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