Thursday, January 25, 2007
Schonbek has a wonderful vision statement. It makes good reading and also explains why Schonbek products are so well made, and why Schonbek leads the industry with its crystal chandelier and other lighting designs.

“We will complement each other’s strengths,” it starts off saying, “and compensate for each others’ weaknesses.” This has so much humanity. It’s not pretending that everyone is perfect, but recognizing that even imperfect people can work together to give the world a deep experience of beauty. Humanity is what you need to create a crystal chandelier with a distinct personality, a crystal chandeliers evokes feelings of nostalgia, or love of home, or a sense of personal power. We’re really talking about art, and artists are complicated.

Here’s another nice excerpt: “We will have openness, unafraid plain talk and the sharing of information.” I’ve visited the Schonbek factory often, and that’s just what it feels like. Schonbek employees are not afraid to speak out, and because of that, ideas can flow, and the really good ideas are in no danger of being suppressed. This certainly contributes to the amazing generation of new crystal chandelier and lamp designs that never seems to stop.

And my favorite statement: “As all this unfolds, we will increasingly see our work not just as a job, but rather as a source of joy and adventure.”   This sense of joy and adventure permeates the Schonbek portfolio.

Mardi Gras, for example, is clearly a crystal chandelier born out of exuberance.

The elfin proportions of Florentine and its dainty crystal ornaments could only have arisen in an atmosphere of happiness.

And every Schonbek rock crystal chandelier is a tribute to adventure. Finding a source of gem-quality rock crystal was an immense challenge for Schonbek. And re-introducing this ancient quartz as a chandelier trim took a lot of daring. Nobody had thought much about rock crysal chandeliers for a couple of centuries. Schonbek had to educate the decorating public about the unique qualities of this rare quartz. You need to be in a very positive frame of mind to accomplish the things that Schonbek has accomplished.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

You may not want to put a crystal chandelier in every room (although it’s a shame not to), but you probably do need lamps in every room. So here’s an opportunity to bring a surprising source of beauty into your life: Schonbek crystal lamps.

I recently found out something very interesting about Schonbek lamps. Every Schonbek lampshade is made by hand.

Schonbek lamp shades are so beautiful and perfect, I never gave much thought to how they got that way. But now I know. They are anything but mass produced.

The variety of designs in the Schonbek lamp collection is amazing, and arises from the fact that every design is a highly individual creation.

Schonbek designs lamps working with a startling variety of crystal types: Swarovski® crystal, handcut crystal, colored crystal, rock crystal, optic crystal and Jet Black. The choice of crystal depends on the design intent. And sometimes a lamp will display more than one type of crystal.

Schonbek’s exploration of materials for shades is equally varied and adventurous, ranging from Dupioni silks to velvets to crushed taffeta to wildly iridescent fabrics. Some shades have hidden patterns, some an inner shade echoing the outer shade.

There is absolutely no standard shape for Schonbek shades. Rather you’ll see pinched oval shades, gathered drum shades, softly rounded square shades, sharply rectangular shades, cloverleaf shades, star shades, scalloped shades and many others I’m forgetting.

The level of detail in these lamps is a delight. Crystal body parts come together in incredibly rich compositions. And Schonbek indulges in all sorts of exotic trims for the shades: British braiding, suede ribbon, patent leather, velvet pinched with embroidery threads, to name a few.

So when you shop for a Schonbek lamp, allow yourself plenty of time in the showroom to enjoy all the nuances of the designs.

There’s really no excuse anymore for a lamp to be purely functional. Not when you can have an original lamp design by Schonbek. The ironical thing is that these charming works of craftsmanship are more functional than the more prosaic lamps on the market. Many Schonbek lamps, for example, have dimmer switches, giving you the choice of lighting your lamp for mood or for reading.

Monday, January 22, 2007

This is the last day of the Dallas trade show, and Schonbek has had a tremendous success with new crystal chandelier designs. No surprise to me. In my memory, every show is better than the last, because Schonbek never stops astonishing the industry.

All the knock-off artists will be running back to their factories trying to copy Schonbek’s new designs. But I’d advise you to stick with Schonbek, if you want your crystal chandelier to have parts that fit together, if you want a chandelier that’s got design integrity, and if you want to be sure that the crystal is top quality. Knock-offs are invariably knock-downs.

It’s interesting to think about this process of showing a crystal chandelier to the trade before you, the consumer, can have a look at it. The chandelier you see in the store has already passed a tough test. It’s appealed strongly to a retailer who is wise in the ways of decorating trends and intimately acquainted with the quality of manufacturing of every company in the lighting industry. Retailers like to invest in Schonbek crystal chandeliers, because Schonbek stands behind its product. Retailers also like being first with a new look, and they recognize Schonbek’s preeminence as a trendsetter.

When I look at a new crystal chandelier design coming together in the Schonbek factory, I often have the “falling in love at first sight” experience. And I’ve discovered that the people who work at Schonbek tend to fall in love with the product in the same way. I think this is because Schonbek crystal chandeliers have star quality.