Decorative Arts

Our Decorative Arts team is led by ICON accredited conservators

Our highly skilled team carry out the repair and conservation of stone, terracotta, church monuments, mosaics, statues, gilding and decorative surfaces and polychrome.

We provide ongoing conservation and care of house collections and garden sculpture such as the National Trust Country House collection of antique and 18th century garden sculpture, including major collections at Petworth House, Waddesdon Manor, Cliveden, Anglesey Abbey and Powis Castle.

Mosaics

We clean, stabilise and repair small and large-scale mosaics from wall panels, pavements, floors and fountains to extensive museum displays. Our Decorative Arts team can also remove, transport and reinstall floor mosaics in a vertical position with a bespoke structural fixing frame system.

Painted Decorative Schemes and Polychromy

Cleaning, consolidation, conservation and restoration of polychrome and painted surfaces is undertaken with extreme care and involves research, analysis and trials. Our conservators consider all factors that could affect the deterioration of the painted surface and substrate.

Gilding and Specialist Decoration

We restore missing elements of gilding and decoration and reinstate decorative schemes with the application of new gilding and traditional paint.

Metalwork

We undertake the cleaning and conservation of metalwork including statuary, railings and decorative pieces. Bespoke security fixing can be provided to safeguard collections.

Statuary

We sympathetically clean, consolidate and repair statues and where necessary replace missing structural or decorative elements using appropriate materials. Condition analysis and trials are carried as part of a project.

Our practical and advisory services provide for the transport, display and ongoing care of statuary collections.

Archaeology

Our consultancy services extend to some of the most important sites around the world including Aphrodisias, one of the oldest and most treasured sites in Turkey.

Aphrodisias is a special project for us. Our founder Trevor Proudfoot began the work there as a personal project in 1990, and regularly invited workshop members to accompany him.

 

Case Studies

Chester Cathedral Wall Mosaic

Chester Cathedral Wall Mosaic

The wall mosaic on the east wall of the St Erasmus Chapel, designed by JR Clayton and executed by A Salviati, was installed as a memorial to Thomas Brassey and his wife in 1879.

Medieval Pavement in Oxford is saved as a piece of Architectural Art

Medieval Pavement in Oxford is saved as a piece of Architectural Art

During the initial stages of the construction of the new Westgate Oxford shopping centre, excavations revealed extensive remains of the medieval Greyfriars friary (AD 1244-1538), including a decorative tile pavement.

Wentworth Woodhouse

Wentworth Woodhouse

Plaster repairs and redecoration of the portico ceiling at Wentworth Woodhouse.

Related news

Celebrating International Women’s Day: an introduction to the Restoring Pugin Project team at Nottingham Cathedral

Celebrating International Women’s Day: an introduction to the Restoring Pugin Project team at Nottingham Cathedral

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Nicola Collins, Project Manager, Decorative Arts Section, introduces some of ...

Work continues at the Crown Bar, Belfast

Work continues at the Crown Bar, Belfast

Members of our conservation team were pleased to return to the famous National Trust Crown Bar in Belfast to carry out conservation treatment to the decorative tiles.

Saltaire URC project wins gold at the National Churches Awards

Saltaire URC project wins gold at the National Churches Awards

Cliveden Conservation carried out tower masonry repairs, lead works and plastering repairs including the redecoration of the ornate ceiling.