Chinoiserie Silver Leaf Bathroom Mural
ChinoiserieKensington Gilders were commissioned to create a chinoiserie mural on silver leaf for a luxury bathroom in a private London residence. The brief was to transform a compact cloakroom into something truly special, using the walls as a canvas for a wraparound design of branches, birds and foliage on a luminous silver ground.
The walls were prepared with multiple coats of primer and sealer to create a perfectly smooth surface before the silver leaf was applied. We used genuine silver loose leaf throughout, applied with water-based size and then sealed with a protective lacquer to prevent tarnishing in the humid bathroom environment. Moisture protection is critical with silver leaf. Unlike gold, which is virtually inert, silver reacts with moisture and sulphur compounds in the air, and an unsealed silver surface in a bathroom would darken within weeks.
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Once the silver ground was complete and fully sealed, our artist painted the chinoiserie design directly onto the walls. The central feature is a gnarled tree branch that grows up from behind the basin and spreads across the wall, with smaller birds perched among the leaves. The painting was executed in thin oil glazes over the sealed silver, building up the depth and detail gradually. The dark tones of the branches and birds contrast beautifully with the bright silver leaf, which reflects the bathroom lighting and gives the small room a sense of space and light it would not otherwise have.
Working in a small, fully fitted bathroom presented practical challenges. Access was tight, the basin and WC were already installed, and every surface had to be masked and protected during both the gilding and painting stages. But the result justified the effort. The finished room has been transformed from a functional cloakroom into a jewel-box space that makes an impression on every visitor.
