A superstar like the Canadian rapper Drake splashes out when it comes to his home. To furnish his luxury villa in Toronto, Drake appointed the Canadian interior designer Ferris Rafauli, who had something else in mind than gimmicky bling. Rafauli opts for old crafts and elegant materials. Which is where Vienna comes in. Because Rafauli decided on a crystal chandelier from J. & L. Lobmeyr. And not just any old chandelier but the most spectacular model ever designed by the traditional Viennese company – known today as the Metropolitan chandelier.

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A chandelier of superlatives

In 1963, Hans Harald Rath, the former managing director of the family company, designed the "Starburst" chandelier for the foyer and main auditorium of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Viennese chandelier, whose look is inspired by the concept of the Big Bang, now hangs in multiple versions in the New York Met, where it can even be seen from Broadway. Star designer Ferris Rafauli has now ordered the world's second-largest "Metropolitan" chandelier for Drake's villa from the Viennese glassware manufacturer Lobmeyr. With almost 20,000 cut Swarovski crystals, 86 bulbs, a diameter of almost four and a net height of about two meters, the "Starburst" now decorates the 13 meter-high "Grand Room" in the rapper's luxury residence.

And there's another quality product in Drake's villa: a concert grand from the Bösendorfer piano factory. The grand piano's extravagant design is by the Japanese designer Takashi Murakami.

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About J. & L. Lobmeyr:

The Viennese family company J. & L. Lobmeyr, founded in 1823 with its head office on Kärntner Strasse in Vienna city center, manufactures chandeliers in all shapes and styles as well as high-quality crystal glass, according to designs ranging from Josef Hoffmann to Helmut Lang. The company used to supply the Imperial Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, the Bavarian royal palaces, and numerous European dynasties.