On my recent visit to Holland, sponsored by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, we ventured up to The Hague (Den Haag) for the Dutch Fashion Awards and some museums. Though it wasn't originally on the itinerary, everyone on the trip was dying to see the Escher Museum (Escher in het Paleis).

The museum is located in the royal Lange Voorhout Palace, and features well kept original fixtures as well as several rooms dedicated to showing what the winter palace of Queen Mother Emma used to look like. Since then, the legendary Dutch graphic artist who's still blowing our minds almost 40 years after his death has been moved in, and the juxtaposition of decadence and mind-bending art is surprisingly harmonious.

If you're taking a trip to Amsterdam, a 45-minute trek up to The Hague is worth it just to see the museum, which not only has a far more extensive Escher collection than any of us believed was possible, but which also features a stunning array of crystal chandeliers in almost every room.

The chandeliers, like the enormous "Rain Cloud" in the foyer (above), are all works by Hans van Bentem (1965), a ceramics and glass artist from Rotterdam who happens to have a penchant for designing elaborate and unusual chandeliers. How unusual are they? Check out the gallery for a crystallized firefly, shark, trophy, umbrella, seahorse and more. The Hans van Bentem chandeliers are an exhibit all their own, and have appeared in the museum's formerly royal rooms since 2003. This is the full collection:

This trip was paid for by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

Nominations have been received and vetted for the best-of-breed in lighting, furniture, antiques resource, dishware and glassware. The Luxist Readers' Choice Decor Awards will be awarded based on your voting.

Each of finalists for the Readers' Choice for the Best in Lighting is a leader in the industry. One is credited with founding modern interior lighting designs, while another creates sculptural masterpieces. A third produces lighting that radiates beauty from every angle while the crystal chandeliers of another have been sought out by royalty. Last, but not least, there's one which melds exquisitely cut crystal with its masterful designs.

The Readers' Choice for the Best in Furniture nominees offer a range of original artistry from simple and pure to the exotic; from traditional to the ultra-modern. Their creations are collected by connoisseurs and museums alike.

The Readers' Choice for the Best in Glassware for a Luxist Award include award-winning brands from France, Sweden and the United States. Each represents the finest of quality and artistry while offering the most exquisite of designs.

Nominees for Readers' Choice for Best in Dishware include companies that have been producing china for centuries. Two have roots in the Limoges region of France, the cradle of the French porcelain industry. One nominee is quintessentially English while two produce American classics. Dishware created by each of these nominees are owned by the who's who of world leaders from the King of Saudi Arabia and the Queen of England to the President of the United States.

Readers' Choice nominees for Best Antiques Resource include the most prestigious art and antiques fairs in the world. These fairs, which are international in scope, are annual destinations for serious connoisseurs, collectors and museum curators who are in search of the best. Each of these fairs have rigorous vetting processes in which the quality, condition and authenticity of each piece is carefully investigated.

Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of these categories. Readers' Choice Awards for Decor will be announced on October 31st.

Niermann Weeks, headquartered in Millersville, Md., is a nominee for a Luxist Award in the best of lighting category.

This family-owned and operated company was founded in 1978 by Joe Niermann and his wife, Eleanor McKay, both with extensive backgrounds in historic preservation. Niermann is the company's principal designer, while McKay is the company's chief executive officer. Their daughters are both involved with the business with Claire serving as vice president of operations and Eleanor in the role of vice president of merchandising.

Joe Niermann's design style is to extrapolate the traditional form within its historic constraints. The result is spectacular lighting that is a pure exercise in geometry.

Niermann Weeks' lighting is jewelry for the interior. Each piece radiates beauty from every angle and in every light.

More than 40% of the company's business is custom-designed to meet the special needs of professional architect and designer clients. Niermann Weeks features more than 600 standard designs with 500 finishes, available through to-the-trade designer showrooms in the United States and Canada.

Chandeliers range in size from a stately 20 feet tall chandelier suitable for display in the lobby of a hotel down to a more intimate 11 inch tall piece for a small boudoir or powder room. Prices vary from $1,500 for a standard design for a simple sconce to $36,000 for a larger piece. Customization increases the price. Each of its products are hand-crafted at the Niermann Weeks factory outside Annapolis, Md.

Niermann Weeks' chandeliers, sconces, lantern, lamps, and ceiling fixtures can be viewed on www.niermannweeks.com (including retail prices). Its products are available at major design centers in the United States, Canada, and London; on internet portals such as www.shopAD.net, and at many retail locations.

At Art Basel Miami Beach next month, renowned French champagne house Ruinart will offer a one-of-a-kind surrealistic sculpture by Dutch artist Martin Baas. Designed as the ultimate centerpiece for a champagne-lover's table, the artwork (detail above) was inspired by an elaborate 18th century Venetian chandelier. Constructed from clear Murano glass and silver, the piece was designed to appear as if a chandelier has fallen from above and is melting into the table, along with bottles of Dom Ruinart and specially designed flutes. The piece will be offered for sale at $100,000.

"Maarten's piece is all at once elegant, complex, delicate and powerful," says Ruinart's Jean Christophe Laizeau. "It is the perfect physical representation of the Dom Ruinart universe. We could not have collaborated with a more innovative and inspiring artist to express the stirring sensory experience of vertigo." Founded by Nicholas Ruinart in Reims in 1792, Ruinart was introduced to the U.S. in 1831 by Viscount Edmond Ruinart, and has been a favorite of conoisseurs ever since.

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.

Behold the John Pomp Infinity Chandelier.

John Pomp, a master of fine glass, lighting, and sculpture, utilized all three of his specialties to create this giant aquarium of light. Intrigued? You can see more of the Infinity Chandelier here on YouTube.

John Pomp runs a public access, educational, glassblowing facility in Brooklyn, New York called One Sixty Glass. He has designed an exclusive line for Tiffany & Co. and for Donna Karan, and created an installation at J. Crew's Rockefeller Center store in Manhattan.

The Atlantis Chandelier from Hudson Furniture is an elegant design from Barlas Baylar. The chandelier is a graceful cascade of nickel chain with a gloss nickel finish. The hanging down strands add just the right touch of modern chaos. The chandelier takes eight bulbs and is 42 inches tall. It is available by custom order and sells for $29,880.

[via Los Angeles Magazine]

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.

The immensely talented, couture jewelry design duo at Erickson Beamon, have created the most fabulous chandelier ever! This exquisite handmade work of art is called the Glam Rock Chandelier, and it looks like it belongs in a castle (it has in fact had a permanent home in a few museums). Completely covered with Japanese glass pearls and Swarovski crystals it still manages to look timeless and classy not gaudy. I adore it, too bad it costs $22,500! Available on vivre.com.

One of the biggest energy consumers can be those huge gorgeous chandeliers hanging in hotels, theaters and entertainment venues. Could LED chandeliers be an greener answer to big room-dominating lighting? Recently Meyda Tiffany installed the world's largest LED free-hanging chandelier at the Stanley Center for the Arts in Utica, New York. The Stanley Chandelier put out illumination equivalent to 720 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, but only uses power equivalent to 11 100-watt incandescent light bulbs for an energy savings of 98.5% .

The chandelier weighs 6,500 pounds and is 35 feet in diameter. It is made of steel, blown-glass and acrylic and is decorated with hand-painted blue and red glass diamonds that match the other lighting fixtures in the theater. The life expectancy of the LED is 50 years based on the Stanley's average reported usage.

Sure, chandeliers can add ambiance and mood to a room in an instant. Why not choose something that also serves as a conversation piece? The uniquely handcrafted Cloud Chandelier by Stonegate Designs is constructed from seventeen individually hand-blown glass fixtures which are meant to represent torrid movement. Personally, I would think a cloud inspired light fixture would embody a relaxing tone -- this chandelier is more reminiscent of a thunderhead! No matter how it speaks to you, for $4,700 this piece is certainly a work of art worthy of any grand room.

[via Luxury Launches]

It may look like intricately carved wood, but this magnificent chandelier is actually made from laser-cut aluminum, glass and stainless steel. Halogen bulbs illuminate faux candles and the result is a glowing spectacle that is surely fit for a mansion. If you don't actually have a mansion in which to hang this chandelier, you will at least need a very large room as the fixture measures 3 feet across. Suspended by aircraft cables and available in several colors , this made-to-order chandelier sells for $3,700.

Described as both organic and mechanical, this Calliope Luxury Chandelier is beautiful for sure. It's made up of rectangular pieces of artistic rippled glass clipped by 100% recycled aluminum clasps to form a multicolored glittering sphere. Definitely a modern design, even futuristic, although has an certain natural appeal also. Some say it looks like a flower bud about to open, although that wasn't my first thought. Available from Eleek it can be customized in a variety of colors and/or patinas for a truly unique lighting experience. $15,800

Not a chandelier for a timid room or for a timid decorator, the new Da Vinci LED Crystal Chandelier from Schonbek "puts on a dazzling light show." And it's no wonder, since it's both enormous (available in 3 foot and 5 foot diameters) and is made up of hundreds of Swarovski crystals illuminated by either halogen or LED lights from within. The different lighting options mean you can either have a gently glittering moon hovering over your party or (by switching to LED mode) bursts of brightly changing color instead.

It's gorgeous, but I'm sure there are few with a place to put it!


Via Trendir

This hanging chandelier light is definitely beautiful, but you also want to make sure you hang it somewhere where there's no danger of someone putting an eye out -- not a good choice to dangle low over a dining room table or buffet for instance. The Prospetto Lighting Creazione Collection consists of this lamp in a variety of colors (shown here in "fruit") as either chandelier or floor lamp styles in small, medium, and large sizes. Handmade of mouth-blown glass it looks like an explosion of party ribbons, perfect for a room that needs a touch of whimsy to lighten the mood. Priced at $8999.99 and up.