Saturday, January 19, 2008
I just got back from the Dallas lighting market. The market continues, but I only needed to be there at the beginning to see the new collections.

The Schonbek showroom is a paradise for lovers of crystal chandeliers.

I won’t talk about the new designs until they begin shipping to retailers. Suffice it to say that they are beautiful examples of inspired Schonbek design and exquisite Swarovski crystal. But I can talk about the many other remarkable crystal chandeliers on display in Dallas that you'll find right now in important lighting showrooms. These include Schonbek classics and new designs introduced in 2007.

I spent a lot of time prowling around the Schonbek showroom examining a variety of crystal chandeliers close up. This was a treat because back at the office, working day to day, I’m mostly looking at photographs. And there are many delicious details that can’t be captured by the camera, another reason for you not to be satisfied with looking at websites or catalogs. You really must visit a showroom with a large display of Schonbek crystal chandeliers, and lamps too.

Anyway, as I explored the Schonbek showroom in Dallas, I was stopped in my tracks by Olde World trimmed with Strass® Golden Teak crystal. It really is spectacular. I’d be hard pressed to choose between this and Olde World in clear Strass® crystal. The confident opulence of this all-crystal chandelier has ever been equaled.

There were two chandeliers I’d fallen in love with previously from photos that I fell even harder for in person: Renaissance and Hamilton trimmed with rock crystal and Jet Black crystal. Glossy black crystal, besides being gorgeous in its own right, is a wonderful foil for the imposing and mysterious beauty of rock crystal gemstones. I have no room for another crystal chandelier in my house, but if I did, one of these would be my choice

Bolero, the Schonbek all-crystal chandelier in fashion colors, was fun to see in all its hues. I was particularly taken with Bolero in Dusk, a crystal color that’s both rich and subtle and only comes across in person.

I’ll comment further on Dallas next week, but just one more remark.

I was looking at lamps with Andrew Schonbek and he suddenly announced, “This is my new favorite.” It was Deco 10459.  He’s had two other favorites before that I know of. I can understand how his heart might be captured anew every six months or so, because the Schonbek collection keeps expanding, and there’s always something new to love. Luckily there's room in most homes for more than one Schonbek lamp.

Again, the sleek, chic qualities of this Deco lamp have to be seen in person to be appreciated.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

We just put a video about Schonbek’s dishwasher safe Da Vinci™ chandelier on YouTube. This video was developed, actually, for The Shelburne Museum in Vermont and their edgy Chandelerious exhibit.

It’s one thing reading about a dishwasher safe crystal chandelier. But when you actually see it going into the machine, that’s pretty amazing. The crystal is so dazzling, you fear for it. But it’s perfectly safe because of how cleverly Schonbek has attached the crystal to the frame.

You can search for this video on YouTube as “dishwasher safe crystal chandelier,” or just “Schonbek.”

When I searched for “Schonbek” I also saw videos on a couple of million-dollar homes whose owners or agents include the Schonbek crystal chandeliers as major features in their write-ups.  The Schonbeks always tell me we can’t positively claim that the presence of a Schonbek crystal chandelier in your home will increase its value. But real estate agents all seem to think it’s true.

No doubt the Schonbek crystal chandeliers in these homes are magnificent, in scale with the architecture and design. But it never ceases to fascinate me that Schonbek crystal chandeliers exist not just for the rich and famous but for ordinary middle class people with modest incomes (like me).  It’s all a matter of style and scale. And fortunately (if you care about what trend-watchers say), mini chandeliers are in for 2008.

Schonbek is a well known trend-setter, as they have demonstrated with their collections of black crystal chandeliers, colored crystal chandeliers, rock crystal chandeliers and so forth. But Schonbek also designs for lasting value and beauty. Every trendy new Schonbek design is a classic in the making.

Monday, January 14, 2008

I refreshed my wardrobe a bit for the Dallas show. It’s a funny thing about clothes. They go out of style almost imperceptibly. You buy something you like, you wear it for a couple of years – and suddenly you realize that the cut is looking out of it.

This doesn’t happen with Schonbek crystal chandeliers. They don’t go out of style. They exist in a timeless realm, the realm of the classic.

You may rearrange or redecorate a room several times over, but you can leave the Schonbek crystal chandelier in place through all these upheavals. It  will just keep looking better as you refresh the room. I speak from experience. My husband is a great rearranger of furniture. And on top of this, we keep having to accommodate incoming family antiques, getting rid of less interesting stuff to open up some space.

Every time we update a room, we end up cleaning it and thinning out the clutter. The room acquires a wonderful energy from all this activity. Redecorating is a great mood enhancer. Psychologists ought to recommend it.

But getting back to your Schonbek crystal chandelier, which is hanging in the same place, but now feels newly exciting...

In designing traditional crystal chandeliers, Schonbek is working with materials and motifs that have stood the test of time. We will never tire of crystal pendeloques, crystal rosettes and rock crystal spheres. Ornate castings will never lose their appeal for lovers of history. And the acanthus leaf motif will always be with us. At the same time Schonbek loves to play with the fashions of the past to infuse them with new energy. It’s this creative playfulness, really, that keeps the classics alive.