How to Style a Home Bar with Paul Nagel Crystal Glasses

There is a particular pleasure in pouring a drink at home for people you like. The ice, the slice of lime, the first clink of glasses: it is a small ritual, and the glass in your hand is a large part of it. A home bar does not need a dedicated room or a long list of bottles. It needs a tray, a few good glasses and a little thought. This week we are building one around a range we are very fond of at House of AnLi: the engraved crystal glasses of Paul Nagel.

Why Paul Nagel crystal belongs on the drinks tray

Paul Nagel glasses have the easy charm of a country house. They are made of fine crystal glass without lead or arsenic additives, and each one carries a classic pantograph decoration. The pattern is made in the traditional way: the glass is first covered with a coat of wax, the motif is engraved into the wax, and the fine decoration is then created in an acid bath. The result is a delicate, slightly old-world pattern that catches candlelight beautifully and makes even a glass of sparkling water feel like an occasion.

Two ranges sit side by side in our Glassware & Bar collection: Florentine and Lucca. They mix happily, which is exactly what a relaxed home bar wants.

The Florentine trio: longdrink, whiskey and champagne

If you choose only three shapes, make it these. The Florentine Longdrink Glass 300ml is the tall, cool one, for gin and tonics, iced tea and anything topped with soda. The Florentine Whiskey Glass 290ml is the tumbler: a whiskey neat or over ice, a negroni, or simply water on a dressed dinner table.

Then there is the Florentine Champagne Cup 270ml, a wide coupe that stands 14.6 cm high. It is the glass for a toast, of course, but it is also lovely for a cocktail or a scoop of sorbet at the end of dinner. One shape, three uses, and it always looks festive.

The Lucca glasses: for the end of the evening

The Lucca range adds the after-dinner notes. The Lucca Cognac 400ml is a generous glass for a cognac, an armagnac or a slow digestif, the kind you cradle in your hand while the conversation carries on. The Lucca Gin glass sits beside it with the same engraved pattern, so the tray looks collected rather than matched.

For atmosphere, add one or two Lucca Votives. They share the same pantograph decoration, and a small flame behind engraved crystal is one of the prettiest things you can put on a bar.

Styling tips for a home bar that looks effortless

• Start with a tray. A tray turns a few bottles and glasses into a bar. Place it on a console, a sideboard or the end of a kitchen counter, and keep everything within its edges.
• Group glasses by shape. Stand the longdrink glasses together, the tumblers together and the coupes together. Rows of the same shape look generous and calm.
• Mix heights. Tall longdrink glasses at the back, tumblers in the middle, coupes and votives in front. The eye travels, and nothing hides.
• Add one playful note. Engraved crystal is elegant, so let something else be fun. The Whistler coloured glass straws, a set of six, bring a flash of colour to a spritz or a lemonade.
• Bring in something fresh. A bowl of limes, a few sprigs of mint in a small glass, or a low vase of flowers makes the bar feel alive.
• Light it softly. Candlelight is kind to crystal. Dim the lamps, light the votives and let the engraving do the rest.

A thoughtful gift for hosts and newlyweds

Glasses are one of the few presents that are used for years and remembered every time. A set of Florentine whiskey glasses for someone who has just moved home, champagne cups for an engagement, or a pair of Lucca cognac glasses for a father who enjoys a quiet drink after dinner: each one is a gift with a long life ahead of it. Add a handwritten card and it is ready to give.

You will find the full Paul Nagel selection, together with stemware, tumblers and bar accessories, in our Glassware & Bar collection, and platters and bowls for the nibbles in Serveware.

Come and hold them for yourself at House of AnLi, #02-139/141, Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247933, open daily 9am to 9pm, or call us on +65 6235 3851. We deliver across Singapore.