Chandelier Medallions

Dear Lynne,

I'm an interior designer and last week a client mentioned that you once told a story on-air about the secrets behind chandelier medallions ... can you re- tell? Joan, Santa Clara

Dear Joan,

It's a great story, and one you should certainly use to charm your clients! In a nutshell, the traditional dining room ceiling medallion is called a rosette or rose medallion, no matter what its shape. The reason is that the rose has symbolized silence and secrecy since the ancient Romans, perhaps even the Greeks. Remember the expression, "sub rosa?" It means in secret, or in confidence. Literally translated, sub rosa is "under the rose."

That ancient belief that the rose represents secrecy led to rose decorations on the ceilings of gathering places, as in dining rooms. That medallion was the unspoken command that all that was said there was to be kept secret.