We just reprinted the poster that goes out to people who request information about Schonbek. One side shows a large image of a black Hamilton crystal chandelier. The other side is a mini catalog with 52 small images of chandeliers.

I’ve got every Schonbek poster up on the wall of my office. That makes a line-up of five crystal chandelier blow-ups facing me as I work. Some people long for a window office. I have a two-window office, but I spend more time looking up at these crystal chandeliers than looking out the window. I’ve seen rain, wind and gloomy skies out my window quite often. But my line-up of Schonbek crystal chandeliers never disappoints. Each chandelier is a marvel of intricacy and harmony.

There’s Genesis, inspired by the Tree of Life, unfurling like a living thing, shimmering with luminous crystal droplets of every possible color. There are two versions of La Scala, one a traditional baroque cast-arm chandelier, the other an eclectic empire style. And there’s a Renaissance with its ornate frame and oversized faceted crystal drops.

All of these are photographed on a black background, because crystal really pops against black. But black Hamilton had to go on a white background, of course. Something about the way this crystal chandelier stands out against white makes you feel like it’s really in the room. Black crystal is luscious, a whole new experience of crystal.

Anyway, it pays to send for information. Just cruise around the website and request a brochure or two, or a DVD. You’ll get some spectacular literature on crystal chandeliers

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

I really am warming up to the idea of giving my mother-in-law my La Scala crystal chandelier. It’s already promised, of course, so I can’t go back. But I’m feeling better and better about it.

I’m developing the same level of excitement I experience when picking a crystal chandelier for my own home. Vicarious fun is as good as personal fun sometimes, especially when you’re gladdening the heart of someone you love.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder why more people don’t give crystal chandeliers as gifts. Spouses, close friends and partners are always racking their brains trying to think of spectacular gifts for their loved ones. How much more interesting a crystal chandelier would be than a piece of jewelry, for example.

Of course it would be risky to buy a crystal chandelier for someone without involving them in the selection process. A crystal chandelier is not something you can hide in the closet and bring out only when the giver arrives for a visit. The ideal way to give a crystal chandelier would be to take the object of your affections to a lighting showroom that carries Schonbek, and browse around together. Look at different chandelier styles. Examine crystal samples and finish samples, which a good Schonbek dealer with certainly have on hand.

Let the selection process take several visits to the lighting showroom, if that’s what’s required to make the recipient happy. Team decorating can be very enjoyable, and the pleasurable process of choosing the chandelier can be part of the gift.

This is one gift that will last a lifetime, and you can feel absolutely confident of the high quality of a Schonbek crystal chandelier.

You get the best of all worlds with a Schonbek chandelier. You can assure your loved one that it’s made in the U.S.A. No crude sweatshop workmanship. At the same time, a Schonbek crystal chandelier has a rich European heritage. Schonbek goes back to 1870 in Bohemia. Your gift of a Schonbek crystal chandelier will come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

So the next time a birthday or major holiday looms, expand your gift ideas beyond watches, jewelry and electronics. Go all out and give a Schonbek!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
I’ve decided to give my mother-in-law one of my crystal chandeliers, a lovely 6-light La Scala.

She just moved to a retirement home in our town a few blocks from our house, and I thought a crystal chandelier might help her make the transition. So far so good. She likes her new quarters, and we haven’t even hung the chandelier yet. The mere promise of a crystal chandelier casts a kind of glory over her apartment.

The chandelier will go into the sitting room and be highly compatible with her antique furnishings and old family photos going back several generations. She’s fortunate to be living in a building that’s on the historic register and has ten-foot ceilings.

La Scala has oversized crystal pendants in a variety of classic shapes. It’s alive with prismatic action because of the careful arrangement of  the different crystal pendants. Light becomes almost liquid, dancing among the faceted crystal gems and silky smooth drops. The finial crystal sphere feels particularly large and luminous.

I’ve been eyeing my chandelier with regret, frankly, every since I gave it away. It’s like continuing to date a boyfriend who’s switched his affections to someone else. But I will see the chandelier every time I visit my mother-in-law, and that will be often. And she’ll love it and show it off to her friends, which will be gratifying. And of course, by giving up this chandelier, I gain a room without a chandelier. In other words, I have space for a new one. A delicious thought.

We’ve put a lot of effort into fixing up my mother-in-law’s rooms, and it’s paid off. She seems quite happy. The influence of a beautiful space can’t be underestimated. It’s no wonder that monarchs in past centuries invested heavily in magnificent buildings and gorgeous furnishings. When dealing with disgruntled subjects, rivals plotting to usurp your throne, wars at your boundaries and so forth, it must have been a comfort to come home to marble floors, elaborate moldings and lots of crystal chandeliers.