Eric's Salone 2013 Top 10

Fresh off the plane from Milan, Dzine’s head of furniture Eric Zimmerman shares his impressions on his top 10 picks from the most anticipated design event of the year. 

1. The ‘Mikado’cupboard, one of Front Design’s latest pieces for Porro, has a light wood slat structure that lets you catch a glimpse of what is stored inside. The slanting and staggering of the wood slats gives the cupboard an exotic yet playful feel, adding a little flair to any austere modern interior.

2. The ‘Helen’ lounge by Flexform is simply a beautifully crafted chaise. The seat is made of woven leather braided around Flexform’s trademark sleek nickel-satin frame.  

3. ‘Stelle Filanti’ by Venini comprises of a glass pendant light held in place by a cage-like leather harness. It’s strange beauty makes it more akin to an artwork than a light fixture.

4. Another Front Design design, the ‘Doodle’ sofa for Moroso has an intricate pattern quilted in the leather, giving it a quirky yet luxurious effect.

5. Nendo’s ‘Deep Sea’ shelving for Glasitalia features glass shelves in deeper and deeper gradations of blue, creating the effect of looking down into a large body of water. This piece really captures Nendo’s quintessentially Japanese minimalist beauty. 

6. Modeled on the ‘Quattroporte’ by the famous Italian car manufacturer, the ‘Maserati’ chair by Zanotta breathes comfort and luxury. 

7. ‘Mate’ by A+B for Living Divani is a versatile chair cum ladder cum clothes valet, which could find its place in any interior with its discreet but distinct personality. 

8. ‘Aim’, by the Bouroullec brothers for Flos, is an adjustable pendant light which can be tilted in all different directions. An interesting piece on its own, it looks particularly animated in groups. 

9. A highlight of the fair year after year, Paola Lenti’s presentation of their outdoor furniture collection with a palazzo backdrop is a sight for sore eyes. Their vibrant rope finishes create fields of color in all kinds of comfortable looking variations.

10. The real showstopper of this year’s Milan fair however was undoubtedly the Moooi presentation on via Savona. A juxtaposition of vignettes, each one more lavish than the next, the space was filled with quirky out-of-scale accessories, dripping with gold and delicate pendant lights and adorned with wall-covering photos by Erwin Olaf.

by Claire Toussaint

ANDO vase for Venini now at DZINE

DZINE is pleased to announce that the "ANDO" vase designed by Tadao Ando for Venini is now on display at the showroom.  An absolute synthesis between shape and chromatism, "ANDO" is the perfect evidence of  the ability in works of glass.

We originally did a post on the "ANDO" vase a year ago here as it was designed for the celebration of Venini's 90th anniversary.
























We hope that you will visit the showroom soon to see the "ANDO" vases in person as well as many other pieces from Venini's ArtGlass and ArtLight collection currently on display.

Venini and Tadao Ando - Salone del Mobile

This year at the Salone del Mobile Venini with Tadao Ando and Carl Hansen & Son presented the "White Collection" at the Bagatti Valsecchi Museo in Milan.

"I desire rather a lot, hope little, and ask for nothing."  This is the inscription engraved on the fireplace in the private room of Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi, one of the rooms of the so-called museum that, this year, hosted the creations designed by Venini.





















Venini's precise style and taste is the fruit of an enchanted mix, created over time, of a few exclusive techniques, a handful of exceptional artists who were inventors of forms, and a predilection for certain colors. This tradition and these boundaries are Venini's magic formula. It contains the calmness and skill of clear craftsmanship that has remained pure and intact throughout time.






















Japanese design meets Danish craftsmanship with the new design collaboration and prototype preview: A Carl Hansen & Son world premiere featuring Tadao Ando's chair design - a lounge chair as a tribute to Hans J. Wegner. Carl Hansen & Son is one of Denmark's oldest manufacturers of high-end furniture with more than 100 years of experience. Carl Hansen & Son is the world's largest producer of furniture designed by renowned designer Hans J. Wegner.

Chair designed by Tadao Ando in collaboration with Carl Hansen & Son.

Limited edition ANDO vases designed by Tadao Ando in 2011.

images courtesy of Venini
photography by Marco Curatolo

Venini Chandelier now at DZINE

Venini, the latest addition to the DZINE collection, is the largest and most successful of the Murano glass fabricators. The company was established in 1921 by Paolo Venini, who embraced Modernist trends in art and architecture with their elegant shapes and colors. Venini was also known for bringing in new ideas to Murano through acclaimed designers, including Napoleon Martinuzzi, Tommaso Buzzi, Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti, Tyra Lundgren, and Fulvio Bianconi. The Venini products consist of a collection of vases and table top items, and a lighting collection. Both collections include classic pieces, as well as new designs.

Paolo Venini, a law school graduate from Milan, came from a family with a long history in glass working. In 1921, he started Cappellin Venini & Co producing glass art objects. He took the Murano tradition of glass blowing and combined it with the French fashion industry tradition of collaborating with designers. The company broke away from the traditional Novecento style, which was based on ancient Roman designs found in oil paintings, and propelled the glass industry into the 20th century using the artistic designs of architect Carlo Scarpa and his ideas of modern shapes and experimental coatings. After World War II, Venini hired illustrator Fulvio Bianconi, ushering in Murano’s most important era of creativity, popularity and collectability. In 1956, Paolo Venini developed collaborations with the greatest architects in the window and lighting fields, and became a great designer in his own right. He is the creator of the Mosaico-Zanfirico and Murrine styles of glass work, both highly collectable because of their rarity. He also created the “Fazzoletto” (the handkerchief vase), in collaboration with Fulvio Bianconi. Today, Paolo Venini’s name is still synonymous with impeccable taste, style and entrepreneurship.

DZINE is pleased to have the grand 'Diamantei' chandelier installed in its Boffi showroom.

See detail images below: