Friday, December 22, 2006
Thanks to the introduction of tiny crystal chandeliers, it becomes possible to use chandeliers in all kinds of unexpected ways. For example, see the new Decorating Game on this website called Exotic Sofa.
I realize there are people who don’t fuss much over a sofa purchase. But I’ve known people who spent years looking for just the right sofa. If you’re determined to acquire, or already possess, a spectacular sofa, you’ll want to give a lot of thought to lighting it.
The most obvious idea is a lamp at each end of the sofa, but why be that predictable? What if you have other chairs in the room ideal for reading, and the sofa is really just for socializing and adding a gorgeous element to the room? In that case, forget the lamps and consider hanging a tiny crystal chandelier at each end of the sofa.
You’ll have to accept the fact that crystal chandeliers won’t give you the greatest reading light. They’re there for the visual thrill.
With our sofa-centered decorating game, we show mostly tiny crystal chandeliers, but there’s also one crystal pendant from the Geometrix™ collection, called The Twist.™ This design comes in 20 different crystal colors, so you can tie in with almost any color scheme.
With the holidays upon us, you can probably expect to have rows of guests and/or relatives lined up on your sofa or sofas. So it’s a good opportunity to study your sofa situation and see if you’re happy with it. Are your visitors looking bored or restless? Would a couple of tiny chandeliers liven things up on the next big social occasion?
I really like all the suggestions for lighting in our sofa game. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but maybe I’d go with Mardi Gras. This crystal chandelier comes in a variety of exotic crystal color combinations. And Schonbek makes matching Mardi Gras lamps! So you could stimulate conversation on the sofa with the Mardi Gras chandeliers, and at the same time offer a great reading perch with a Mardi Gras lamp by a cushy armchair. There’s always one introvert in a gathering who would rather slink off and read a magazine while everyone else chats. I know, because that introvert is sometimes me.
Tuesday,
December 19, 2006
There’s
a new restaurant in town that has a Schonbek crystal chandelier
in the entryway, above a stairway going down to the cellar.
On the wall behind the chandelier is a whimsical mural of
a tree. Since trees and crystal chandeliers share a common
form, associating them visually is interesting.
Entryways
have a lot of heavy symbolism. Visitors form their first impressions
of you here. A signal of welcome is either sent or not.
In
centuries past, a monarch was only approachable after pacing
through many corridors and chambers forming an awe-inspiring
entry experience. Often these spaces were filled with crystal
chandeliers. But you can create a similar effect, in modern
times, with just one impressive crystal chandelier in the
foyer.
Getting
back to the new restaurant in town, it’s hidden down an alley
and in a cellar, unfortunately, and many restaurants before
it have failed in this obscure location. So I think they were
right to get a Schonbek crystal chandelier for the entrance.
It will be noticed and remembered. Happily, the food is good
too.
The
chandelier is quite large and very impressive. Yet I believe
it’s modestly priced. Schonbek does make some crystal chandeliers
for price-conscious shoppers. A start-up business, or a young
couple, can afford a Schonbek.
Many
Schonbek crystal chandeliers can be ordered in more than one
crystal type. You can save, for example, by specifying Venetian
crystal, which is molded rather than cut. The best thing to
do, if you’re out to make a big impression on a restricted
budget, is to talk with a lighting consultant at a reputable
showroom that carries Schonbek. You’ll get expert guidance
through the maze of crystal choices and style options.
If
your chandelier is a Schonbek, whatever crystal type you choose,
it’s going to be first quality within its particular category.
Some manufacturers mix first and second quality crystal as
a way of achieving a price point. But Schonbek only uses the
best crystal, no compromise ever.
Monday, December
18, 2006
If you have a taste for crystal fruit, there’s a Schonbek
crystal chandelier you must see: Adagio.
My friend Kileh just acquired one, and I had the pleasure
of seeing it this weekend at a party at her house.
No photographic images does justice to the lusciousness of
Adagio’s crystal fruit. I was surprised, studying Kileh’s
Adagio, at how very plump and luminous the crystal pears looked.
If you’re not lucky enough to have a friend who owns an Adagio,
you really should visit a showroom that carries Schonbek and
have a close look at this fanciful crystal chandelier.
Kileh chose Olivine and Topaz as her crystal color palette.
And I think she might have specified an Etruscan Gold finish.
I was so fascinated by the crystal that I forgot to examine
the finish carefully, but it had that look of old gold.
Adagio is an ideal crystal chandelier for playful decorators.
You can choose among a variety of finishes as well as crystal
colors. And because of this, you end up with a chandelier
that works perfectly with the tones and textures in the room.
In fact, because you can make Adagio so colorful, owning this
crystal chandelier may encourage you to go wild with color
with all your furnishings.
Adagio is rich in scrolls and leaves, as well as crystal fruit.
Whimsical, exuberant, lighthearted – these are the words I
find myself using most when I describe Adagio in copy.
It should be said, though, that you can compose this crystal
chandelier to be somewhat restrained. Note how Adagio
looks with Black Diamond colored crystal.
I just remembered I have another friend who possesses an Adagio.
She plays the harp and has other angelic qualities. She put
her Adagio in the tiny personal study where she practices
her music.
To judge by my two friends, people who choose this crystal
chandelier have a unique sense of personal fashion, a gracious
style of entertaining and considerable artistic talent.
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