At the world's major interior and furniture fairs, we see it at every turn: glass. It's finding new uses around the home, furniture benefits from its transparent lightness, and in the kitchen its many variations are fascinating. We'll show you exceptional glasswork and reveal which new designs you can look forward to.
How the glass trend is finding its way into your home:
- Delicate accessories that enchant any table
- Back in fashion: cut glass
- More glass around the home
- A delicate addition to furniture
With its translucency and delicate appearance, glass gives objects a remarkable lightness. The many ways of shaping and colouring glass give designers great creative freedom – and this season they are making full use of it. Much to our delight!
Delicate accessories that enchant any table
In the kitchen, manufacturers are giving their classics a splash of colour. Semi-transparent and shimmering in bright colours, the new glasses and vases bring a summery mood to the table. Unusual shapes, glass patterns and bold colour combinations give everyday objects a distinctive new look.
Iittala keeps releasing its classics, such as the Aalto vase, in new colours. Design House Stockholm uses an elaborate production process to make the Bonbon vase from three layers of glass, creating luminous, translucent effects.
Unusual: Rosenthal coats the glass of the Triu vase in silver and gold. While this striking accessory is reminiscent of bent metal strands, it surprises with its graceful lightness.
Back in fashion: cut glass
As early as the 15th century, Venetian glassblowers developed cristallo, a particularly clear and colourless glass. Later, special cutting techniques gave glassware its characteristic sparkle. Today, Zwiesel, Spiegelau and others are once again refining their glasses with cut patterns, giving them a fascination all of their own.
The design company Iittala is also a perfectionist when it comes to working with glass. The distinctive effects of its Ultima Thule series imitate nature: designer Tapio Wirkkala was inspired by the melting ice of glaciers in Lapland. Hence the name Ultima Thule – the name given in antiquity to the northernmost land of the known world. The series celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018 with a limited edition in rain blue and grey.
More glass around the home
Glass has always had its place on the table, but today it's increasingly enhancing everyday objects too. Glass storage jars and utensil boxes keep things tidy, protect the contents from dust and look decorative on the shelf.
For household items in particular, manufacturers rely on borosilicate glass. Robust, food-safe and heat-resistant, it is an excellent choice for household objects, especially for use with very hot liquids.
A delicate addition to furniture
Here's another lovely habit from Scandinavia: our northern neighbours display their treasures in glass display cabinets, protected from dust yet clearly visible. We also have them to thank for the classic glass-fronted cabinet – a wooden wall cabinet with glass doors. Furniture with glass elements is becoming increasingly popular elsewhere in Europe too, giving pieces a remarkable lightness.
In furniture design, too, designers aren't limiting themselves to classic clear glass. Coloured glass in particular reflects light and creates a cheerful play of light and shadow in your room. And Ferm Living is making wired glass – flat glass with an embedded wire mesh – fashionable again.
Black steel gives the delicate material a high-contrast frame and a cool elegance, both in the Adnet coffee table from Gubi and in the Haze furniture from Ferm Living. By the way, the Adnet table dates back to the 1950s and was designed by the Frenchman Jacques Adnet. Hard to find for a long time, Adnet's pieces are now available for the home again as re-editions from Gubi.
Tip: If you don't insist on glass, there are excellent alternatives made of plastics such as polymer and polycarbonate. They look convincingly real and high quality, while being less fragile and much lighter – ideal for picnics or homes with children.
Create more transparency in your living space with glass accessories and delicate furniture. Enjoy!
