Face It—Nothing Is More Cheerful Than These Glasses

Happy hydrating.

Rebecca Deczynski

Updated Sep 20, 2018 1:39 PM

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When a roommate broke one of knitwear designer Lindsay Degen’s beloved, one-of-a-kind drinking glasses, she didn’t mourn—she became a woman on a mission. “It sent me on a wild hunt to find them again—only to discover that Neal didn’t really make them anymore,” she says. “But with some coaxing, I was able to convince him to sell me a small batch. Now we work together.”

Glass artist Neal Drobnis never intended for his face vessels to take off. In fact, they were more of a side project, made with remnants left over from other projects around his studio. “Simplicity is bliss,” he says. “I needed a break from thinking about content and just wanted to make faces.” Each one is unique, as the glass-melting process can be a bit unpredictable, but that’s what gives them their charm.

The hand-blown pieces have their own personalities—and even names—that make them feel more like dinner companions than ordinary household objects. If something as simple as a water glass (or a shot glass or a bud vase) can put a smile on your face, we consider it well worth it. “I love seeing who identifies with each glass and hearing what they like about the one they picked,” Degen says. “It’s similar to how some people have dogs that look like them—a lot of people select a glass that resembles them.”