Sorting through old photographs the other day reminded me of a visit to Monk’s House, an unassuming brick and weather-boarded cottage at the end of the village of Rodmell, not far from Lewes in Sussex. From 1919 until their deaths,…
I dropped into the Victoria & Albert Museum one afternoon to locate the work of the 19th century specialist decorator extraordinaire, Thomas Kershaw (1819-1898). Best known for his high-quality faux marble effects and wood graining, Kershaw was Victorian England’s leading…
Out & About is an occasional series highlighting decorative painting and other specialist decorating skills that are not only worth seeing, but worth going to see. Specialist Decorating at Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham, London Pick a sunny day and take…
Specialist Decorating for Historic Buildings The King's Observatory, also called the Kew Observatory for many years, is a Grade I listed building located in an impressive parkland setting of several acres in Old Deer Park in Richmond near London. Nicola…
Church restoration and decoration rely on many heritage crafts. Obvious examples are stonemasonry, woodcarving, and stained glass. However, decorative painting for churches also draws upon specialist decorating techniques. These include gilding, wood graining and traditional hand painting, which are used…