Little conveys opulence more than gilt furniture, but restoring fading pieces is a challenge that requires exceptional skill, says Catriona Gray.
There’s something wonderfully opulent about gilded furniture. Symbolising good fortune and success, it has adorned the grandest of interiors ever since it was popularised in Europe by Louis XIV in the 17th century, when he built the gleaming palace of Versailles. Almost every surface was embellished and rimed with shining…
