The introduction of Hamilton with Jet Black crystal was hard on me, because I would have loved to redecorate a room with a black crystal chandelier.

I find Genesis in its smallest size completely adorable, but two tiny New Orleans chandeliers got into my upstairs hallway before I saw the mini Genesis. (In any case, the New Orleans chandeliers are pretty wonderful there.)

And now I have to live without a Milano cast chandelier. The one shown on this website is two-tier and quite magnificent. I would go for a one-tier Milano, if I could have one, because it would be more appropriate for the modest size of my house.

Anyway , my one comfort is that you may have the ideal room for black Hamilton, Genesis or Milano, or you wouldn’t be browsing this website. It makes me happy to think of the lovely experience you’re going to have, living with a Schonbek.

A crystal chandelier is never a mere light source, but rather an object of contemplation. As you cohabitate with it, you find yourself looking at it often and getting totally mesmerized by the dance of spectral light off the crystal jewels. Milano exercises yet another level of fascination because of the intricacy of the decorative motifs throughout the fully cast frame.

Life is short, but there is a way to make it feel longer. And that’s by enjoying each and every moment as much as possible. Objects of beauty have a unique ability to fill the moment with delight. You look at them and ponder them, and time stands still. This will become a familiar experience when you possess a Schonbek crystal chandelier.

Thursday June 5, 2008
If your décor is whimsical and lighthearted, it may be just right for the newest Da Vinci™ LED chandelier.

Da Vinci™ is a perfectly round chandelier, and that sounds simple enough. But in fact the design comes in several iterations. So you may want to read the Da Vinci™ story, new on this website, to understand all your options.

The Da Vinci™ I’m thinking of now is the new LED-only crystal chandelier. In other words, this chandelier has just an LED mode, no halogen. The halogen mode in other Da Vinci™ chandeliers produces a dazzling white light, whereas the LED mode gives you a light show with shifting colors. You want the LED-only version for lots of dazzling color and a compact size.

The new LED-only Da Vinci™ can be as small as 10 inches in diameter or as large as 15 inches wide. It’s not really a practical light source, but rather a home fashion accessory made of color and light. I like the idea of choosing the very smallest sphere and hanging several in a grouping – all in a row or at different heights, depending on the room design.

Da Vinci™ LED is a mood-maker. It begs for your attention and focuses your mind on the lovely sensation of just looking at something beautiful. It helps you stop thinking busy obsessive thoughts that you could use a rest from. You can be alone with this chandelier with utter enjoyment, but it’s also the ideal accompaniment to a party. What could be more conducive to conversation and relaxation than a constellation of shimmering spheres of color suspended in a room?

Tuesday, June 3, 2008
We have a new Geometrix® section on the Schonbek website.

The new pages give a pretty comprehensive look at the multiplicity of designs in this collection. Since the introduction of Geometrix® high tech lighting a few short years ago, the collection has grown exponentially.

I find it fun to roll over all the designs and see the tremendous variety of shapes and crystal colors. Unfortunately it’s hard to represent the relative sizes of these designs on the Web, or even in a catalog. There are usually a number of sizes available in any given style. Geometrix® can be an enormous crystal sculpture, a tiny pendant or spotlight – or something somewhere in between. A Geometrix® dealer can help you figure out what will work best in your interior.

Helix is the only Geometrix® design that's limited to one size. But even this simple little swirl comes in dozens of crystal colors!

We have lots of video footage of Geometrix® designs, so when you find a design you like, be sure and check the video too. Because of their geometric simplicity, these designs lose a lot in still photography. The complex crystal colors have a lively, elusive beauty that you really must see in three dimensions. Seeing them live in a showroom is best of all.

Rooms designed with Geometrix® high tech lighting are showing up in decorating magazines all over the place. We have purchased some to display on our website. But many of the photos were taken by Schonbek. We plan to add more interior shots as the year goes on, so I hope you’ll check back periodically.