In describing my decorating style, the words elegant, sophisticated and refined would not be on the vocabulary list. Crystal and lace? Not so much. Think Early Dumpster. I really go for the stuff that's been beat up a little. Not even Shabby Chic really, more like just shabby. I like the kind of furniture that's improved with each bump of the vacuum cleaner. I keep waiting to get a bit more ladylike on the home front, but slightly chipping paint just steals my heart.
So it's a surprise to me when I simply go gaga over chandeliers - the more over-the-top the better. I was in bauble heaven when we attended the Romanian convention at the Stanley Theater in Jersey City recently. This theater built in the 1920's is full of amazing chandeliers and art deco lighting fixtures. If you love chandeliers, your neck will hurt after a visit to this place. They are stunning.
Back in the mid-80s I was visiting my brother in New York. At the end of the trip he said in an off-hand remark "Oh yeah, Jessie, if I had thought of it, you could have been one of the volunteers to help clean up antique chandeliers. We're renovating some building in Jersey and they were looking for people to polish up the crystals." I could have been a part of making those gorgeous things shine again after years of dust and nicotine? I've tried letting go of this, I really have. The chic in me forgave him but the shabby in me will never forget!
