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Chandeliers

Schonbek: Beyond Lighting

Filed under: Decor

Schonbek has been nominated for the Luxist Awards in the lighting category.

Adolf Schonbek started it all as a young man in Bohemia in the year 1870 when he walked away from his family's glassworks business and struck out on his own. His chandeliers quickly grew in popularity, including commissions for Buckingham Palace and the White House. Years went by and the Schonbek name became famous for its crystal chandeliers, although eventually the European factories were lost to the Nazis and Communists and were relocated first to Montreal and later the United States.

Schonbek was acquired by Swarovski in 2007, melding Swarovski's exquisitely cut crystal with Schonbek's masterful chandelier design and manufacturing techniques. The resulting chandeliers are beautiful beyond measure and timeless in their appeal, and surprisingly at home among almost any decor or style. The Schonbek website has a decorating game that allows you to see how the entire feel of a room can be altered simply by changing the chandelier, and how they can enhance everything form an elegant architectural foyer to a cozy country bedroom.

If you're interested in seeing or buying Schonbek for yourself just send them an email and they'll connect you with a showroom near you.

Jean Perzel: Lighting Ahead of Its Time

Filed under: Decor

Jean Perzel is a nominee for a Luxist Award in the best lighting category.

Jean Perzel was born in Bruck, Bavaria in 1892. He began painting glass as a young child and at age 16 toured around Europe learning new techniques and methods. In 1923, after many years of working and studying, Jean Perzel settled in France and began to specialize in modern interior lighting designs. Perzel is credited with being the first to design exceptionally modern lighting pieces, as well as being one of the very first to focus on the options and possibilities of electricity as well as the various effects that could be achieved with different glass treatments. He is perhaps most well known for his strikingly simple designs that are based in science and logic, and that stand the test of time without appearing old or dated.

In 1933 Jean Perzel began tutoring his nephew, François Raidt, in the fine arts of optics and lighting and eventually handed over the business to him 1951. Jean Perzel lighting, as it exists today, is under the management of François Raidt's son Oliver Raidt and offers a wide array of contemporary but timeless lighting options that hold true to the original influences of Perzel. Sconces, floor lamps, outdoor options, and even lighted pedestal tables make up their current offerings, all available in your choice of size and color/finish. Order a catalog here.

Chandeliers from Tracy Porter

Filed under: Decor

Tracy Porter Scarlet Small Six Light Chandelier, $663
Tracy Porter makes beautiful "jewelry for your ceiling."

In her video, which you can watch here, Tracy advises using a large chandelier to anchor an expansive room, then populating the rest of the room with smaller detail chandeliers. If you don't want to take Tracy's multiple chandeliers advice, a wall sconce is usually adequate and definitely the classic way to add additional light to a room where a large chandelier is the main focus.

Rubber Chandelier by Tobias Wong

Filed under: Decor, Art


I'm not sure if this Rubber Chandelier sets out to solve a problem (eliminating the breakability factor) or just strives to be unique and kooky. Either way, if you want a showstopping conversation piece for your home, voila! Designer Tobias Wong adds his personal flare to the age-old chandelier by encapsulating each crystal in an thick coat of industrial grade white rubber. My theory is why mess with perfection...and to me, chandeliers are pretty perfect, but I must admit this thing is kind of cool. I'm dying to know if it bounces. Rubber chandeliers don't come cheap, this quirky collectible will cost you $4,499!

Lotus Flower Chandelier

Filed under: Decor

Lotus Flower Chandeliers are created by artisans combining hundreds of hand-cut capiz shells edged in metal together into large pearl and smoke colored spheres. When lit from within the pendants shimmer and shine like stained glass and look equally impressive hanging alone or in a grouping. Two sizes (13" and 21" diameters) are available from Viva Terra for $329 and $629, and in keeping with their eco-friendly and sustainable stance as many supplies as possible are recycled and reclaimed in the manufacturing of the product -- plus the company recommends using an energy saving light bulb to illuminate your new purchase.

Pandora's Chandelier

Filed under: Decor



Crystal is beautiful by its very nature, so I don't know that anybody could argue that Pandora's Chandelier isn't gorgeous, but there's more here than first meets the eye.

Designed by Fredrikson Stallard, the Pandora's Chandelier consists of thousands of Swarovski crystals individually threaded on motorized wires. What starts out as a very standard and traditional silhouette is soon morphed into something smeared and messy looking, before it quietly returns to repeat the cycle all over again. A little abstract art blended with shimmering hanging Swarovski.

Rock and Royal Custom Chandeliers

Filed under: Decor

Rock and Royal debuted last fall at the the Millionaire Fair in Cannes, France and specializes in making custom chandeliers and mosaics for people across the globe. Their products are made with Italian glass mosaic and Bohemian crystal, and each is hand-crafted from scratch into a work of art. Their chandeliers are particularly impressive, sculpted into dramatic forms that you won't see anywhere else. Prices vary depending on the design and the level of complexity.

Click past the jump for a few more examples.

Dishwasher Safe Chandelier

Filed under: Decor

The vast majority of chandeliers do not get cleaned on a regular basis and with good reason: it is a huge hassle to take the thing down, disassemble it, clean each piece and reverse the process. It's a shame, because few things are as beautiful as light reflected through perfectly cleaned crystal. The Schonbek Da Vinci Chandelier could make the whole process much more convenient. It is the first ever machine washable chandelier. The spherical, crystal-covered org is built on a metal frame that separates into several pieces, allowing the chandelier to fit into a standard-sized dishwasher for easily cleaning. Sizes range from 10"-24" in diameter and you can opt to have the Da Vinci built with Swarovski Spectra crystal ($1,750 to $8,795) or Swarovski Strauss ($2,625 to $15,295).

[via NYT]



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