About the service
I restore antique gilded wooden mirror frames as a complete craft process, not a quick touch-up: assessing the carved ornament, the gesso base, the gold leaf surface and the mirror glass itself as one connected object. Many old frames arrive with broken scrolls, missing acanthus leaves or corner rosettes, cracked joints and gilding that has darkened, flaked or been painted over with cheap bronze paint. I start with close photographic documentation, then stabilise the wooden structure, recreate lost carved elements by hand to match the surviving pattern, and rebuild the gesso and bole layers before re-gilding with genuine gold leaf using traditional water or oil gilding, matched to the original sheen and patina rather than left looking freshly plated.
Where the mirror plate itself has clouded, gone black at the edges or lost so much silvering that reflection is patchy, I can remove the old glass, clean or replace it, and re-silver it using a traditional wet-process technique so the new backing reads as an aged mirror rather than a modern one, keeping the slight warmth and depth collectors expect from a period piece. Beveled edges, shaped plates and irregular antique sizes are all handled individually rather than cut to a standard stock size.
Every commission begins with photos and measurements from you, followed by a written condition report, a cost and timeline estimate broken into carving, gilding and re-silvering stages, and progress photos at each major step so you can see the frame before final assembly. I pack and ship fragile gilded frames with custom internal bracing to prevent transit damage, and I am glad to advise on humidity and light exposure for long-term display once the piece is back in your home.
Where the mirror plate itself has clouded, gone black at the edges or lost so much silvering that reflection is patchy, I can remove the old glass, clean or replace it, and re-silver it using a traditional wet-process technique so the new backing reads as an aged mirror rather than a modern one, keeping the slight warmth and depth collectors expect from a period piece. Beveled edges, shaped plates and irregular antique sizes are all handled individually rather than cut to a standard stock size.
Every commission begins with photos and measurements from you, followed by a written condition report, a cost and timeline estimate broken into carving, gilding and re-silvering stages, and progress photos at each major step so you can see the frame before final assembly. I pack and ship fragile gilded frames with custom internal bracing to prevent transit damage, and I am glad to advise on humidity and light exposure for long-term display once the piece is back in your home.
