Of course you can go for an exact match. For example, The Rose in both chandelier and lamp mode. Designers have been avoiding matching for at least a decade, so now the pendulum is swinging back. Suddenly matching is the opposite of conventional; it shows a certain daring.

But near-matching is perhaps more sophisticated. A good example of this would be a Jasmine crystal chandelier with Keilah lamps. These are two distinct designs, and yet they have points in common.

At the heart of both designs is a huge chunk of icy pure optic crystal. Optic crystal is flawless, the stuff that optical instruments are made of. To get this big a piece of it that has perfect clarity and no bubbles is no simple matter. The crystal is differently faceted in the chandelier and the lamp, but still you have that imposing crystal sculpture as a focal point.

You can order a Jasmine chandelier in all clear crystal. But if you order it with Jet Black accent crystal, it’s especially compatible with a Keilah lamp. Note the glossy sphere of Jet Black crystal at the crown of a Jasmine chandelier, and the similar spheres at the neck and base of Keilah.

Clear crystal and Jet Black crystal are very chic together. If you lived with these designs every day, you might be inspired to dress in black more often, and wear rhinestone-studded outfits on occasion – as a comment on the Swarovski® rhinestones encircling the Keilah lampshade.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Milano is a chandelier with so many options in size, finish and crystal that you can customize it totally. We just added a lot of new Milano images to the website that illustrate the point.

When you install a new crystal chandelier, you can almost see it settling into your home. During the first few hours of its residence, you’re not used to seeing it there, and you may feel some trepidation about it. Is it too big, small, high or low for the space? Can you live comfortably with such a gorgeous creation?

And then it integrates itself with the décor in a mysterious process that’s mostly in your perception, but also has to do with how the chandelier mirrors the objects in the room and reflects and refracts the light.

Your choice of chandelier size, finish color and texture and crystal color helps with integration. Schonbek generally offers its major collections in many iterations. So if you have a cavernous great room, there’s a Milano perfectly proportioned for that situation. Same goes for a low ceiling, a long dining room, a spacious master bedroom, a walk-in closet – you name it.

As for finish options, all sorts of silvery, golden and coppery tonalities are available to you with a Milano crystal chandelier. And the finishes tend to combine or layer more than one hue, engendering a complex palette that can play to more than one color in your décor.

And then you have unusual crystal options. Clear crystal is always safe, always perfect. But if the room has a sunny feeling, you might consider Golden Shadow. Or for a silvery room, look at Silver Shade. These are subtle new STRASS® Swarovski® crystal colors with a definite fashion edge.

If you’re working with an interior designer, she or he will appreciate the ability to customize Milano. And any showroom carrying Schonbek designs will have a lighting consultant who can help with measurements and other matters.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Contemporary kitchens are particularly amenable to crystal lighting, because they often have gleaming surfaces and lots of light. A crystal chandelier, or an arrangement of crystal pendants, plays right into the shining, light-struck look.

We have a new kitchen setting on the website with Matrix crystal pendants. I worked with Eileen Schonbek Beer on choosing this photo, and she had some concerns about the emptiness of the space. No objects whatsoever on the countertops.

But ultimately we decided that the total lack of surface content was okay. The purpose of the room is to illustrate how Matrix pendants can support a color theme. It’s theoretical rather than strictly practical.

Matrix is part of the Geometrix® collection of high tech lighting. Most of the crystal chandeliers and pendants in the collection come in an amazing array of colors. These palettes are dynamic composites of STRASS® Swarovski® crystal. There’s a shimmering aliveness about these colors that's totally mesmerizing. Gazing at the crystal for more than a few seconds will have you feeling totally entranced. Just try it, if you think I’m exaggerating. A list of Geometrix® dealers is on this website.

Getting back to the clutter issue, I was just leafing through a decorating magazine and came across another kitchen with nothing on the surfaces. There are lots of people in the world who are pretty dedicated to eradicating clutter from their lives. They hide electronics and appliances inside cabinets and in other clever ways. They never leave dirty dishes in the sink or coffee cups on the table. I’m a little like this myself, even though I live in a traditionally furnished home, so I understand the mind set of a minimalist.

This extreme sensitivity to the purity and beauty of one’s personal environment can result in very impressive living spaces. And such spaces deserve the purity and beauty of crystal.