Oggetti Brings Uncommon Home Design Pieces to Miami

A little quirky, very stylish and definitely contemporary – that’s Oggetti Design. Located in the Miami Design District, the showroom has everything from accessories to stellar Murano glass lighting.

Bath and home accessories
A full range of beautiful accessories are available at Oggetti, including special glass pieces made in  Murano, Italy, by master craftspeople. Examples are the iridescent vase with hand-pulled points on the bottom shelf,  and the Stix vase on the top shelf.

Far from a newcomer, Oggetti has been bringing contemporary design to South Florida since 1975. Founders Robert and Nancy Frehling, have traveled the world with a keen eye for great design, particularly when it involves Italian glass. Originally they owned a collection of local boutiques that focused on tabletops and accessories. When they connected with master artisans in Venice during their travels, the couple came up with the concept of Oggetti. After a series of fortuitous events, they were invited to the Philippines and have been collaborating with the artisans ever since.

Shagreen table
This exceptional table is covered in different colors of shagreen, the textured skin of a stingray.
Layered rattan table
The Showtime coffee table has a veneer that is a combination of rattan strips and coco twigs inlaid side by side, then covered with resin.

The Frehling’s daughter, Jennifer, helped build the Design District store into the lifestyle brand that it is today, now located in the 4141 Building. Over the past few years, Oggetti’s growth has been fueled by its furniture line, which boasts a wide range of materials such as wood, shagreen, and lacquer, says Jessica Martinez, showroom manager. Working with small studios, Oggetti showcases its own unique style alongside the major design lines it carries, including Alexandra Von Furstenberg, Ankasa, Bontempi, and DellaRobbia.

AVF Yellow
AVF redesigned its Treasure Boxes, using a sleeker and lower profile. The company also added color to the lids in a way that makes them appear to glow.

These luminous boxes are by Alexandra von Furstenburg, daughter of the famed dress designer. AVF offers luxurious, modern pieces made of acrylic. The AVF line of accessories includes trays, bowls, boxes and more. Sanchez says they are so popular with both designers and customers that she has a hard time keeping them in stock.

AVF close-up
The boxes can be used as accents, for storage, or as a vase. The lid can be used as a stand for the vase.

The pieces may look like they are lit from inside, but they are not.  Simply, the angles of construction and strategically placed color make them appear to glow.

AVF acrylic accessories
The collection includes trays as well as luxe limited edition bowls.
Acrylic tables
Von Furstenberg started her line in Los Angeles 2006 with acrylic furniture. Her designs are a modern, updated take on 1970’s design, a period when acrylic was considered the material of the future.

Virtually every piece in the store is a conversation starter. From the coffee table upholstered in shagreen (that’s the rough skin of a stingray, for the uninitiated) to the whimsical art pieces by Borowski, there’s nothing ordinary.

Style: "Agfa"
Italian artists transform humble paper strips into a remarkable orb light fixture.

The SATELLITE table lamp is Made in Italy. It is formed from from paper strips randomly attached to an acrylic substructure.  It is available in this brown tone and a birch shade.

Style: "Agfa"
Customizable in size, color and style, the Perle chandelier highlights a variety of complementary mouth-blown globes — no two are alike!

Murano glass is a design staple for the lighting at Oggetti. This is the large Perle chandelier, which has 51 mouth blown globes from Venice. The globes feature traditional Muranese techniques with a variety of color canes, some with a ribbed or “rigadin” surface.

Loop suspension glass light
Artisans have transformed venetian glass into this very unusual take on a suspended light fixture that is far more than just a chandelier.

The Loop Suspension is organic and unusual. The Venetian glass pieces hang from a chrome canopy.  It is available with clear or opalescent glass.

Style: "Agfa"
Who says Moroccan style has to be punched metal?  Here’s a sensational interpretation in glass.

The Fez Suspension chandelier is another beautiful Murano piece. The diagonal pattern is created with the traditional “rigadin” method which enhances light reflection. The handles, ribs, and finial are made with gold leaf. It is completed with antique brass hardware and black silk cord.

Vito Selma Coffee Table
This table by Vito Selma was featured in the Philippines Design booth at ICFF 2015 in New York.

The Geo cocktail table is a visual stunner by Vito Selma. The undulating wood is reminiscent of waves. Selma, a Filipino photographer and designer, made an appearance at Oggetti in Spring 2015.

Glass and chrome coffee table
This the Flash cocktail table. The glass top shows off the stacks of stainless steel blocks that form the base.
Accessories are extremely popular, including Oggetti's bath accessories like this acrylic tray, done in an undersea motif.
Accessories are extremely popular, including Oggetti’s bath accessories like this acrylic tray, done in an undersea motif.
Borowski Pavo
Oggetti carries many pieces by the Borowski Studio that are fun and light-hearted.  They would add a touch of fun to any style setting.

PAVO is a whimsical hand blown piece by the Borowski Studio in Poland. The Borowskis make creatures like chameleons, birds, armadillos, out of glass and rusty steel. Indoors or outdoors, these artworks are a fantastical addition.

Borowski frog
This is Borowski’s Frog.
Borowski Chameleon
Our favorite is this charming chameleon.
Hammered Copper Chair
Also from the Philippines, this table and chair are the perfect accent pieces for any seating group.

The back of the Bordeaux Chair features this stunning metal finish while The Cubica end table, both produced by Industria, features intersecting planes of metal. The table is hollow and the iron base metal is finished in Antique Bronze. The chair seat that upholstered in a cotton and poly fabric.

“When design becomes too common, it looses its cache,” said Greg Frehling, in a profile of Oggetti published in Worldredeye. Greg is the couple’s son and helped created Oggetti’s furniture line.

Oggetti’s collection certainly is not common and and in no danger of losing its cache!