Gold Furniture Design · 2024
Tau Murano Small Table
by Tulczinsky
- A' Design Award 2024 Gold Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Reflex SPA
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 514,621
- Verification code F55D4D97BE · Verify this award
About Tau Murano Small Table
Tau Murano is a small coffee table made of two blown glass elements joined by a thin metal band. The two-tone design gives the table a soft shape and a luminous appearance. The soda-lime glass is blown on a mold following the ancient Murano tradition, and it is then cut and ground by master glassmakers. The main challenge was to create a structure that is stable and reliable while keeping the lightness of the fragile glass. Tau Murano can be used as a coffee table, a bedside table or a decorative object in any room.
Situated within the distinguished lineage of decorative glass arts that traces from historical centers of master glassmaking to contemporary expressions of material virtuosity, Reflex Spa's Tau Murano Small Table exemplifies the continued vitality of artisanal craft traditions reimagined for modern interiors. The work presents a paired composition of small tables distinguished by their innovative bipartite construction, wherein bases of saturated aquamarine glass support upper surfaces of warm smoky topaz, the two chromatic registers united by slender bands of polished gold-toned metal. This chromatic strategy demonstrates sophisticated understanding of color temperature dynamics, positioning cool oceanic blues in productive dialogue with warm amber-grays to create visual interest that rewards sustained contemplation. The technical achievement evident in these forms speaks to mastery of blown glass technique, where controlled manipulation of molten material yields the soft undulations and organic asymmetries that distinguish handcraft from industrial production. Each piece maintains a squared footprint with generously radiused corners, a geometric vocabulary that balances architectural clarity with approachable warmth. The transparency of the glass medium invites viewers to perceive not merely surface but interior volume, creating a phenomenological experience wherein light itself becomes compositional element, captured, bent, and released through the material's translucent body. The graduated tonal values within each colored section, lighter at edges and deeper at centers, demonstrate the natural behavior of glass thickness and density, revealing the physical logic of the medium rather than concealing it. As functional objects, these tables propose an elevated relationship between utility and beauty, suggesting that everyday surfaces might serve simultaneously as vessels of light and color. One might consider how these pieces transform with changing ambient conditions throughout the day, becoming active participants in the luminous life of interior spaces.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This coffee table features two blown glass elements joined by a delicate metal frame. This creates a two-tone design with a soft shape and luminous feel. Named Tau Murano, it has a distinctive design that is as elegant as it is unique. The table is handcrafted using traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques passed down for generations. Tau Murano adds beauty and wonder to any environment through its one-of-a-kind craftsmanship.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 48 x 48 x 35 h
48 x 48 x 47 h - Tags
- glass, blown glass, handcrafted, coffee table, small table, side table, two-tone
- Production Technology
- The soda-lime glass is blown on a mold after collecting the glass mass in a melting furnace as per ancient Murano tradition. The glass is then cut and ground, and the base and top are joined by a thin metal band.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge was designing a structure that was sturdy and reliable enough to contrast a fragile material such as blown glass, yet still retain the characteristic lightness and brightness of the material.
- Project Duration
- The project was presented at the Salone del Mobile 2023
- Operation Flow
- Tau Murano can serve various functions in the home. It works well as a coffee table, bringing color to living areas. Tau Murano also makes a pleasant reading nook. Bedside tables are another option. For a focal point place one in the center of a room to encourage conversation.
- Research
- Reflex has always worked with blown glass and has developed over the years a certain competence.
However, as it is a very complex material and requires artisanal workmanship, many factors must be considered when designing.
It was crucial to rely on a team of master glassmakers who worked on the project from the beginning and created numerous prototypes before settling on the final model. - Inspiration
- Tau Murano was born from the long collaboration between Reflex and the masters who preserve the ancient traditions of Venetian glass art. It combines a coffee table and a decorative object, creating an elegant and nostalgic vibe that can be used to beautify any environment, without being restricted to a specific area of the house.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Domenico Zuin Studio Visus, 2023. Edited by Oscar Vecchiato Studio Visus, 2023.
Image #2 : Photographer Marco Zorzanello, 2023.
Image #3 : Photographer Marco Zorzanello, 2023.
Image #4 :Photographer Marco Zorzanello, 2023.
Image #5 :Photographer Marco Zorzanello, 2023.
Colors of Tau Murano Small Table
Get Tau Murano Small Table
Handcrafted Venetian Glass Furniture Collection
We craft extraordinary furniture where centuries-old Venetian glassblowing traditions meet contemporary design. Our award-winning collection features handmade coffee tables, side tables and decorative pieces that bring luminous Italian elegance to discerning interiors.
G0E26 ShopGrand Interview about Tau Murano Small Table
The Tau Murano was born from the desire to unite two worlds that I feel deeply connected to: the strength of Venetian craftsmanship and the clarity of contemporary design.Glassblowing is an ancient, almost meditative gesture. I’m fascinated by how each piece is born from a single breath, from an unrepeatable moment. In this project, I wanted to preserve that authenticity while placing it within a modern context, where the forms speak of balance and simplicity.For me, Tau Murano represents the meeting point between memory and vision — an object that carries within it the history of making, yet looks forward toward a more essential and conscious aesthetic.
The Tau Murano was conceived to evoke a sense of suspension — as if the glass could sustain itself, balanced between matter and emptiness. The idea of the metal structure emerged from this pursuit of lightness: a technical element designed to become almost invisible, a thread that connects while allowing the form to breathe.The challenge lay in finding the meeting point between aesthetics and stability. Careful work on proportions and joints led to a structure that is both solid and discreet, capable of supporting the two glass elements without interrupting their dialogue.Ultimately, the metal connection became the symbol of the project — a subtle detail that unites two opposites: strength and fragility, tradition and innovation.
Sustainability is not just a matter of materials or processes, but of values. Working with the master glassblowers of Murano means choosing a slow, human approach — where every piece is born from skilled hands rather than a production line. This, in itself, is a sustainable act: privileging longevity, quality, and the memory of craftsmanship.Glassblowing requires energy, yet it gives back objects that endure through time — not meant to be replaced, but passed on. In this sense, Tau Murano stands as a manifesto of cultural sustainability: a balance between respect for the material, care for the artisan’s gesture, and the desire to create something that lasts.
When designing, the focus is always on how an object can adapt to the real rhythm of life, not just to spaces. The Tau Murano was born from this idea of fluidity — a table that doesn’t impose its function, but allows itself to be interpreted.
The collaboration with the Murano glass masters was a process of mutual discovery. From the very beginning, we shared not only an aesthetic goal but also a language made of gestures, timing, and different sensitivities.During the prototyping phase, much of the work focused on finding balance between thickness, transparency, and form. Each attempt became a continuous dialogue between drawing and material — at times the design guided the gesture, while at others the glass itself, with its unpredictable reactions, suggested a new direction.It was a journey of small adjustments, of listening and respect — for the material and for those who shape it. The final design was born from this living relationship, where the precision of the project intertwined with the poetic imperfection of craftsmanship.
The chromatic contrast of the Tau Murano was born from the desire to give voice to light. In this project, color is not a decorative element but a language — it creates depth, shapes perception, and reveals form through the transparency of glass.The choice of a two-tone composition was guided by the idea of balance between opposites — warm and cool, matte and glossy, solid and void. The goal was to give the table a mutable presence, able to adapt to different spaces and engage in dialogue with surrounding materials and tones.In every environment, the Tau Murano behaves differently: it absorbs light, reflects it, transforms it. This continuous change is what makes it alive, never static, allowing it to integrate seamlessly into diverse settings while maintaining its own identity.
Receiving the Golden A’ Design Award for the Tau Murano was an important recognition — not only for the project itself but for what it represents: the possibility of uniting tradition and innovation without compromise.The future of luxury design, I believe, will increasingly move toward a rediscovery of authenticity. People are seeking objects with a soul — pieces that tell a story shaped by hands, time, and genuine material. In this sense, the award is a sign that craftsmanship, when reinterpreted with contemporary sensitivity, can still stand at the heart of the conversation about luxury.Hopefully, this recognition will inspire other designers to view tradition not as something to be preserved passively, but as a fertile ground from which new forms of beauty and meaning can emerge.
The starting point was the desire to redefine the perception of an everyday object like a table. The intention was for the Tau Murano to be more than a simple surface — to become a habitable sculpture, something that naturally unites function and poetry.The research began with observing glass itself: its ability to transform light and to change its presence depending on the environment. From there, we explored forms and proportions that could enhance that visual lightness without losing stability or structural coherence.The development process involved numerous prototypes, trials, and refinements. Each step brought us closer to an equilibrium between idea and material, between the artisan’s gesture and design precision. In the end, the final form seemed to emerge on its own — as a natural synthesis of research, intuition, and experience.
Every project carries a moment when things don’t go as planned — yet it’s often in that moment that something genuine emerges. With the Tau Murano, there was a conscious effort to leave more room for the unexpected. Glass, with its living and unpredictable nature, taught that absolute control can sometimes limit the beauty of the outcome.From that experience came a lesson carried into every project: design is not only about shaping forms, but about welcoming what the material and the process themselves wish to express.
The response to the Tau Murano after the Salone del Mobile exceeded expectations. What seemed to resonate most was the way glass — an ancient, symbolic material — managed to express something new within the language of contemporary design.For a long time, Murano glass has been perceived as decorative, almost fragile, more tied to tradition than to experimentation. With the Tau Murano, the aim was to restore its structural dignity, transforming it from a detail into a protagonist. Here, glass becomes an architectural material — one capable of supporting, reflecting, and giving shape to light itself.