Ideo and Swarovski reimagine the art of lighting

“Chandeliers are an icon of opulence,” says Courtney Song, a designer at international design firm Ideo. Indeed, hanging from the ceilings of noble palaces and McMansions, chandeliers feel today like a symbol of yesteryear riches. But Song and her team believe that Infinite Aura–a tech-enabled reinvention of the chandelier for famed manufacturer of glass bling Swarovski–will change that idea. “We wanted to push beyond the common assumption that chandelier owners are motivated solely by status and displays of wealth,” Song tells me via email, “and perhaps get to something deeper.”