Last year I posted about a project where I was busy doing mock-ups for-a gold leaf ceiling design….
I finally got my act together and can now show you the boards which I submitted to my client for approval.
As so often happens in Dubai, the project has been delayed and will now commence towards the end of the year rather than the end of May as was originally thought.
In a way I am pleased as it now gives me the option to do a few more mock-up panels and experiment a little more with some other ideas I have.
These images show the progression of the preparation through to the final stage featuring the design which was submitted to the consultants for approval.
Because of the delay, I have not yet had any feedback on the samples, but I should hear from them any day now.
We prepare the boards with a base coat of red paint to enhance the rich glow of the gold leaf.It also serves to show us if we have missed a spot when we actually apply the gold leaf!
This image shows the gold leaf after application….the picture is awful but you can clearly see the individual leaves laid alongside one another. Once this process has been completed, the golf leaf is buffed with a soft brush to remove any loose pieces and to “flatten”the leaf to further enhance the finish and to make the surface appear seamless.
The final process is to apply the stenciled design on top of the gold leaf using an oil based glaze. The client requested an antique, aged look so I applied to stencil in a random way and added texture by applying several coats.
I usually spray a clear sealer onto the boards to give them a light coat of protection from handling which no doubt will occur….but I don’t think we will need to do that on site because the ceiling will get very little wear and tear.
I was quite pleased with the way the boards turned out and it gave me a good idea of how much gold leaf, paint, glue etc I will use on site and therefore I was able to give the client an accurate quotation.
A Decorator's Notebook 