Friday, October 27, 2006
A new book on trends by Robyn Waters just came out. It’s called, The Hummer and the Mini: Navigating the Contradictions of the New Trend Landscape .

There’s a fun chapter in this book that mentions the trend to tiny in crystal chandeliers. The author credits Schonbek for starting and fueling this trend.

It is certainly true that contradictory trends can co-exist quite happily. Opulent, oversized Schonbek crystal chandeliers continue to be in high demand, even as tiny crystal chandeliers stir up more and more interest.

Perhaps this is a reflection of the contradictory impulses and desires that often co-exist within one person. There are days when you might want a fancy multi-course dinner in a restaurant with a famous chef, and other days when you’d frankly prefer a pizza.

I think it’s interesting to design your home with different mood zones.

A large crystal chandelier over the dining room table always seems like a good idea, because it transforms the act of eating into feasting. In your den or home office, however, you might like a crystal chandelier that’s less outgoing, more provocative of deep thinking. Like a rock crystal chandelier. Maybe a tiny one like Roma. Or, if your office is spacious, a Renaissance with rock crystal and Jet Black crystal.

In bedrooms, I prefer tiny crystal chandeliers. But this may be because I have small bedrooms and modest dreams. A large chandelier can look magnificent in a bedroom and is good for people who dream big.

Most people put a small-to-tiny crystal chandelier in the bathroom, even if it’s somewhat large, and even if the other crystal chandeliers in the house are huge. The intimacy of the space seems to call for it.

I believe in tiny but personable crystal chandeliers for hallways. You’re transitioning from one space, and perhaps one mood, to the next, and it’s nice to be cheered on your way. Here’s a hallway, in the Beautiful Rooms section of this website, that’s unusually exuberant. The flower arrangement is far bigger than the chandelier.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

When Schonbek introduces a new crystal chandelier collection, or additional designs for a collection, I generally write a press release just for the trade. In other words, a press release directed to buyers from major lighting showrooms and to the trade press. This is early on in the process, some months before the new crystal chandeliers will appear in lighting showrooms.

I find it interesting to re-read these press releases, and see what we said in our first flush of enthusiasm over a given crystal chandelier design.

For example, I happened upon such a press release on Rivendell just yesterday. Rivendell certainly is a remarkable crystal chandelier, and merits every bit of enthusiasm our press release expressed.

This crystal chandelier is a highly original design and has never been successfully knocked off. It’s time consuming and challenging to make. The frame has an organic quality, suggestive of vines flowing and leaves and flowers unfolding. Thousands of tiny crystal beads are channel-set by hand like jewels in the intricate framework.

In this release, I quoted Andrew Schonbek as saying, “Rather than the crystal octagons typical of crystal chandeliers, we have employed the costly beads used by famous-name designers in the jewelry trade. One model of Rivendell displays 7,000 of these Strass® crystal beads.”

The release goes on to say, “Being spherical, these crystal beads have a greater refractive index and more facets than comparable octagons.”

I was struck by the image of a tiny bead being exceedingly brilliant. When you look at an especially bright star on a clear night, it has an intensity of brilliance and a shimmering quality that is perhaps something like the display of prismatic fire emitted by a single crystal bead in Rivendell.

I don’t think the images on the website do Rivendell justice. You should really visit a lighting showroom to see this crystal chandelier in person. It comes in a variety of intriguing configurations. There’s a matching Rivendell candlestick, which I love, as well as a candelabrum.

Rivendell also became available quite recently with a chic Jet Black finish. And if this appeals to you (it does to me), then you should note the new Rivendell lamp with a Jet Black finish.

Monday, October 23, 2006

This weekend my husband and I were in Montreal, and we did some shopping. My husband sometimes gets difficult on shopping expeditions, urging me to buy over-the-top clothing I’d never wear.

On this occasion, he came upon a sweater with a big crystal chandelier embroidered on the front. He got excited and insisted I try it on. I refused. I love having crystal chandeliers in our home, but I don’t want to wear one. There was a bit of a struggle, but we got out of there without trying on the sweater or losing our tempers.

The sweater came in several colors, all with the same crystal chandelier. The style was traditional. Not the sweater, but the chandelier. This shop caters to slender, trend-conscious women willing to take some fashion risks.

It’s interesting that an item of home fashion can pervade the culture to the extent that it ends up as a decorative element on clothing. In the case of the crystal chandelier, I supposed there are associations. Trendy women like to dress up and party. Houses with crystal chandeliers are dressy and great for entertaining.

What if someone put a sofa or a bed on the front of a sweater? It wouldn’t be a cultural icon. It would just be a bed or a sofa. But a crystal chandelier stands for things: prestige, elegance, extravagance, pageantry, romance. A crystal chandelier is fun on a grand scale.

When you own a crystal chandelier, you tend to see crystal chandeliers everywhere – in homes, museums, hotels, books, magazines, movies. I suppose my experience this weekend was just an extreme example of this phenomenon.