Above: The Cellula Chandelier by Nunzia Carbone and Tiziano Vudafieri in tandem with Swarovski distills the concept of a chandelier down to a single queue of exquisitely cut Swarovski crystal pendants. The crystals can be arranged as desired simply by shifting them from groove to groove along the aluminum rod. About $2,490 from Design Within Reach.
today’s chandeliers cast
their magical glow in
every room of the house
BY harvey marks
We’ve neglected chandeliers a bit in recent years, probably because, for many of us, they conjure visions of a grand ballroom with a massive crystal jewel gleaming in the center. In our own homes, a chandelier still is most likely to hang over the dining room table, a space many Americans avoid as lifestyles become more relaxed and informal.
If that’s your image of the chandelier, you really owe it to yourself to take another look. Today, chandeliers come in a wide variety of styles. These lighting fixtures still can be extraordinarily ornate, with designs featuring dozens of lamps with arrays of glass shapes to scatter light in complex patterns. But they also can be relatively simple and even whimsical to fit any decorating scheme, from the traditional to the ultra-contemporary.
What hasn’t changed is the role the chandelier plays. Whether it’s in the dining room, living room, bedroom, kitchen or anywhere else in the house, a chandelier is meant to be the centerpiece. It inevitably creates the tone for the entire room, adding a sense of drama and razzle-dazzle by casting a glamorous glow and adding instant sparkle. Put a chandelier in an entrance or grand foyer, and you’re setting the stage for your entire home.
CHANDELIER BASICS
Before getting into the aesthetics, let’s spend a moment considering the practicalities of choosing a chandelier. Given its importance in a room, a chandelier should be properly sized for the space. To calculate how big your chandelier should be, experts suggest you simply add the room dimensions together. For instance, if your living room is 12 feet by 16 feet, the number you get is 28. The proper size for a chandelier in that room is about 28 inches in diameter.
Other advice is to make sure your chandelier hangs at least 7 feet from the floor to avoid creating overhead obstacles for family and guests. Also, if windows are in the room, you might want to try centering the chandelier so it can be seen from the outside. And finally, if your chandelier is going over a table, decorators recommend that its diameter be about half the width of the table and that you hang it at least 30 inches above the table to avoid casting a glare in the eyes
of diners.
GLEAMING CHOICES
Homeowners will find a wide array of chandelier styles to suit any decorating scheme or personal taste, with prices ranging from highly affordable to astronomical.
Artemide chandeliers come in a full range of styles, from traditional glass and crystal fixtures to ones featuring space-age materials such as titanium. Terzani offers beautiful contemporary shapes that combine wrought iron and other metal finishes with exquisite hand-blown Murano glass from Venice. Occupying more affordable territory, Kovacs has contemporary chandeliers in sleek minimalist designs that feature materials such as chrome and brushed or satin nickel.
For the traditional minded, AXO Light offers stunning interpretations of the crystal chandelier, including one style that is literally a curtain of glittering strands that diffuse and refract the light to stunning effect. Murray Feiss, designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior lighting for more than 50 years, shows collections that reflect exquisite style. Schonbek crystal chandeliers turn any space into an aesthetic statement with lighting that features Swarovski or Strass crystal. The results give light an amazing, caressing quality that can make you feel as if you’re in turn-of-the-century Vienna.
For many of us, chandeliers evoke the glamour of a bygone era, but really they can be as formal or casual as you like. Just remember that when you choose a chandelier, you’re setting the stage for the entire room. So think of yourself as a director and cast the right lighting fixture for the part.
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RESOURCES
A.A. PORTER LIGHTING FIXTURE CO.
4555 Excel Parkway. Ste. 100
Addison
972.248.7034
DESIGN WITHIN REACH
4524 McKinney Ave., Ste. 103
Dallas
214.521.0100
www.dwr.com
EXPO DESIGN CENTER
Galleria
13900 Dallas Parkway
Dallas
972.934.2900
www.expo.com
JAMES R. MODER CRYSTAL CHANDELIER, INC.
World Trade Center
2050 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas
800.663.1232
www.jamesrmoder.com
LIGHTS FANTASTIC
4645 Greenville Ave., Dallas
214.369.1101
www.lightsfantastic.com
MELETIO LIGHTING & ELECTRIC
Multiple Dallas locations
214.352.3900
www.meletio.com
M & M LIGHTING, INC.
2620 Nova Dr. #B, Dallas
972.243.0611
www.mmlighting.com
PARK ROW LIGHTING
1500 E. I-20, Arlington
817.461.7111
www.parkrowlighting.com
PASSION LIGHTING
1649 W. NW Highway, Grapevine
817.310.3261
www.passionlighting.com
TERZANI
ww.terzani.com |
