by Federica Capoduri.
An ancient, eternal, and among the most enduring technique: if the earliest works date back to the Mesopotamian era, today they transform into a sparkling design with the purest glimmers of style.
Glass is a noble material, and its creation also involves blowing, which, since the third millennium BC, transforms a soft incandescent bubble into a precious moldable sphere capable of becoming something unique. A true cultural heritage that still inspires contemporary design in creating real unique pieces capable of illuminating any environment with their style. We’re talking about blown glass chandeliers: the result of manual, artisanal, and precious work, ranging from artistic creations to ultra-modern concepts, all capable of describing a timeless story.
1 – COLORFUL KALEIDOSCOPE
Clio is a line of blown glass suspension lamps produced by Panzeri, with a particular retro-style ribbed finish and available in various shapes. Ideal for living and dining areas, it has LED source with visible filaments and is available in seven colors: crystal, steel, amber, bronze, tobacco, green, and glossy white.
Clio by Panzeri, design by Silvia Poma, starting from €409 – anzeri.it
2 – DÉCO FLOWER
Barovier&Toso offers Campanula, a gentle beauty, originating from nature, in its ability to multiply, each time in a new and spontaneous way. The modularity of this collection combines the tradition of craftsmanship with a contemporary and lively compositional mode. There are eight versions, alternating modules and respective textures, varying aesthetics and dimensions. The Venetian crystal is the protagonist, brilliant and hypnotic, a perfect interpreter of a floral archetype.
Campanula by Barovier&Toso, design by Garcia Cumini, starting from €10,736 – arovier.com
3 – ANCIENT TECHNIQUE
Circus is a line of three satin-blown glass suspensions, with a white filigree “fabric” finish, handcrafted using an ancient technique dating back to the 16th century that involves wrapping and elongating strips of milk white glass on the surface of the molten glass before blowing. These contrasting patterned bands give the collection produced by Karman soft symmetrical effects, reminiscent of circus tents. Each piece is unique.
Circus by Karman, design by Edmondo Testaguzza and Matteo Ugolini, starting from €768 – karmanitalia.it
4 – SLEEK ELEGANCE
Plissé by Vistosi has a sinuous design, inspired by the elegant grace of the jellyfish, with an umbrella shape that almost seems to want to protect and guard the space to be illuminated. The blown glass diffuser, with generous dimensions, hides an internal fabric lampshade. The lamp has LED source and can be chosen in dark amber, smoky, burnt earth, antique green, or transparent crystal colors.
Plissé by Vistosi, design by Chiaramonte & Marin, starting from €1,132 – vistosi.it
5 – DESIGN NEBULA
With essential and light lines, Stellar Nebula is a family of lamps produced by Artemide to interpret and enhance the craftsmanship of glass, thanks to innovative PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finishing techniques. Each shape is blown and freely modeled by master glassmakers, making each piece unique, in a perfect fusion of craftsmanship and industrial innovation.
Stellar Nebula by Artemide, design by BIG, starting from €760 – artemide.com
6 – FULL MOON
Complex and simple at the same time is Muna by Italamp; a suspension lamp in white blown glass, inside a transparent glass diffuser with a shaded gold effect. Its structure is also in light gold metal, to enrich and elegantly illuminate through a contemporary design.
Muna by Italamp, design by Danilo De Rossi, €960 – italamp.com
7 – SOAP BUBBLES
The Nubola collection by Riflessi creates a dreamlike atmosphere, it’s light and impalpable. Available in various variants, including a suspension with five Pyrex blown glass lampshades in tobacco or smoky color, metal rings painted champagne or graphite, pendant ceiling rose in metal, fabric cables in gold or black. Each element is unique.
Nubola by Riflessi, design by Riflessi Lab, starting from €2,708 – riflessi.it
8 – LUMINOUS CLOUD
“This lamp was created using complex steel molds, which gave it an almost magical lightness, a glass cloud floating in the air,” explains designer Mathieu Lehanneur. Cloudy by Fabbian, when lit, reveals all its brightness and evokes the glow of a radiant sun after rain. The collection consists of suspensions and ceiling lamps in two different sizes, with diffusers in smoked white blown glass.
Cloudy F21 by Fabbian, design by Mathieu Lehanneur, €637 – fabbian.com
9 – TIMELESS COLORFUL
Eclectic in style, the Cleofe suspension lamp by Gea Luce is a true cascade of lights and different shapes, united by a particular artistic glassworking, with relief decoration developed in a fishbone pattern. Three diffusers, available in four glass colors. Elegant and with a vintage taste.
Cleofe by Gea Luce, starting from €82 – gealuce.com
10 – CONTEMPORARY GRANDEUR
Random Cloud by Lodes revisits the concept of the chandelier in a contemporary key, making it dramatic and modular. The various elements can be grouped to create “clouds” composed of 7, 14, 19, or 23 elements for different configurations. The LED source is almost hidden, in a silicone housing in the upper part of the blown glass diffuser, creating real plays of light and reflections with great scenic power.
Random Cloud by Lodes, design by Chia-Ying Lee, starting from €2,200 – lodes.com
11 – ETHEREAL ELEGANCE
A line with refined design: a blown glass sphere, available in transparent, copper, gold, and smoky colors. It’s La Mariée by Stilnovo, a suspension lamp that, alone or in composition, plays with reflections between the different tones and finishes. It has a dimmable topLED source and a transparent conductor support cable, which further enhances the suspension and lightness effect.
La Mariée by Stilnovo, design by Mirco Crosatto, starting from €430 – stilnovo.com
12 – EFFECTIVE TRANSPARENCIES
The Noctambule collection by Flos is made of blown glass, transparent and almost imperceptible during the day. With minimal lines, albeit with retro references, it has a suspension attachment and die-cast aluminum rings. In its chandelier version, it can be created by assembling together the lantern and tubular shapes, creating a custom chandelier, thanks to its great modularity and versatility.
Noctambule by Flos, design by Konstantin Grcic, single module suspension model starting from €2.970 – flos.com
On the cover, Random Cloud suspension lamp by Lodes, design Chia-Ying Lee.
