In search of the perfect chandelier

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Found on pinterest

The decor of our new house will be a work in process for several years; we focused on the architecture during the build, and although we furnished most of the rooms to a certain level, for the most part we are taking a phased approach to decor and finishing off one room at a time.  I prefer to have fewer furnishings and fabrics that I love and are just the right thing, and add to the decor over time.  

However, we did purchase most of the fixed lighting as I consider it to be one of the 'architectural' aspects of a house.  Each light fixture was carefully considered for style, scale and proportion, and I love each and every light fixture that my designer selected.  The only major light fixture that we did not find was the chandelier for the dining room.  My designer felt that an antique would be best in the space, and we never really came across 'the one'.

So, until that happens, I will happily collect images and continue to dream about the perfect fixture for the space.  My ideal is to have a crystal chandelier in the dining room - the more crystal, the better. We don't have any other crystal fixtures in the house, and the tall ceilings (11'6") and architectural features of the dining room would make a nice large 'crystally' chandelier right at home. Image via Cote de Texas.

Interestingly, many of my favorite chandelier pictures come from Belgian homes, where the juxtaposition between the simple and the ornate seems to be a style of choice. The contrast of the farmhouse table and the crystal chandelier is just as appealing as the chandelier itself.  Image via Cococozy (see the full post here).

A massive crystal chandelier in a somewhat spare dining room in Belgium.  This is the crystally, somewhat over the top look that I love in a dining room chandelier.  Via Cote de Texas.

An antique chandelier seen out and about in Atlanta.

Maurice Chandelier in Atlanta is a wonderful source for antique lighting.  They have several French antique crystal chandeliers, such as the one seen in this picture.  This picture hardly does the chandelier justice, but it is lovely in real life.

If we go the new chandelier route, I have long admired the Daphne chandelier by Paul Ferrante (I wrote a post devoted to this chandelier in 2008).  The Ainsworth-Noah showroom in Atlanta had this chandelier on display, but it sold; I used to go visit it every so often, and actually miss seeing it.

The Dennis & Leen chandelier that was showcased on the cover of Veranda in September of 2010 makes my heart skip a beat.  The Jerry Pair showroom in Atlanta has one on display, and I often swing through just to gaze upon this pretty fixture. Image: Interior design by Melanie Turner.

After examining the pictures in this post, I realize that I like a combination of small strings of crystals combined with larger pieces (which is probably why the Dennis & Leen and the Paul Ferrante chandeliers are so appealing to me).  Blog posts are often the best way for me to crystallize (pun intended!) what I really like about something.

Although it would be nice to have a chandelier in time for Thanksgiving, when we plan on hosting friends and family for the inaugural use of the formal dining room, time and budget will prevent this from happening.  I must admit, however, that I often have just as much satisfaction in the search as the acquisition!

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