Julie and I recently discovered that for the past two years, we've been collecting the same handblown bottles and bud vases that look unearthed from another era. And cost surprisingly little. I found mine at John Derian in NYC; she found hers at John Derian in Provincetown, Massachusetts. When I spotted Julie's lineup on her living room shelf, she decided to do some sleuthing.
Mexico? Morocco? It turns out the designs are the work of Paris glass studio La Soufflerie (translation: The Blower), which takes inspiration from ancient wares and uses recycled glass.
Above: Julie's collection of La Soufflerie vases.
Husband-and-wife team Sébastian and Valentina Nobile—he's a glassblower, she's an artist—founded La Soufflerie in 2007. "We are a group of artisans now," says Valentina. "We use ancien forms and techniques—we blow mainly sitting down using a clay oven—to make utilitarian everyday objects."
Shown here, a 7.5-inch-tall Blown-Glass Mendian, $55, from K Colette in Portland, Maine. La Soufflerie's designs are sold worldwide. In the US, they're also at John Derian stores (visit or write to inquire), HPF in New York City, and Patch NYC in Boston.
Above: La Soufflerie makes a series of blown-glass candlestick holders that also work as vases; go to the La Soufflerie vendor map to find retailers. In London, the glassware is carried by Ben Pentreath and the Conran shop, among others; Paris shops include Merci, Thalia, Stanislas Draber, and Winter Dreams.
Above: Blown Glass Florida Bottle, $35, from K Colette. "We're able to keep prices low because we only create our collections when we have enough orders," says Valentina.
Above: Blown Glass Piccola Bottle, $20, from K Colette.
Above: From the archives, a blown-glass and tinware candle lantern from La Soufflerie's Déesse (Goddess) collection.
To see the company's new milk bottle design, go to 10 Favorites from the French Scullery.
For US glass companies we have our eye on, take a look at Malfatti Glass and Deborah Ehrlich, both in upstate New York and Nate Cotterman in LA.
Go to 10 Easy Pieces for Our Favorite Everyday Drinking Glasses.
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