Born in Venice in 1972, Leo De Carlo grew up surrounded by the reflections of water and the whispers of art history that fill the city’s canals. After graduating in Industrial Design from the Milan Polytechnic in 1998, he honed his aesthetic language in Paris under the tutelage of Philippe Starck, one of the world’s most celebrated design minds. Working across furniture, lighting, and interiors, De Carlo absorbed the discipline of industrial design while preserving a poetic instinct drawn from his Venetian roots. When he returned to Italy, he established his own studio in Venice—a city that continues to inform his creative vocabulary. For De Carlo, design is not merely about functionality; it is about evoking emotion through form, material, and light. His work embodies an ongoing dialogue between the precision of modern craftsmanship and the organic irregularity of nature—a theme that flows effortlessly into his collaboration with Arte Veneziana.

De Carlo’s Paganelo Console, created for the brand’s MELT Collection, captures this artistic synthesis perfectly. Inspired by the reflective nature of the Venetian lagoon, the console is crafted in molten glass—its surfaces seemingly alive with the subtle gradations of bronze and transparency. The handcrafted layers of baked glass, irregular edges, and delicate silvering evoke the play of light on still water, transforming each piece into a living canvas of reflection and motion. The MELT Collection, as envisioned by De Carlo, pays homage to Murano’s glass-casting tradition, while reinterpreting it through a contemporary lens. Every curve and tone of the Paganelo Console is a tribute to Venice’s most defining element—water—fluid, transformative, and eternal.

At its heart, Arte Veneziana remains a custodian of Venetian craftsmanship—an atelier where the legacy of glass engraving and mirror artistry is preserved through generations. Founded nearly fifty years ago, the brand continues to produce bespoke handcrafted Italian furniture that marries technical mastery with artistic soul. From its headquarters in Venice, the company collaborates with visionary designers and master artisans to create one-of-a-kind pieces that grace prestigious destinations such as Cannes, Las Vegas, Saint Petersburg, and private residences in New York, Moscow, and Baku. Every mirror, chandelier, and console emerging from Arte Veneziana’s workshop tells a story of heritage, precision, and passion—values that have made it a beacon of luxury Italian craftsmanship worldwide. Through its dedication to tradition and innovation, Arte Veneziana continues to transform interiors into timeless expressions of beauty and artistry.