Gold and Glitz: The Restored "From Louis XIV to Louis XVI" rooms in the Louvre

I've found a new favorite section of the Musée du Louvre. There's a lot to choose from and despite my annual membership I still have more ground to cover. But for now, I declare the newly reopened section entitled "De Louis XIV à Louis XVI" (From Louis XIV to Louis XVI) one of my preferred series of rooms to walk through during a visit.

These rooms had been closed for almost 10 years as a major restoration was underway. The $35.4 million (€25 million) bill was footed entirely by private donors, mainly by the famous watch manufacturer Breguet. The rooms reopened to the public mid-June of this year all sparkly "new" and lavish as ever.

The rooms start with period rooms in the style of Louis XIV and continue through to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. There is even some furniture and personal affects of Marie Antoinette's on display at the end of the collection.

I love the rooms in the Louvre that remind me that this museum was formerly a palace. The Napoleon III Apartments in the Louvre are my go-to when I want to get a dose of lavish French decor, and now this collection in the Sully wing is being added to that list.

Looking up at the cupola painted by Antoine François Callet (originally for the Palais Bourbon)

There's plenty to see in this gallery displaying over 2,000 pieces including housewares and lots of gorgeous Sèvres porcelain. The snuffbox below is one of my favorite pieces on display if that gives you an indication of the level of glitz I appreciate. If you're on board with me, go see this section while at the Louvre! 

There's a whole display of snuffboxes - I picked this one  (from 1738-1739) with all its diamonds and gold as my favorite

If you can't make it out to Versailles or just want to see more opulent rooms, head over to the Louvre! 

PLAN YOUR VISIT:

Musée du Louvre

75001 Paris

Open daily except for Tuesdays; Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: from 9:00am-6:00pm, 
Wednesday and Friday: from 9:00am-9:45pm

Admission: Regular admission for the permanent collection is €12 (as of August 2014) and is also valid for the  Musée Eugène Delacroix.

Free admission on the first Sunday of the month, October-March

The "From Louis XIV to Louis XVI" collection is located in the Sully wing on the (European) first floor (US equivalent to the second floor)