not spill out. This is made possible by a studied curvature of the base, whose contact area with the table measures less than a square millimeter. The tiny spot on which each Stand Up product rests features a finely engraved star, which adds another playful touch to the glass. Completing the collection is a small carafe, which complements the larger carafe and can be used for wine or water.
Anémones votive Lalique
The anemone, a symbol of purity and innocence, particularly inspired René Lalique, who made it the star of many jewelry and decorative objects. With the Anémones votive collection, the brand offers a fresh look at this transfigured creation in votive sculptures and vases, available in different sizes and colors, such as the new gold luster variant.
This bright and warm accessory also proves perfect as a gift idea for the holiday season. Made of satin and polished crystal, the emblem of the prestigious brand, the flowers are juxtaposed in a graphic game of repetition, capturing their ephemeral beauty.
Lady Anne in total white KnIndustrie
The iconic Lady Anne coffee maker by knIndustrie, design by Lara Caffi, is dressed in white. Made of aluminum, with a stone washed finish in the classic version, it is now offered in the elegant total white color to bring an object of great elegance and refinement to the table.
The shape, inspired by the silver coffee services of the 1700s, remains unchanged: the simple line of the truncated conical body contrasts with the sinuosity of the ergonomic and heat-insulating handle, made of multi-curved Bakelite, the ornamental element that characterizes the design. On the lid the decorative knob, also made of bakelite, allows it to be easily opened. The circular base is double-bottomed. Lady Anne “in white” is also available in 4-cup format and includes the reducing filter.