It is during long winter months in Nordic countries when days are plunged into darkness that the sun continually remains below the horizon. The Church Of Our Savior in Copenhagen, Denmark had to find a way to maximize their limited amount of light. It is a breathtakingly beautiful church. Like the city surrounding it, the church contains a quiet opulence. 

GILDING THE LILY

Although the term The Gilded Age was coined by Mark Twain, it is indicative of the newly minted wealth from industrialization and mining who could afford great quantities of the leaf.

Period rooms at the MET museum show off how the wealthy lived and made the most of limited light. We see other examples of these reflective surfaces in gilded furniture that designers of the day incorporated in their rooms. 

CEILING FIXTURES, SCONCES and GILDING from another era seem to soften illumination. There is something enchanting about these rooms. Since cell phone, computer and TV screens play such an important part in our lives we no longer need to light our interiors as evenly and strongly in those family rooms built a generation ago. Maybe now we go back and borrow the enchanting atmosphere from these Period Rooms.

Chairs at the Park Ave Armory Antique Show, GALERIA IL QUADRIFOGLIO