HIGH STYLE : Vases by Venini

FROM THE ALTERNATING green and white bands of pietra serena stone in the facade of Sienna Cathedral to Venice’s barber shop-stripe gondola-mooring poles, Italian design has always had a sweet tooth. But nowhere else in the country does it approach the confectionery look of Murano, an island near Venice, where foundries produce ribbon-candy glass paperweights shaped like ice packs. In 1921, on Murano, Paolo Venini, a lawyer who wanted to return to the simplicity of stemware depicted in the paintings of Venetian Masters, founded the Venini firm. Over the years, Venini has commissioned pieces by some of the biggest names in design--Pierre Cardin, among them. These days, Venini continues the tradition by using such contemporary designers as Alessandro Mendini and Paolo Deganello.

Venini glassware is available at Tesoro, 319 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 273-9890; Diva, 8818 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 274-0650, and Inside, 1555 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, (619) 755-2802.