Baccarat Wins Luxist's Editors' Choice Award for Best in Decor
Baccarat, the French tableware, crystal and lighting company extraordinaire, is the winner of the Luxist Awards' Editors' Choice Award for Best in Decor.
Though it is nearly two and a half centuries old, its pieces are considered to be cutting edge. From its delicately gilded champagne buckets and champagne flutes in the emblematic Baccarat colors to its vases, knife holders and decorative objects---not to mention the exquisite crystal chandelier hanging above, Baccarat is an everlasting fantasy. A Baccarat piece is much more than just a valuable object---it epitomizes a certain concept of fulfillment and perfection.
A table laid with Baccarat is nothing short of a theater of the senses. As one Baccarat lover puts it: "eyes gleam with the sparkle of a thousand reflections". Whether it is wine, champagne or even water, when it is enjoyed from an exquisitely cut Baccarat crystal glass, it is an magical experience that involves all of the senses: taste, touch, hearing, sight and smell.
The Baccarat name is virtually synonymous with the word "chandelier". Indeed, Baccarat's beautiful chandeliers, candelabras, wall units and lamps symbolize the perfection for which the company is known. Its chandelier elements were first introduced in 1827 while its electrical chandeliers date back to the 1880's. Today Baccarat lighting fixtures are considered contemporary and cutting edge. Its Phillipe Starck-designed Zenith Darkside chandelier with its black crystal is off-beat and original while the "Our Fire" candlestick is an icon of Baccarat. Another iconic piece is the octagonal ruby red crystal ornament, which features in every Baccarat chandelier produced since 1997. Like a drop of blood or fire, the red ornament is the most refined of signatures.
The company's roots date back to 1764, yet virtually nothing about the company has changed since Baccarat was founded. Its crystal continues to be created out of the original 15-acre property in Lorraine, which is considered to be the most prestigious crystal glassworks in the world. Baccarat employs twenty-five "Meilleurs Ouvriers de France" ("Best French Craftsmen"), the highest number to be employed by any French luxury company. This is especially impressive as it takes 15 years to train a glassblower before he masters the crystal fabrication process---not to mention the many more years to develop the expertise necessary to create the masterpieces Baccarat is best known for.
