What is a crystal chandelier? There used to be a simple answer to this question, but no longer. The crystal chandelier has become many things, in large part thanks to Schonbek’s daring exploration of the form.

A crystal chandelier used to be pure and simply a symbol of opulence, the ultimate expression of bling. And it still is, if you want it to be. Schonbek can make you a chandelier as large and laden with crystal as your ceiling beams and the laws of physics allow. If you have a palatial estate and a Hollywood lifestyle, you almost owe it to yourself to have crystal chandeliers, and lots of them.

But a crystal chandelier can also be the opposite of bling. I’m thinking specifically of chandeliers dressed in rock crystal and other semi-precious gemstones. There’s no glitter at all with this type of chandelier. But you are bringing something rare and valuable in your life. See some beautiful examples on the Rock Crystal Chandeliers page of this website.

Schonbek also makes crystal chandeliers that create a mood more than anything else. They don’t say, “Look at me. I am a crystal chandelier.” They’re really designed to work with a certain ambiance, or a certain color palette.

Genesis is like this. The design concept is as strong as the crystal. The tiny crystal droplets embellishing the scrollwork are nothing like the dazzling pendants you expect in a crystal chandelier. And then you have that oversized rock crystal sphere at the finial point, so mysteriously moon-like.

Artifact is another example. It’s so dainty, so airy and nostalgic. The crystal shapes, from stars to fruits to teensy pendeloques, are engaging rather than imposing. If you tell a friend you have a crystal chandelier, they will not be expecting to see anything like Artifact. So Artifact adds another new dimension to the idea of a crystal chandelier.

Going back to rock crystal, look at Vendome. Is it even a crystal chandelier? Yes, because it has arms bearing candles. And yes, because it displays, sparingly but pointedly, the most fascinating crystal of all: ancient rock crystal. But Vendome is far from looking like the Queen of England’s crystal.

In this day and age, you can have your crystal chandelier any way you wish. Embrace tradition wholeheartedly, or leave all preconceived ideas behind.

Thursday, August 3, 2006

Home décor went though an unfortunate period when the idea of having a central light in a room went out of favor. You were supposed to have all these little decentralized lights. Then recessed lighting got big. Again, no central light. When I acquired my old house, it had several rooms with no wiring at all for central lighting. In order to have crystal chandeliers in my bedrooms and bathroom, I had to get the ceilings newly wired. But it was well worth the trouble.

The rediscovery of the crystal chandelier in contemporary times brought back the concept of lighting as a centralized focal point.

The wonderful thing about a crystal chandelier is that it breaks up the boxiness of a room, it invades interior space and brings it to life. You are really taking advantage of all your square footage. Put a crystal chandelier in an unexpected place, like a home office or small guest room, and the effect is very dramatic. A merely functional room becomes an enchanted space.

If you buy an old house, you’ll probably need to rewire it to accommodate all the family computers and home entertainment equipment. So while you’re at it, examine your ceilings. Consider where you might give yourself the gift of a crystal chandelier. For ideas, visit a really big showroom that carries Schonbek. Browse the crystal chandeliers and ask to look at their Schonbek catalogs. You’ll soon be evolving a quality-of-life enhancement plan that includes crystal chandeliers.

Monday, July 31, 2006

There’s a game on this website called Meet Your Mate that you might like to visit just for fun. It’s a kind of exercise in matchmaking between you and a Schonbek crystal chandelier.

We just added some new material to this section, so even if you’ve visited before, you might take another look.

I love writing the copy for this game. First of all because I get to study closely a particular Schonbek crystal chandelier and try to isolate its unique qualities, always a rewarding process. Then I imagine the person most suited to live happily ever after with the chandelier.

Since Schonbek has just come out with a lot of new crystal chandelier designs, I had a good excuse to write more pages.

To give an example of the process, see my analysis of the “Ready to fall in love” person. When I look at this crystal chandelier, I see so much to love: the hauntingly beautiful pendants of natural rock crystal quartz, the richly luminous olivine colored crystal and the exuberant shape of the chandelier (my favorite styling, from the seventeenth century). So I pictured a person very sensitive to beauty, and always on the lookout for deep experiences, as being perfect for this crystal chandelier.

Of course I’m in love with this chandelier myself. That always helps, when writing copy.

When it came to writing about the new black Hamilton crystal chandelier, I envisioned a very stylish individual who wears a lot of black, dines at restaurants with a sophisticated ambiance and might even prefer a black sports car to a red one. “Black is your color” seemed like the right thing to say about this person. This is another crystal chandelier I would love to own. I have no space for it, unfortunately.

Anyway, if you have a minute or two, switch to Meet Your Mate. You might just connect with your ideal crystal chandelier.