Sunday Favorites: Hand-Blown Glass from a Little Shop in Paris
This week I’m sharing a shop I’ve fallen in love with: La Soufflerie, a small, family-run glass studio in Paris. Every piece is mouth-blown by hand from recycled glass, and each one has those little wobbles and bubbles that tell you a person made it. They sent me a pair of dark brown candleholders and a vase in the most beautiful raspberry glass, and I’m so happy to show you how I’ve been using them for our Thanksgiving table.
Meet La Soufflerie
La Soufflerie is run by a husband-and-wife team, Valentina and Sébastien Nobile. Sébastien is a Swiss-French sculptor and mold maker who also teaches in Paris. Valentina grew up in Paris, studied art history at NYU, and spent years working as an artist and production manager in New York, Milan, and Paris.
They started La Soufflerie in 2009 after Sébastien noticed how few glassblowers were still making fully mouth-blown glass around Paris. Their very first collection was just four recycled-glass vases, which they delivered to local flower shops by bicycle. The vases sold out in a single day! Today they design every piece themselves, and many of the designs are named after family, friends, and their two children, Thibaut and Chiara. They also run a non-profit that supports glassblowers and keeps the craft alive.
You can see their home featured on Homeworthy right here.
How it’s made
This is the part I love most. The glass comes from things that would otherwise be thrown away: wine and beer bottles, old perfume bottles, and window panes, gathered from restaurants, hotels, and factories. It’s washed, broken, and melted down in a very hot oven, then blown by hand. The color is mixed right into the glass. Because everything is handmade, no two pieces are exactly alike.
A pair of Porta Candele in dark brown
The dark brown glass candle holders are about 8 inches tall and 4 inches wide, and I love them as a pair. Because each one is blown by hand, the two are just slightly different from each other, which makes them feel even more special side by side. They hold tapers beautifully and also double as bud vases. I can use them with a centerpiece on the dinner table, or they could hold a single stem of something foraged or from the garden. They come in several colors, including honey, turquoise, olive, green, light blue, dark blue, dark brown, and clear.
I’m using them on our Thanksgiving table with light pink checked linen napkins, brown ceramic plates on wood chargers, and I’ll mix in some persimmons for an earthy touch. Because the candle holders are so pretty in brown, I chose dark brown tapers that match the glass. I wanted the focus to stay on the holders, and not the candles.
Vase Lion in Framboise
This one stopped me in my tracks. It’s a cylinder shape, a little over 7 inches high, inspired by old apothecary glass, with two little hand-sculpted lion medallions pressed into the glass while it was still hot. The raspberry color is a little paler at the rim and deepens to a rich, saturated pink at the base. The glass is even prettier with light coming through it. It’s lovely with flowers, or with nothing at all. It also comes in light blue and clear.
For our Thanksgiving table, I chose TK branches. Can you imagine how beautiful cosmos would look in this vase with their different shades of pink and their looseness? I guess I will have to wait until next fall for cosmos.
Gift idea
These would make such a thoughtful gift for anyone who loves to entertain. A pair of candle holders with a set of tapers, or a vase with a few fresh stems, makes a personal gift you’ll use for years. The website also offers many beautiful items to choose from.
Visit or shop
If you’re in Paris, the boutique is at 7 rue de l’Odéon in the 6th arrondissement, near the Luxembourg Gardens. It’s open Monday through Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm, and Sunday, 12 to 6 pm.
You can also shop online at lasoufflerie.com. Duties and tariffs are included in prices.
Thank you so much to Valentina and Sébastien for sharing these beautiful pieces with me. I love knowing that each one started life as an old bottle or window and was given a new life by hand.
More Sunday Favorites:
Tales Family Edition
This year I’m bringing Tales to our Thanksgiving table. It’s a deck of 150 conversation cards made to get everyone sharing stories, laughing, and remembering together. You don’t have to learn any rules. Someone draws a card, reads the question aloud, and everyone takes a turn answering. It works for all ages. I can’t wait to hear the family stories it brings out over pie and coffee.
Danica Candles
Hand-dipped tapers made in Maine using a traditional Scandinavian technique. They have a 10.5-hour burn time and come in several colors.
Triangle Scarf
Now that I’ve discovered triangle scarves, there’s really no going back. And this is from someone who has quite a few Burberry scarves. Triangle scarves are so much easier to wear. I adore these from Alex Mill. I also have my eye on this Harris Tweed wool coat from Alex Mill.
Thin Velvet Ribbon & A Persimmon Salad
I’m using this thin brown velvet ribbon to make clove studded orange pomanders next week, and decided to use it to tie the napkins. I used an extra long length to tie each napkin beside a persimmon. Simple, but pretty! I never used to buy or use persimmons until I saw Kim using them. She made the most gorgeous persimmon salad. You can read her post here.
That is the most beautiful hand-made glass…I want everything. I will be sure to visit their shop when I am there in the Spring but it sure seems easier to just order online!
Your table is so lovely.
Hello Annie,
Thank you so much for introducing the brand La Soufflerie to us I love unique beautiful things and I just ordered a pair of candlesticks for my daughter and her husband for Christmas. Coming to California fingers crossed though I am sure it will be alright ! So nice to find things that are very special. Beautiful wedding presents too I am thinking….
In London Triangles scarves were everywhere. I found a lovely one at PIUMO london from a company called Eribe in Scotland which do Fair Isle ones. Great presents.
Lovely post Annie thank you, have a gorgeous Sunday xo
Ohhhhh, the Flynn Argyle is chic! I’ve fallen in love with triangle scarves this year too — scooped up a bright red cashmere one from Quince and an adorable leopard poly from Francis Valentine. I wore the red scarf yesterday with a thrifted Harris Tweed blazer 🙂
Now, the Alex Mill scarves — is that wool itchy around the throat?