Friday, July 6, 2007

How do new crystal chandelier designs come about? Is Schonbek anxiously watching the market, trying to figure out what consumers want? Not precisely, although Schonbek is very sensitive to what’s happening on the home design scene and in the culture.

Actually, Schonbek is more interested in starting trends than taking signals from existing trends.

The ultimate goal is to offer you a truly new experience, something you didn’t even know you wanted.

Take Da Vinci™, Schonbek’s revolutionary dishwasher-safe crystal chandelier. Consumers were not clamoring for this product. They didn’t know it was possible to put a high-end crystal chandelier into a dishwasher. This utterly original idea arose from an utterly original design.  Andrew Schonbek was intent on making a perfectly round crystal chandelier, a chandelier that would not reveal its inner structure but would be as mysteriously and dazzlingly spherical as the full moon. After this was accomplished, the design team started wondering how the homeowner or her maid would go about cleaning it. This compassionate concern led to the thought of reducing Da Vinci™ to sections that could go into the dishwasher. And Schonbek did the engineering necessary to make this practical.

Rock crystal chandeliers are another example of Schonbek’s brand of creativity. Eileen Schonbek Beer, Schonbek’s creative director, used to collect minerals and quartzes as a child. She never got over her fascination with semi-precious gemstones. So one day she decided to share her enthusiasm with the world. Schonbek would bring back rock crystal chandeliers.

When I say bring back, I’m talking about a major endeavor. The rock crystal chandelier had become a museum piece, all but forgotten by chandelier-makers for a couple of centuries. Only the most knowledgeable collectors and museum curators even knew what a rock crystal chandelier was. Ordinary people walking through a museum, casually looking at a seventeenth-century chandelier, probably thought the crystal was dull with dust, when in fact they were looking at authentic rock crystal pendants.  In truth, a lot of crystal chandeliers in museums could use a good cleaning. But that’s beside the point.

The idea of present-day rock crystal chandeliers was so out of reach that Schonbek had to find its own source of the quartz. This called for an exploration on an international scale. The Schonbek explorer succeeded in his mission, and now Schonbek offers a varied collection of rock crystal chandeliers, both historic and contemporary styles. The category has come back to life, and all because of Schonbek.

Schonbek believes in creativity and invests in creativity. This is wonderful for the homeowner, because original thinking can be catching. When you bring home a Schonbek crystal chandelier, a design emanating originality, it inspires you to be more daring, to experiment with unusual combinations of colors and textures, to place beauty above all other considerations. And then something truly wonderful can happen with a room.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

“Wake up and smell the coffee” was always good advice. But “Wake up and see the chandelier” might be an interesting substitute.

Last night I watched fireworks with friends and family on our widow’s walk. Fireworks are the ultimate wake-up experience – between the colors, the whimsical compositions, and the noise. Naturally it occurred to me that a crystal chandelier is rather like fireworks, with explosions of color rather than sound.

I’m a person who gets lost in thought while walking, lost in a book while sitting around the house. Being lost is okay to a degree and for a while, but seeing and savoring your surroundings is important and can be quite delicious.

People who love decorating are really interested, I think, in this delicious sensation of expereincing the beauty of one’s own particular world. Your home is the one arena where you’re in charge of the visuals. You compose the scene that’s going to greet you when you snap out of a day dream or a worry fest. And if you design it well, maybe you’ll spend less time in a fog. Reality is so much more compelling.

I stopped by my mother-in-law’s apartment this noon, and she was totally engrossed in a book I gave her about Princess Diana. I could hardly get her to notice I was there. So I quietly turned on her Schonbek crystal chandelier (she doesn’t often switch it on in daylight). And sure enough, she smiled and put the book aside. She began telling me how she loves looking out her windows at the trees, loves gazing at her antique Persian rugs, and of course loves contemplating her crystal chandelier. 

For fireworks and drama, you can’t do better than La Scala, a chandelier densely trimmed with handcut crystal in classic shapes. My mother-in-law has one with just six lights, and even that modest size is quite spectacular.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007
There is nothing more classic, and anti-classic, than a black crystal chandelier. Schonbek has done a brilliant thing with Hamilton, by making it in several versions: one in clear crystal, one in black crystal – and finally a design that mixes clear, black and rock crystal.

The fun you could have with this just occurred to me.

What if you put a Hamilton crystal chandelier in every major space in your home, but each time it appears it’s a variation on itself? The first Hamilton you see might be in the lofty foyer, if you have a lofty foyer.  This is Hamilton as a classic all crystal chandelier. It has a graceful, formal feeling.

Then comes your living room or great room. Here you take the daring step of hanging an entirely black crystal chandelier (or two of them, depending on the size of the room). Even the crystal arms and column parts of this version of Hamilton are Jet Black crystal. This might be a black and white and red room. Or you might contrast the black crystal with dark rich colors.

Next, the dining room. Here I would hang a Hamilton trimmed with clear crystal, black crystal and rock crystal. Presumably people linger over their food and the conversation. You will never have to worry about conversation lagging with this crystal chandelier presiding over dinner. Guests can simply contemplate the mysterious markings in the rock crystal, or admire the glossy Jet Black crystal, or enjoy the prismatic light dancing off the clear crystal. At any dinner party, it’s nice to have something to stare at besides your plate or the person across the table.

I could also see hanging a black Hamilton in a bedroom because it’s so compatible with the idea of night. But Hamilton is not a small chandelier, even in its smallest size, so you’ll need a ceiling with some height to it.

Any authorized Schonbek showroom can help you figure out chandelier sizing. And you can also call Schonbek at 800-836-1892. Just have your room measurements ready.