Remember that we recommend you put your crystal chandelier on a dimmer. This is really essential to access the full range of personalities your chandelier possesses.

A Schonbek crystal chandelier dimmed very low emits a subtle, silvery, liquidy light very soothing to a person with a headache or sensitive eyes, and very forgiving to a person no longer young.

To go even further, a crystal chandelier can be beautiful not lit at all. The crystal will pick up and refract any available light in the room – sunlight, moonlight or street light. This very delicate play of light has its own unique charm.

If you’re light-sensitive or light-adverse, I’d recommend you choose a Schonbek crystal chandelier richly laden with crystal. Then you’ll have the potential for achieving subtle luminosity with very little electricity. Examples might be Renaissance, Sophia or Olde World.

Another interesting way to go would be a crystal chandelier with wax candles.

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Why do people love Bagatelle? They really do, and I think it’s because this crystal chandelier is very like a bagatelle. Meaning something lighthearted and happy.

My online dictionary defines bagatelle as “a short playful piece of music.” The sort of thing that makes people feel good when they hear it.

Bagatelle is not heavily laden with crystal. And for this reason, the handcut crystal pendants attract attention. The very large faceted ones are particularly gorgeous. The smooth teardrops produce very interesting reflections that resemble the play of light you see on the contours of the lead crystal urn.

I have a weakness for crystal rosettes, and they pop up all over the scrollwork on Bagatelle.

Schonbek makes an especially charming wall sconce to match the chandelier. The raised flower on the wall mount is a delightful design element and relates very prettily to the crystal rosettes.

Bagatelle is elegant, not only in the sense of styling but also in the engineering sense of concise. Every piece of crystal is in precisely the right place to support the harmony of the design.

The design of Bagatelle is eclectic, and this makes for versatility. In the dining room this crystal chandelier looks quite dignified; in the bedroom it becomes highly romantic. I could even see Bagatelle in a somewhat dressy kitchen.

Monday, July 7, 2008
As I watched the July 4th fireworks, I thought of crystal chandeliers and the colorful behavior of prismatic light.

The owner of a richly trimmed crystal chandelier doesn’t have to wait for a national holiday to see a wild and wonderful display of light and color. She has that pleasure every day.

There are many types of crystal chandeliers, some subdued in their lighting effects and others positively explosive, with many degrees of brilliance in between. Your décor and your personality will inspire your choice.

But since I’m still in my fireworks mode today, let’s consider what chandelier you might choose if you’re going for fiery effects.

Among traditional crystal chandeliers, Olde World is inimitably brilliant. The crystal trim is extremely dense, and because the crystal is STRASS® Swarovski®, the prismatic effects will be superior to anything and everything else on the market. No crystal can compete with this crystal for sheer dazzle.

If your taste is more contemporary, Quantum or Plaza will offer you an incredible display of spectral brilliance designed for the twenty-first century. Again the crystal is STRASS® Swarovski®.

Da Vinci® is a high tech chandelier that seems to cross design categories. We’re seeing it in classic rooms as well as contemporary. But no matter where you choose it hang it, you’ll have a stellar example of fiery crystal effects.

And if you have a serious craving for color, you should look at Da Vinci® LED. This crystal chandelier puts on a spectacular light show with continually shifting tonalities. The crystal itself emits prismatic bursts of color, and then you have the color effects produced by LEDs as well.