Thirty-some years ago, I spent my junior year abroad studying Danish and English literature at the University of Copenhagen. During the long, dusky Danish winter days, the lights of Copenhagen’s specialty shops cast an inviting glow out over the dim sidewalks. With idle hours to fill between university classes, I often succumbed to the lure of fine design and friendly European service, wandering from shop to shop along Copenhagen’s winding pedestrian streets. As I browsed through displays of colorful handcrafts, candles, flowers, and furniture, I imagined someday creating a welcoming haven full of well-designed products back in America
