Decorating your home in Biedermeier style by combining it with a Murano glass chandelier

"I'll tell you why it's a perfectly coherent choice. In my childhood, and still today, I always found that the most beautiful thing in a theater is the chandelier - a beautiful luminous object, crystalline, complicated, circular and symmetrical." - Charles Baudelaire

Today I will take you back in time; we will explore the history of Murano glass, hunting for precious designer chandeliers inspired by the Biedermeier style in a little-known Austro-Hungarian Venice, made up of enlightened intellectuals, heroes of the Risorgimento and an Austrian and German bourgeoisie who chose to affirm their personality with a new style of furniture.

The French Revolution had recently ended and, after over 1000 years of independence, on May 12, 1797 the Doge Ludovico Manin and the Maggior Consiglio were forced by Napoleon I to abdicate. Venice and much of the Italian peninsula were in French hands. With the Treaty of Campo Formio between the French and the Austrians, on 17 October 1797 the "Municipality of Venice" ceased to exist and the territories of Veneto, Istria, Dalmatia and the Bay of Kotor were ceded to Austria, which went on to form the "Venetian Province" of the Austrian Empire. Returned to the French with the Peace of Pressburg on 26 December 1805, it was then Austrian again until the Unification of Italy.

It is in this delicate historical moment that the Murano chandeliers fit into the Biedermeier style, which developed among the German and Austrian bourgeoisie between 1815 and 1848. Often defined as the "Romantic" genre for the essentiality and harmony of its forms, the Biedermeier Style was born as a contrast to the Empire style and its imposing and pompous lines, so popular in the 19th century, in favor of more sober lines and stripped of excessive frills and frills, perfectly in line with the simple life philosophy of German families in the first half of the 19th century. This stylistic change coincided with the new socio-political situation that wanted to distance itself from the events of the French Revolution and deprive the 19th century Bonapartism of any historical memory, and was fueled by the advent of the models of the industrial revolution, which promoted functional products, characterized by comfort, and easily achievable.

The autonomy of the municipality of Murano was confirmed under Napoleon, when it was recognized as an autonomous municipality also including Sant'Erasmo and Vignole. On the island, competition from Bohemian glass has become a problem and the economic crisis continues to rage. It was the master glassmaker Giuseppe Briati (1686-1772), although opposed by his fellow citizens, who imposed himself by adapting to the times: he took possession of the secrets of Bohemian glass and adapted its production to Venetian and Austrian taste and imagination, inventing the very famous chandeliers with multiple crystal arms, decorated with festoons, leaves and polychrome flowers, of which his only authentic and splendid example is exhibited at the Museum of Ca’ Rezzonico, in Venice. Even today, the genre continues to be proposed and produced in infinite variations by Murano Store.

Briati exceptionally obtained permission to open a factory in Venice, where he also produced carved frames and mirrors, as well as large table centrepieces and many other fashionable objects, including furniture inlaid with glass, managing to fit into the nascent Biedermeier style.

The protagonists of this period were masters and entrepreneurs who in Murano reacted to the crisis by implementing various strategies. On the one hand, they worked on commission for antique dealers reproducing classic models, on the other, they managed to recover the secrets of some types of precious glass that were difficult to produce and therefore had fallen into disuse. It was in these years that Lorenzo Radi began research on chalcedony and Vincenzo Moretti on murrino. Filigree workmanship was also rediscovered thanks to the bead maker Domenico Bussolin, followed by Pietro Bigaglia, who had already re-proposed the aventurine technique and inserted it into the lively polychromes of his thin-tube filigrees. Their works, of extraordinary quality and technical accuracy, have sober and linear forms, consistent with the Biedermeier taste in vogue in the mid-nineteenth century. However, it was from the 1960s that the Murano masters gradually began to try their hand at increasingly complex works, which would attest to their rediscovered, incredible ability, in particular in the works created for two new furnaces, F.lli Toso, specialized in antique glass and Salviati & C., capable of addressing the foreign market, especially English, German and Austrian, and of bringing to the universal exhibitions the most beautiful, light, colorful and virtuous glasses ever to appear on the market, obtaining an unprecedented success.

The Biedenmeier style yesterday and today:

Defined as "the style of the Restoration", the Biedermeier was a highly respected artistic movement that spread widely throughout Europe, to the point that even furniture was created in this style of the Vienna Palace built in 1822 for Archduke Charles of Habsburg-Lorraine.

The Biedermeier style introduced a type of functional furniture, with simple and geometric lines. No decorations or bronze ornaments, so present in Empire style furniture, the decoration was entrusted solely to the natural design of the wood or to refined inlays made with contrasting dark essences.

As for the figurative repertoire, military symbolism was banned in favor of naturalistic figures and geometric shapes, such as rectangles and diamonds. The Biedermeier style affected not only the production of furniture but also that of ornaments, fabrics, carpets and floral compositions. Biedermeier ornaments, silverware, tableware, crystal glassware and chandeliers are still in high demand today.

Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), an Iraqi-British designer, was known for her deconstructivist style. Although she did not work specifically with the Biedermeier style, she used Murano chandeliers in some of her more eclectic designs, combining modern elements with classic pieces to create striking interiors.

Today, the Biedermeier style favors simple, elegant lines; more minimalist contemporary chandeliers may work as well as classic ones. Typical Biedermeier colors are soft and warm, so chandeliers in tones such as amber, beige or white can complement them well. Biedermeier emphasizes functionality; chandeliers that provide good lighting would be appropriate. Some gold or bronze details may recall the metallic finishes often used in Biedermeier furniture. Simple geometric shapes such as spheres or cylinders harmonize very well with the clean lines of Biedermeier.

Murano Store offers a wide range of Classic chandeliers and contemporary, excellence of made in Italy that go well with a Biedermeier decor: merging Biedermeier elements and Murano chandeliers in a contemporary decor can create a unique and sophisticated atmosphere. This is why this combination is considered "cool" and attractive: with its clean lines and functionality, it will be easy to create an interesting play of contrasts with the complexity of the Murano chandelier. This fusion symbolizes the meeting of Central European simplicity and Venetian exuberance, offering an intriguing cultural mix, allowing you to create spaces that respect the history of design while remaining current and fresh. Here are some examples that the experts at Murano Store have selected for us:

• Cannaregio Chandelier: its floral design is perfect for complementing the natural motifs often found in Biedermeier fabrics. Choose a color variant in warm tones such as amber or beige to harmonize it with the typical colors of Biedermeier. Place it in a living room above a central round table to create an elegant focal point.
• Redentore Chandelier: The gold leaf inserts recall the gold finishes often found in Biedermeier furniture. The crystal and gold version is particularly suitable and reflects the brightness and elegance of the Biedermeier style. It could be placed in a dining room, above a light wood Biedermeier table. Oslo Chandelier: The milky white version integrates well with the clean and bright aesthetic of the Biedermeier. The delicate floral details recall the subtle decorative motifs typical of this style. It would be perfect in a Biedermeier bedroom, perhaps above a dresser with a mirror.
• Biancaneve Chandelier: the white flowers in glass paste will create an interesting contrast with the dark woods typical of Biedermeier, combined with the play of transparencies that will add a dimension of lightness to the more solid furnishings of Biedermeier. It could be used in an entryway or a small living room, creating a point of visual interest.
• Mimo Chandelier: The minimalist style of this chandelier could surprisingly complement the functional simplicity of the Biedermeier. An amber or transparent version might better integrate with the warm tones of the Biedermeier. It could be used in a Biedermeier study or library, adding or a touch of modernity without disrupting the period atmosphere.

In general, integrating these chandeliers into a Biedermeier environment requires a balanced approach. The best idea is to create an interesting contrast between the traditional craftsmanship of Murano and the functional sobriety of Biedermeier, while still maintaining an overall harmony in the environment. The key is to select colors and finishes that match the warm, natural tones typical of Biedermeier, and to position the chandeliers so that they become focal points without overpowering the other furnishings. In conclusion, merging Biedermeier elements and Murano chandeliers in a modern decor is "cool" because it creates a unique, sophisticated and meaningful space, which perfectly balances tradition and contemporaneity, functionality and beauty, simplicity and preciousness.

"What would our soul become without love? Similar to a magic lantern without light."

Goethe