Ulla Johnson x Cabana tableware is summer on a plate

Aug 09, 2023

When a room is nearly finished and all the major pieces of furniture are in place, there’s only one thing you need to make the space feel like home: an artfully arranged tablescape. “I love pieces that complement both indoor and outdoor entertainment areas,” says American fashion designer Ulla Johnson. “Taking inspiration from the lively flora of a summer garden, we’ve curated a capsule that does just that,” she adds. Codesigned with Cabana founder Martina Mondadori—the editor-in-chief of the cult-status magazine, and maker of a range of homeware inspired by the pages of the magazine—the collection marks Johnson’s maiden voyage into the home decor space.

“It was a very organic collaboration. We both admire antique fabrics, collect ceramics, and love to travel,” says Mondadori. “Right from batik textiles to lush summer colours, these pieces are the perfect representation of our current obsessions,” she adds. Among other things, the pair also bonded over their admiration for local crafts.

Several of Ulla Johnson’s runway collections have been handmade by artisans in India, while Cabana has employed something that Mondadori likes to call the “Craftsman ship Atlas” that brings together talents from across the globe. Case in point: The group of artisans from Tuscany, Murano, and Portugal that helped craft this capsule.

A medley of bohemian prints and delicate handcrafted flourishes engulfs the assortment. Pure linen tablecloths and porcelain plates doused in earthy floral designs; blush scallop-hemmed placemats and napkins with hand-embroidered surfaces; chartreuse-tinted Murano water glasses, handblown by Venetian glass makers; and a pouf outfitted in hibiscus florals from the Ulla Johnson pre-fall 2023 season. The pieces feel luxurious and familiar at once, kind of like your grand mother’s gorgeous tableware that was almost too pristine to touch, but was still laid out at every family gathering. “The collection is designed to feel beautiful but to be used often,” says Johnson. “I’ve always believed things made by hand carry an emotional weight.”