Before and after mirror frame restoration.

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Below are some examples of my mirror restoration, from small repairs to full restoration and re-gilding. Covering a wide variety of mirror types and styles.

The restoration of the mirror frames are undertaken using traditional methods and materials. To match the original gilding, 23.75ct gold leaf is used for the water gilding and 23.5ct for oil gilding. Most frames have both types of gilding, except some giltwood and Georgian frames which are fully water gilded. The gold is aged to match any original gilding, aged to customers preference or left bright if asked for.   


An unusual landscape Italian Florentine giltwood mirror.

Broken pieces attached back onto the frame. Missing pieces made and all repairs gilded and aged to match the original gilding.


A large English over mantle mirror restoration. The Green paint was removed, missing decoration sculpted, then gilded and the new gold aged.


An English girandole mirror restoration. Cleaned, missing compo decoration replaced then part re-gilded new gold aged to match.


A small English over mantle mirror restoration. Paint was removed, missing compo decoration replaced, repairs to the missing and damaged gesso, Full re-gild, new gold given a light age.


A large pair of English carved wood pier mirrors restoration. 8feet tall. Missing decoration replaces by making moulds of the remaining decoration. Then designing new tops. A full re-gild then new gold aged down.


A convex mirror for the TV show Salvage Hunters The Restorers season 5 episode 9. Removed paint, replaced all the missing balls. Added the palm decoration and carved wood eagle. A full re-gild and aged the new gold.


An 8 foot over mantle mirror restoration. Large sections of the left side scroll was missing. New sections were sculpted. the old gilding was cleaned and the repairs gilded and aged to match.


A 6 foot over mantle mirror for the TV show Salvage Hunters The Restorers season 2 episode 9. Paint was removed, old bad repairs removed, repairs to the gesso, replaced all the missing decoration, a full re-gild and aged the new gold.

Watch the restoration in the video below.


An English girandole oval mirror restoration. Paint was removed, missing compo decoration replaced, candle arms straightened up. A full re-gild and new gold aged.


An English giltwood over mantle mirror restoration. The Customer chose this pair of cherubs from my extensive mould collection to replace the missing top decoration.  Missing scroll were sculpted. The whole frame was re-gilded and left bright at the customers request.


An English oval gilt wood oval mirror repair. This mirror had fallen off the wall and broken into pieces. All pieces attached back together and the gesso joins repairs where needed, repairs gilded and aged to match.


A large English Regency convex mirror restoration. Over gessoing was removed to get back to the original gilded surface. (gesso over original bole and gilding is unstable) Repairs to the gesso and missing decoration. A full re-gild and aged the new gold.


An English over mantle mirror restoration. Paint removed, side scrolls repaired, missing top decoration replaced then a full re-gild and new gold aged.


A English Regency giltwood barley twist convex mirror restoration. Paint and over gessoing removed, gesso repairs and a full re-gild and aging the new gold.


large 9 foot mirror restoration. This mirror was restored for the TV show Salvage Hunters The Restorers Season 4 episode 7

This was an English Regency giltwood frame which included the top and bottom. Then cut down at some point and the giltwood side panels added. This was a difficult restoration to make the two different styles work together. Watch the video below to see how I did it.


An English Regency giltwood convex mirror restoration. The top decoration had been made up of broken pieces of giltwood scrolls (3rd photo) I took these apart and rearranged the pieces so it all flowed together. Paint and over gessoing removed from the eagle to reveal the original black finish. Re-gilded and aged.


An English wall mirror restoration. Paint was removed, missing compo decoration replaced, then a full re-gild and aged.


An 8 foot English pier mirror restoration. The frame was in pieces, the frame was reassembled. Old gold paint was removed ( gold paint  oxidises over time and turns brown) Damaged and missing compo decoration repaired. The a full re-gild and aged the new gold.

I liked this decoration, so I took a full set of moulds. These came in hand a year later when I was asked to make some reproduction pelmets and a large mirror.


An English Regence giltwood dragon convex mirror restoration. Paint was removed, repairs to the missing decoration, regessoed the balls, then a full re-gild and aged the gold.


An English Victorian Adam style wall mirror restoration. Paint was removed, missing compo decoration was replaced, Then a fill re-gild and aged.


A giltwood pier mirror. Badly damaged in a house fire. Gesso had bubbled in the heat and some of the giltwood decoration had burnt away the rest was charred. Damaged gesso was removed, missing decoration replaced then a full re-gild and aged the gold.


A plain English Regency convex mirror. Paint was removed and worn gilding sanded down. repairs to the gesso, all balls had the flaking gesso removed and re-gessoed. the a full re-gild and gilding aged.


A French wall mirror. Paint was removed, missing decoration replaced, cracks in the plaster filled, then a full re-gild and aged


A large 6 foot English Regency gilt wood wall mirror restoration. This mirror had been fully oil gilded by a restorer and gold left bright. I had to remove the oil gilding from the high lights, gesso these then water gild and burnish the water gilding, then age all of the gilding.


A French margin mirror restoration. This mirror had fallen off the wall and smashed into pieces. Photo 2 shows the pieces I was given had a lot missing. This happens with these French plaster mirrors as the plaster just crumbles.  Frame reassembled pieces attached back to the frame missing pieces sculpted the repairs painted in.


Two English triple plate over mantle mirror restorations. Missing decoration replaced then both re-gilded and aged. Same gold just photographed in different lighting conditions.


A late Victorian English giltwood convex mirror restoration. paint removed, repaired and re-gilded, the gilding left bright ar customers request.


An English oval girandole mirror restoration. Paint was removed, missing compo decoration replaced, then a full re-gild and gold aged.


An English Giltwood over mantle mirror restoration. This mirror was restored for the TV show Salvage Hunters The Restorers Season 1 episode 9. Paint was removed, missing feet and side scrolls replaced, then a full re-gild. The gold was meant to be more aged but it was taken away before I had chance to do that. The joys of tv filming!


An English Adam style oval wall mirror restoration. This mirror had extensive water damage. Much of the gesso and compo decoration disintegrated. Gessoed, replaced missing compo decoration then a full re-gild.


A large giltwood convex mirror restoration. The oil gilding had degraded to such an extent, it was hardly there with lots of the yellow bole showing. Removed the oil oil gilding, repairs to the damaged gesso, then re-gilded the oil gilding and water gilded the balls.


An English triple plate over mantle mirror restoration. Paint was removed repairs to the gesso and missing compo decoration, the a full re-gild, then a light age to the gold.


A small English Regency pier mirror restoration. Layers of over gessoing was removed, which revealed the Egyptian decoration and wheat sheaves were originally black. Repairs to the gesso then a re-gild and aged the gold.


A regency convex mirror restoration, repairs to the gesso the a re-gild and age the gold.


An English rectangle over mantle mirror restoration. Paint layers was removed, missing compo top decoration was replaces, then a full re-gild and aged the gold


An English oval frame turned into a rope girandole mirror. Gesso was repaired the all rope decoration and candle arms added, then a fully gilded and aged.


A large 7 foot arts and crafts over mantle mirror restoration. Paint was removed, worn gilding was re-gilded, gilded lines put back in.


An Italian giltwood frame. Paint was removed, some gesso repairs and re-gilded.


An English octagonal convex mirror restoration. A lot of water damage to the left hand side of the frame. Gesso repairs the gilded repairs and aged the new gilding to match.


A 5 foot English over mantle mirror restoration. Black paint was removed, repairs to the gesso and compo decoration, the a full re-gild and aging.


A regency giltwood convex mirror restoration. repairs to the gesso, replaced missing decoration, cleaned the gilding the gilded the repairs and aged to match.


A small English pier mirror restoration. Paint was removed missing panle replaced, then re-gilded and aged.


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