Made in Maryland: Niermann Weeks’ mission is crystal clear [The Baltimore Sun]
By Susan Reimer, The Baltimore Sun | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"I don't really care for the crystals, one way or the other," said Niermann, though millions of them are stored in large paint buckets in the
But it is the crystals -- from tiny, man-made beads imported from the
The crystals give each piece a delicate and magical character. And because a chandelier can be seen from so many different angles -- from the side, from above, from below -- they give each of those points of view a different complexity and offer fresh surprises.
"I see the designs that come out of my husband and my children's brains, and I wonder, 'Where did that come from?'" says
McKay met Niermann while curating exhibits for the
The couple married, and she used her education in library science and history to gather the research that helped him ground his early designs. They moved to
"It was the early '70s, and the funding from the outside work was so much steadier," said McKay. She and her husband teamed with
"I didn't have a job when we moved to
When the business began in 1978, the partners were operating out of a
The firm relocated to
Meanwhile, Niermann's design business had grown to 35 people and the first-month sales reached
McKay and Niermann bought out Weeks in the mid-1990s and today, despite a rough ride through the recession, the
"We get knocked off a lot," said McKay, and the company has resorted to patenting some of its designs. But the flip side is, the company must "sign" each piece because they so closely resemble their European Classic (1770 to 1840) antecedents that they often end up in antique sales.
Niermann's designs are inspired by what he sees when he and his wife travel. He makes sketches, and she takes pictures. The curves in the dome of the Blue Mosque in
McKay calls her husband's chandeliers "architectural jewelry," and says that customers often save up to be able to purchase a luxury piece of lighting that will set the tone for a room, staircase or foyer.
"We are a fashion industry, there is no question about it," said McKay.
The chandeliers, along with the metal and glass tables and the wood furniture, are all crafted in the converted strip mall where about 50 employees, some former art students, bring their special craft to the fabrication processes. Most of the finishes are "distressed" in such a way as to appear that the mirrored surface or the ironwork has been rescued from castle ruins.
While both daughters participate in design,
"A lot of what I do is the engineering," said
She can also "shrink" the company's designs or "expand" them to fit a particular space. And she has the job of keeping track of all those crystals.
For example,
"My father doesn't care how many beads it takes. He just wants us to make it. But if you ever want to make it again, you might want to have a record of how many beads it took."
Eleanor's love for the family business is more ethereal. "A chandelier is dynamic. It changes from every perspective. You don't sit on it, you don't eat at it. It does something, and I love that we have a special little place in the industry."
Origins:
The line: Niermann and his daughters have designed more than 70 different chandeliers. It is their specialty, but the company also designs and produces tables, mirrors, chairs, chests and elaborate beds.
Where to buy:
About the series
At the end of the Revolutionary War,
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