Thursday, January 24, 2008
Everyone’s been so busy with follow-up after the Dallas market, that I’m just now hearing how the show went after I left.

According to our media director Judi, who was there till the last day, Schonbek had a fabulous show. On Friday there was no place to sit, and hardly an inch to move around. There were more people in the Schonbek showroom than in all other chandelier exhibits combined.

It was so busy on Friday that no one noticed the stock market plunge. Even on Saturday, when everyone had heard the news, when stocks were still somersaulting and analysts were making gloomy pronouncements – the world kept buying Schonbek crystal chandeliers in Dallas.

Reps and showroom owners are smart and have a very good feel for the shopping habits of people in their part of the country. The response to the new crystal chandelier designs on exhibit in the Schonbek showroom is suggestive. It tells me that design breakthroughs can make news and inspire spending even in an uncertain economy, especially in the area of home decorating.

What’s the first thing people do when they’re feeling insecure? Stay home. And home becomes the focus of whatever spending seems sensible. A beautiful home is an inestimable comfort when stock prices decline.

And by spending a little something on home décor, the homeowner is stimulating the economy. So it all works out. I’m happy to note that today the market seems to have corrected itself thanks to the Fed.

My idea of the ideal investment is a Schonbek crystal chandelier. It will enhance your pleasure in being at home. It may stimulate your social life, because a gorgeous home makes you want to entertain more. And its value doesn’t rise and fall. It may even increase the value of your house. There’s no real proof of this last point, but ask any real estate agent if it isn’t so.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
In the Dallas showroom I made an interesting discovery.

The showroom designer had placed some Rivendell lamps directly below a line of Scheherazade crystal chandeliers. They looked as though they were made for each other, although in fact, these are quite separate designs, conceived at different times.

Both, however, are composed of tiny crystal beads channel set like jewelry into intricate frames. The characteristic of Scheherazade is that it appears to swirl. And there’s an exotic cage-like shape to the frame. The frame of Rivendell, on the other hand, is suggestive of flowers and buds. But if you choose the same frame finish for both, the beaded look ties them together.

There are actually two Rivendell lamp styles. One is totally beaded, the “shade” being a continuation of the intricate body scrollwork. The other has a shade above a beaded body. Either lamp would look great with a Scheherazade crystal chandelier. However, the shaded Rivendell lamp only comes in two finishes, Jet Black or Antique Silver, and two choices of shade color, black or white. So you’d want to match the finish of your Scheherazade crystal chandelier to one of those. I believe the fully beaded Rivendell lamp offers a wider range of finish options.

I should also mention that there’s an elegant, torchiere-style Rivendell floor lamp that would also go beautifully with a Scheherazade crystal chandelier.

When you get into the realm of choosing matching or complementary chandeliers and lamps, it can be confusing. A major Schonbek dealer will have lighting consultants on staff who can help you make these decisions. They know the Schonbek product line, and they have considerable design expertise in their own right. They can advise you on the sizing of your chandelier, too, which is always an important question.

Schonbek has an FAQ page, by the way, on sizing of chandeliers. But as the copy says, it’s not an exact science. All the more reason to have the guidance of a lighting consultant at a reputable lighting store. Call Schonbek at 800-836-1892 to find a Schonbek dealer near you.

Monday, January 21, 2008

I’m still marveling over the Dallas show. One thing I did while there was to look in the windows of the showrooms of competitors. I’ll comment on one in particular, as representative of most.

No names, of course. Let’s call this competitor Company X.

Schonbek veils its windows somewhat, so that you have to come inside to see the collections clearly, and only legitimate reps and customers can get in. Designs new for 2008 are displayed out of sight towards the back of the showroom. This helps protect against knock-off companies, whose representatives skulk around the corridors attempting to invade showrooms at a moment when nobody’s looking – to snap photos of innovative new designs.

You can look right into the showroom of Company X. They make no attempt to veil their products because most are imitations of Schonbek products! They don’t have to worry about being knocked off, since they have no startling innovations to show the industry.

Company X sometimes buys fine crystal to hang on their chandeliers for purposes of marketing, but the outcome is not wonderful because of the crudity of the frames supporting the crystal. There is no exquisite casting, such as you see in the arms and scrolls of Schonbek cast chandeliers. And their polished gold frames have an unfortunate in-your-face shine. Looking at what competitors offer, I appreciated the subtlety of Schonbek’s finishes as never before.

I often write about the superiority of Schonbek design and the impeccable quality of the materials they work with. But on my tour of competitors, it came home to me how very true my copy has always been.

Schonbek designs have a refinement that’s evident in every detail of their crystal chandeliers. If I had to sum up in a phase what competitors demonstrate, it would be a sad lack of refinement.

If you happen to walk into a lighting showroom that doesn’t carry Schonbek, you might unknowingly buy what is really a caricature of a crystal chandelier. You won’t see these second-best chandeliers side by side with Schonbek designs, so the falling off of taste and quality won’t be as clear to see, especially to the untrained eye.

The way to avoid this disaster is to locate the showroom nearest you that has a large display of Schonbek crystal chandeliers. Schonbek has reputable dealers all over the country, and the world. Even if you have to take a long road trip or hop on a plane to get to a Schonbek dealer, it’ll be well worth it. For directions, call Schonbek at 800-836-1892 during normal working hours EST.