An Artistic Revival: Laguna B is Reimagining The Art of Tablescaping
The Italian glass powerhouse is injecting a vibrant energy into the rising art form
It’s that time of the year again when a festive spirit takes over our homes and cities, calling for creative intuition to guide our styling inhibitions. Tablescaping, a dynamic art form that has progressed over the years has taken on a festive flair and is now a mainstay, beckoning an artistic revival.
Marcantonio Brandolini d’Adda, Italian artist, designer, and President and Creative Director of Laguna B – the Italian glass manufacturer specialising in Murano glass – agrees: “When I took over the business in 2016, I realised that the table setting we were seeing was always monotonous. The same glasses were being used for each setting and the same cutlery. I found it boring and wanted to introduce a mix of colours and collections.”
Headquartered in Dorsoduro, Venice, Laguna B was first founded in 1994 by Marie Brandolini, Marcantonio’s mother, where she reinterpreted the traditional ‘Goto de Fornasa’ by Murano artisans to achieve the iconic pieces that have today, under the creative direction of Marcantonio, become cult classics favoured by interior designers, artists, and brands along the likes of Frédéric Malle and Diptyque Paris, to name two. One of the best qualities of the pieces is their versatility – they can complement a maximalist-style arrangement, or even bring life to the most simplistic table.
Preserving traditional glassmaking techniques from the island of Murano and infusing modernity into the brand’s design, as captured in the candy-coloured tumblers decorated with contrasting patterns and stripes, punctuated with artistic inspiration, every collection offers a mix and match for numerous occasions.
“My mother left a lot of inspiration behind, and today we are still influenced by her style.”
Marcantonio Brandolini d’Adda
“Our three biggest design values are to be impactful, diverse, and handmade, and what we are trying to do with Laguna B is to bring contemporary values and identity to the craft,” says Marcantonio. “It is a challenge because it is commonly seen as a traditional and nostalgic craft,” he admits, but, driven by a passion and desire to break the status quo of monotony in table-setting design, he puts a specific emphasis on introducing a multitude of colours in contrasting and delicate hues. “My mother Marie designed most of the collections in the ’90s, and she left a lot of inspiration behind, and therefore today, we are still influenced by her style.”
The latest collections from Laguna B offer a variety of styling choices, where mixing flutes, tumblers, and luxury glassware enhance vibrant creativity, reflecting the personality of the host and the joie de vivre of the season.
Editorial Direction: Ayesha S. Shehmir. Words: Odelia Mathews. Photography: Efraim Evidor. Styling: Marmar Alhilali. Location: Ethan Allen, Dubai
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s Interiors Winter 2022 issue