Gem frosted chandelier.
Bolle frosted linear chandelier.
Cristiana Giopato and Christopher Coombes in the cloud of Bolle. Photo by Jon Bronx.
Gem is a suspension lamp, in hand blown glass, made with “a lume” technique, expertise found in the Veneto region. The glass surface is available in both clear and with a “corroded” finish (pictured) appearing as moon dust coating.
Gioielli wall lights are sculptural appliques that are the result of the perfect balance between the metal structure, light setting, and precious gems located within. This collection is a direct reference and tribute to the painstaking work of goldsmiths.
Photo: Federico Villa.
If there’s one thing that can be said about , it’s that they are driven by passion. This palpable, all-consuming passion for design has seen them create some of the most awe-inspiring and original lighting collections we’ve ever encountered.
“Passion is our only compass,” explain the founders Cristiana Giopato and Christopher Coombes. “This passion pushes us to take the risk to choose new technologies, to create something unconventional not seen before even if at first glance you have the impression it belongs in your past. This passion keeps us alive!”
Based in Treviso, Italian Giopato and British Coombes are partners in both life and business. As a couple, they combine two different personalities, cultures and life experiences into work that connects the heart and mind. Their design studio and luxury lighting company has found its own language and its own fluid approach to design.
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Dewdrops are Giopato & Coombes’ brass and borosilicate glass collection. Cristiana explains the poetic inspiration behind this collection — “A midsummer night, when the sky was full of stars, Christopher and I were strolling in the park. Our attention was caught by small shining dots in the grass around our bare feet. They were simple dewdrops hanging from blades of grass, hit by the subtle moonlight. This ephemeral moment inspired us to develop a balancing mobile lighting structure that suspends dewdrops in the night. We were hit by the magic and beauty of the simplicity of nature, and our curiosity led us to create an abstract interpretation. The soft light of the dewdrops are supported by indirect light, emitted upwards by two spotlights, hidden within the brass cones.”
The duo speaks of their approach as “Dipping Future into Heritage”. They design in layers, merging the excellence of Venetian artisanal manufacturing with the most advanced light technology. A closer look at their creations reveals a complete obsession with details, which makes the object appear to float in space and time.
Although they already have an extensive range of ready to hang lights, their bespoke projects have seen them collaborate with hotels, restaurants and well-established brands, like Cartier. approach these projects with a focus on innovation, technology and vision, with the hope of stirring memories and emotions through their creations.
“The light turns on, and with eyes wide open, it feels like a daydream magic, like being children again.”
These are the words uttered by a woman who attended their first exhibition in London and saw their work for the first time. She was full of joy, almost in tears. This was a turning point in the duo’s career and set them on the path to frame their work through the lens of a ‘Supernatural Daydream.’
“We believe that light awakes your dreams, crystalizing time if only for a moment,” they exclaim. “We bring this phenomenon into living spaces, and we call it Supernatural Daydream.”
Supernatural Daydream is a special approach based on experimentation on the theme of light and the emotions it generates. In this project, the investigation encompassing precious materials and the latest technology, nature and magic, has led to the creation of a series of installations, and one-of-a-kind pieces that represent unexpected mutations that emerged during the development and reinterpretation of Giopato & Coombes’ catalogue collections.
Supernatural Daydream launched at Milan Design Week in 2018. Photography by Nathalie Krag.
During , Giopato & Coombes presented a collection that captured this very concept – was a series of installations, all one-off pieces that experiment with materials, form, technology, nature and magic.
“The fundamental inspiration behind the project is the marvellous Cansiglio Forest in the Veneto and the architectural suggestions that arise from the encounter between trees and vegetation,” explains the duo.
These pieces, which come in chandelier, wall-mounted and floor lamp formats, become undeniable showstoppers in any setting. The enviable love-child between sculpture and light fitting, these pieces leave the viewer in a state of astonishment. As the name suggests, the brass forms twist and turn just like a Supernatural Daydream with interwoven storylines and abrupt tangents. It’s hard not to feel just a bit of that magic.
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The lightness of the soap bubbles has become a metaphor for the immateriality of light. Bolle is a collection of lamps in transparent glass, where the illuminating brass bulb is suspending between the spheres, giving light to not only the space but also the curved surfaces, multiplying reflections to amplify the magical effect. The Bolle lamps are hand blown by local Venetian artisans using the “a lume” technique.
The Bolle Frosted inverts the perception of the translucent Bolle. Whereas Bolle plays with emptiness, Bolle Frosted work with the positive volume of the spheres, creating satellites that seem to grow and move together through the space.
Bolle chandelier features within the designed by Luigi Rosselli Architects and Alwill Interiors. See more of this project . Photography by Prue Ruscoe.
Cristiana Giopato with the Bolle.
Do you know how to win over a bunch of babies, toddlers or kids of any age? Bring out the bubbles – they l-o-v-e them. Watch as their eyes light up while they scramble around trying to catch or pop them. As adults, we forget the simple joy that bubbles bring, but the collection is a wonderful reminder of their lightness, ephemerality and interesting formations.
Bolle is a collection of lamps in or , where the illuminating brass bulb is suspended between the spheres. The lamps are hand blown by local Venetian artisans using the “a lume” technique.
“We had a client from Japan who wanted to decorate the house he was building for himself and his grandfather with our Bolle lamps,” explains Coombes. “He told us he and his granddad used to blow soap bubbles together when he was little, and that they still fondly cherished that memory. He was enchanted by the idea of having those evocative bubbles always present in his house, for his grandfather to enjoy. Stories like this are what inspire us and ultimately the reason why we choose to design.”
As a voice of the daydream shaped into sculpted spaces, Giopato & Coombes’ Moonstone collection echoes lunar landscapes and evokes moonlight poetry for our daily life, becoming primordial talismans bearing positive energy and ancient wisdom.
Detail of Moonstone’s textured surface, achieved with a new composite material developed by Giopato & Coombes that mixes marble dust and fibreglass.
, which we’ve delved into more detail , looks and feels very different from the rest. This time the supernatural daydream takes us to the Moon. The collection includes multifaceted pendant lamps that have been inspired by organic rock sculptures. The lamps come in shapes that resemble a horseshoe or an elongated or wide-faced dome.
“For this collection, the creative challenge, research, and experimenting with materials were particularly crucial,” explain the designers. “We started designing with the most refined material, Bone China, which is sculptural and tactile terms was wonderful but there were limits in shape and dimensions which we couldn’t accept. We remembered a dusty Venetian boatyard and the incredible handmade fibreglass workshops. We thought maybe we could retain the poetic presence of Bone China. Together with our local excellence and artisans, we created a new composite material, which mixes marble dust and fibreglass.”
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Cirque collection features lamps with slender thread-like structures in brushed brass, that change form to create infinite geometric compositions. The shape, reminiscent of circus gear, is interrupted by capsules that project continuous light. Each capsule, made in ribbed glass and refined brass, conceals light guides used in the automotive industry making it possible to connect the LEDs contained in the ends of the capsule, conducting the light along the entire length. Photo by Nathalie Krag.
Cirque chandelier at the Monograph Hotel in Tbilisi.
is made up of a series of playful pendants and chandeliers ranging from slender thread-like structures to more complex geometric compositions. Combining brushed glass and ribbed borosilicate glass, these pieces also use cutting-edge LED source technology.
Cirque Cascade suspension lamp is a dramatic yet sleek chandelier that merges several staggered pendant columns. The designers explain that the light “flows with the power of nature into the depths of space, overcoming darkness with a falling stream of light. Its playful silhouette, made of brass threads rushing into elongated glass capsules, smoothly cascades with the fluidity of water.”
For more information on Giopato & Coombes’ sublime collections, visit . Australian enquiries can be directed to . To find out about the dealers in your country, visit .
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