“Chihuly-Style” Chandeliers

Born out of fire in Venice in the 10th Century, hand blown glass became one of the greatest arts of notoriety for Italy. Out of safety concerns for the city, and to help guard the secrets of the process, the furnaces and artisans were moved to the island of Murano in the 13th Century. Forevermore becoming “Murano Glass”. There it remains today, for tourists to see this ancient art still in practice. However, as the centuries passed by, Italy lost it’s hold on the secrets of hand blown glass and new artists emerged around the world.

When Dale Chihuly* began blowing glass in 1965, he began a journey that would forever revolutionize and mold the future of hand blown glass. When he stopped holding the blowpipe in 1976; his vision for the future of his craft was not lost – but became more focused. Mr. Chihuly’s large sculptures and installations have graced the greatest museums around the world and created generations of new artists inspired by his work.

In the last 60 years, millions have enjoyed the beauty of his work with it’s vibrant colors and grandeur which has made the “Chihuly-Style” become “The American Version” of glass blowing. It is impossible to describe these works as anything other than “Chihuly-Style” out of respect to the Father of this genre.

When Blown Glass Collective began creating Chandeliers, their story emerged from a natural progression. After years of working on Palm Beach with old world Italian Specialty finishes and Interior Design, they were designing a project with a client and could not find a chandelier for the foyer that fit the vision. That day, CaSandra created a rough sketch of a chandelier mimicking the ocean waves lapping the beach. She took the sketch to Basil, who had learned to blow glass many decades prior, and asked that he make this sketch a reality for the client. From there, Blown Glass Collective was born.

As seasoned contractors, BGC was driven from the onset to make their artwork into fully functioning, internally illuminated chandeliers. Their creations were only offered to their private design clients; not the general public. Constantly pushing the boundaries of Hand Blown Glass Chandeliers, Cascading Chandeliers, & Glass Installations, (and at the persistent encouragement of their clients and admirers) BGC finally began offering their work worldwide in the last 15 years. Still focused on working almost exclusively with residential clients, BGC continues to innovate and create completely custom creations of a limited number each year that grace the private residences of the most discerning clients around the world.

BGC often begins each new commission with a simple idea, a feeling, or a vision, but what emerges from the fire in the end, is a client’s dream becoming reality.