The Goring Hotel Gold Leaf Gilding
Gold LeafThe prestigious Goring Hotel situated in Victoria London commissioned Kensington Gilders to completely re-gild in faux gold leaf the two main ceiling areas of the ground floor dining and bar area. Because the gold leaf was faux gold it was necessary to apply several coats of protective Robersons lacquer.
The Goring is one of London's last remaining family-owned luxury hotels, and holds a Royal Warrant, so expectations were high. The existing gilding on the ceilings had deteriorated over many years of exposure to kitchen heat and general wear, and the hotel wanted the ceilings restored to their original grandeur before the start of their busy season.
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Faux gold leaf, sometimes called Schlag metal or Dutch metal, is a copper-zinc alloy that closely resembles genuine gold in appearance but will tarnish and discolour if left unprotected. This is why the lacquering stage was so critical. We applied multiple coats of Robersons gold lacquer, building up a protective barrier that would prevent oxidation while maintaining the warm lustre of the leaf. Each coat had to be allowed to cure fully before the next was applied. Trapped solvents cloud the finish, so there are no shortcuts.
Ceiling work in an operating hotel is always difficult. We erected scaffolding in the dining room and bar area, working around the hotel's service schedule. Much of the laying was done overhead, which is physically demanding. The size must be at exactly the right tack when you're working against gravity, and you need a steady hand to press each sheet of transfer leaf firmly into the sized surface above you.
The ornamental plasterwork on these ceilings included deep mouldings and recessed panels, all of which had to be gilded into every crevice. We used smaller cut pieces of leaf to work into the detailed areas, ensuring complete and even coverage throughout.
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