There's a time and a place for white china and clear crystal. This isn't it. At Wallpaper*, we tend to skew bolder. As summer reaches its peak, so too does hosting season, and colourful glassware is one of the simplest ways to bring a dining table or cocktail station to life.
Jewel-bright and luminous, our edit brings together favourite pieces from Wallpaper* stalwart brands. From hand-blown showstoppers to hand-painted works of art, all make a joyful statement.
Colourful glassware to brighten your tablescape
Coloured by melting rare earths and metal oxides directly into the glass, each of these hand-blown pieces has a rich, saturated hue that won't fade over time. Made by Czech glassmaker Moser, whose artisans have crafted lead-free crystal for more than 165 years, these glasses are as beautiful for serving aperitifs as they are displayed between uses.
From Lobmeyr, the 160-year-old Viennese glasshouse known for its ultra-thin, hand-blown muslin glass, these crystal tumblers are hand-painted with bold, lustrous enamel bands using traditional techniques. Designed by London-based Martino Gamper, the collection is produced in limited numbers.
Originally designed in 1996 by NasonMoretti, the Murano glassmaker founded in 1923, and inspired by the gardens of Kyoto, this archive reissue pairs ‘avio’ blue with soft lilac. The colours are fused using the traditional ‘sommerso’ technique, allowing pigment to pool gently at the base.
Designed by Savinel & Rozé, this vibrant update to Baccarat's ‘Harmonie’ collection introduces four double-cased crystal hues – red, orange, emerald and moss green – to the its signature grooved silhouette. Clear crystal bases intensify each colour, making these tumblers equally suited to cocktails, whisky or anything else.
Quarried on Niijima Island in Tokyo and shaped by the Niijima Glass Center, these tumblers feature a natural olive-green hue and softly clouded translucency. Made entirely from koga stone – a volcanic rock so difficult to melt that few artisans work with it – they possess a remarkable clarity and depth.
Hand-cut and striped in amber, green, purple and Bordeaux, these colourful martini glasses catch and refract light like a prism, with contrasting edges adding graphic definition. Each jewel-toned piece brings a playful, mix-and-match vibrancy to the tablescape.
These hand-blown tumblers feature a soft gradient patchwork created by applying coloured glass while the surface is still molten. Originally designed by architect Gio Ponti for the 1946 Milan Triennale, the 'Pezzente' glasses are still produced today by Venini, the Venetian glasshouse founded in 1921.
Inspired by snow globes, these hand-blown tumblers trap soft green and smoky grey bubbles within their bases. Designer Bela Silva gave each an intentionally irregular foot and bowl, with the set combining tall and short glasses in perfectly imperfect forms.
Part of Bitossi's ‘Diseguale’ collection, these mouth-blown blue and green coupes each feature a different surface texture, giving every glass its own character while maintaining a cohesive look. Dishwasher safe and designed to mix together, they lend a relaxed, layered feel to the table.
Not only are these vivid red tumblers hand-blown from 100 per cent recycled window and bottle glass, they are also produced using old engine oil as fuel. Inspired by the designer's love of sculpture, their bold, dimpled form departs from traditional glassware while having the added benefit of providing a comfortable grip.
Inspired by 1920s New York jazz clubs, these borosilicate martini glasses reinterpret vintage silhouettes with colour-blocked stems. Each set pairs two deliberately mismatched colours for a ‘better together’ effect, and comes with stainless steel garnish skewers for olives or citrus twists.
Finished with a delicate iridescence, these crystal highball glasses from Villeroy & Boch's ‘Like Pearl’ collection add a blush of colour to the liquid within. As practical as they are decorative, they’re dishwasher safe and designed for both occasions and everyday use.