Through a Glass – Shiny!

Every so often, a designer will send me a review copy of something they have created. This may be an old friend sending me something new they’ve made, or a new (to me) designer, sending me something they hope I’ll take a look at (and maybe write about).

Generally speaking, if I like the product (and know the designer), it will rate a mention either in a general post, or perhaps as an addendum to a post I’m writing about the designer anyway. If it’s from a new (to me) designer, I’ll generally check out the store, or ask one of the blogging team to do that.

However, the review copy of this lovely punchbowl set designed by Vern Duncan from Duncan Glass Arts was a little different, as it didn’t come from the designer himself, but from Dellybean North of True North Designs, no mean designer of glass herself (nb – the centre referred to in the article, Salzburg, sunsequently closed down. If you like what you see – head for Delly’s main store!). Delly, knowing my love of glass wanted me to see and enjoy this. And I did.

To me, it screams ‘quality’, in the way that Dartington crystal does. It’s simple, elegant and wholly beautiful, and one of a select range produced for a small store – which I promptly zipped off to see.

The store is beautifully laid out, and keeps the same sense of being a high class environment offering a high quality product. Even the package picks up on this – and I had a sneaking amusement at the way everything is firmly branded as Made in Britain. It’s another example of a designer doing something really, really well, and building on that – rather than offering bedknobs and broomsticks too in the hopes of attracting more and more customers and, as Second Life continues to grow, I devoutly trust we can keep a place for the skilled specialist like Vern Duncan.

As for me, that punchbowl and its glasses should find a home in my Sky Everett sideboard but, being too lovely to hide away there, they’ll be coming out regularly for parties in my villa!