Tris Ghiro

The founders of Ghirò Studio, Michele and Domenico Francesco Ghirò, draw their creative inspiration from flora and fauna, resulting in pieces as imaginative as they are refined. This father and son team is always looking for new forms and materials to use in their meticulously produced pieces. Each object begins as blocks of crystal and glass in intense colors, especially the shades of blue found in Mediterranean waters, which are carefully sculpted into ripples, waves, globules and other biomorphic forms.

Michele Ghirò was born in 1957 in Bari, Italy. He developed an early fascination with glass as an artistic medium. In his 20s, he moved to Milan, where he had a succession of jobs working with the glass, honing his artistic abilities and experimenting with its properties.

In 1996, he was hired by the renowned glass designer Giorgio Berlini and became owner of the company when Berlini retired. Often called the “King of Glass,” Ghirò decided to create an academy dedicated to his favorite medium in 2004, preserving ancient glass-making techniques through the teaching of apprentices. 

Domenico Francesco Ghirò was born in Milan in 1992 and showed the same artistic talent and fascination with glass as his father. As a teen, he worked in his father’s glass workshop, later attending a commercial art school, where he also learned computer graphics and design. His early pieces reflect his fascination with the art of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Later, he discovered the works of Max Ingrand, Gio Ponti and the lighting company Fontana Arte, which resulted in redirecting his creative focus toward modernist designs. 

In 2014, Michele and Domenico decided to launch a joint business venture,  moved to a more prominent location and named their workshop Ghiró Studio. Their first collaborative project was a collection of wall mirrors, which garnered immediate praise. Ghirò Studio’s works are prominently displayed in contemporary art galleries and stylish homes across North America, Europe and the Middle East.

On 1stDibs, find Ghirò Studio decorative objects, tables, lighting and more.

Whether burnished or lacquered, antique, new and vintage brass furniture can elevate a room.

From traditional spaces that use brass as an accent — by way of brass dining chairs or brass pendant lights — to contemporary rooms that embrace bold brass decor, there are many ways to incorporate the golden-hued metal.

“I find mixed metals to be a very updated approach, as opposed to the old days, when it was all shiny brass of dulled-out silver tones,” says interior designer Drew McGukin. “I especially love working with brass and blackened steel for added warmth and tonality. To me, aged brass is complementary across many design styles and can trend contemporary or traditional when pushed either way.”

He proves his point in a San Francisco entryway, where a Lindsey Adelman light fixture hangs above a limited-edition table and stools by Kelly Wearstler — also an enthusiast of juxtapositions — all providing bronze accents. The walls were hand-painted by artist Caroline Lizarraga and the ombré stair runner is by DMc.

West Coast designer Catherine Kwong chose a sleek brass and lacquered-parchment credenza by Scala Luxury to fit this San Francisco apartment. “The design of this sideboard is reminiscent of work by French modernist Jean Prouvé. The brass font imbues the space with warmth and the round ‘portholes’ provide an arresting geometric element.”

Find antique, new and vintage brass tables, case pieces and other furnishings now on 1stDibs.

As a practical focal point in your living area, antique and vintage coffee tables and cocktail tables are an invaluable addition to any interior.

Low tables that were initially used as tea tables or coffee tables have been around since at least the mid- to late-1800s. Early coffee tables surfaced in Victorian-era England, likely influenced by the use of tea tables in Japanese tea gardens. In the United States, furniture makers worked to introduce low, long tables into their offerings as the popularity of coffee and “coffee breaks” took hold during the late 19th century and early 20th century.

It didn’t take long for coffee tables and cocktail tables to become a design staple and for consumers to recognize their role in entertaining no matter what beverages were being served. Originally, these tables were as simple as they are practical — as high as your sofa and made primarily of wood. In recent years, however, metal, glass and plastics have become popular in coffee tables and cocktail tables, and design hasn’t been restricted to the conventional low profile, either.

Visionary craftspeople such as Paul Evans introduced bold, geometric designs that challenge the traditional idea of what a coffee table can be. The elongated rectangles and wide boxy forms of Evans’s desirable Cityscape coffee table, for example, will meet your needs but undoubtedly prove imposing in your living space.

If you’re shopping for an older coffee table to bring into your home — be it an antique Georgian-style coffee table made of mahogany or walnut with decorative inlays or a classic square mid-century modern piece comprised of rosewood designed by the likes of Ettore Sottsass — there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Both the table itself and what you put on it should align with the overall design of the room, not just by what you think looks fashionable in isolation. According to interior designer Tamara Eaton, the material of your vintage coffee table is something you need to consider. “With a glass coffee table, you also have to think about the surface underneath, like the rug or floor,” she says. “With wood and stone tables, you think about what’s on top.”

Find the perfect centerpiece for any room, no matter what your personal furniture style on 1stDibs. Browse a vast selection of antique, new and vintage coffee table and cocktail tables today.