Selma Chandeliers

Bringing the Light of Murano to Selma

When we first encountered Selma in her abandoned state, she had exactly ONE remaining light fixture, a ceiling fan in the kitchen. The rest of the house was shrouded in darkness. One of the most fun aspects of bringing Selma back to her glory was figuring out what kind of lighting would work in each room. To us, there was one obvious answer to what kind of fixtures we needed: chandeliers. And who better than the glassmakers of Murano as the source of inspiration?

The island of Murano has been the home of the very best glassmakers in the world since 1291. Glassmakers of the 13th century were asked by the Venetian Republic to move their craft to Murano when they realized that having that many working furnaces in a city made mostly of wood would be extremely dangerous. Initially known for mirrors and beads, they soon became the pre-eminent makers of chandeliers. Artisans today still employ the same techniques to craft their amazing lights. It is almost a disservice to call them “lights” since they seem to glow all on their own.

My husband and I were fortunate to have visited Murano three years ago and designed a number of our chandeliers right there in their Venice factory. And while there, we watched in awe as an artisan made a custom vase for one of their customers. It’s an experience I will never forget and causes me to appreciate our Murano chandeliers so much more. Enjoy!