Light that Energizes

ABOVE PHOTO: BRIAN BERKOWITZ FOR THE 1916 COMPANY

THE RECENTLY OPENED Radcliffe Jewelers (Philadelphia) showroom in Baltimore favors a sleek, modernist style. Now part of The 1916 Company (created through a 2023 merger between brands Radcliffe, Watchbox, Hyde Park and Govberg), the showroom needed its atmosphere to exude a comfortable, organic aesthetic while providing a dedicated environment to showcase luxury brands like Rolex, Cartier and David Yurman. Supporting this luxe tone is its lighting design which emphasizes both subtle and grand details.

PHOTO: ALAN GILBERT FOR THE 1916 COMPANY

As guests enter the showroom, its showcases immediately stand out through the use of lighting in color temperatures of up to 4500K, creating a shimmering glow from the illumination bouncing off gold and other metal materials. The color temperature varies in each display case and is tailored to its merchandise, according to Eric Lewis, Principal, E/Line Architecture (Baltimore), the firm charged with the showroom’s design. The variety of these temperatures is also meant to assist guests when navigating the different areas of the showroom. “We don’t want evenly lit spaces,” Lewis says. “[Evenly lit spaces] don’t provide a roadmap about where you want people to go.”

PHOTO: BRIAN BERKOWITZ FOR THE 1916 COMPANY

Technical lighting overhead was strategically layered, highlighting merchandise when it’s out of the case; it’s also used to accentuate the showroom’s architectural details and material textures. This diffused lighting warmly and subtly amplifies the space’s soft curves and organic lines that flow from the floor to the ceiling, inspired by the natural shapes of a tree, Lewis says. Furthermore, artisanal lighting fixtures are an extension to the nature-inspired motifs.

The strategically layered lighting design plays a crucial role in crafting a memorable environment for customers, according to Lewis, while also ensuring the jewelry is properly lit. “This is what we’re after in these types of stores – we’re looking for a punch,” he says.

Packing that punch, the Radcliffe Jewelers showroom treats guests to an interior that is sleek and modern, yet approachable and welcoming.

PHOTO GALLERY (9 IMAGES)

PHOTOS: BRIAN BERKOWITZ FOR THE 1916 COMPANY | ALAN GILBERT FOR THE 1916 COMPANY