The downturn in the property market has reopened my eyes to other skills I have and should be working on. When I started on the renovations for our house, I had a grand vision to create a door with two entirely different finishes on each side. The door is now finished and thankfully...looks quite good. Or so my friends tell me.

I have a Diploma in Painted Finishes, which along with many different painting styles also includes, gilding and stenciling - using both leaf and powder. I decided that I would gild one side of the door with silver leaf and finish the other with an aged rust look. This was quite an undertaking and it took me considerable time to finish. I also decided that the silver leaf wasn't interesting enough on its own, so I explored the different chemical combination's that can be used to create an entirely different effect.

I used Potassium Sulphide and Cupric Nitrate to patina the door. I decided to spray on the Cupric Nitrate and dab the Potassium Sulphide with furniture upholstery material, to give a rough textured looking finish instead of a fine mist of small droplets. I neutralized the chemical combination with a wet rag to ensure it stopped burning the leaf.

It was so much fun regardless of how long it took, that I'm now focussed on doing a lot more in this area.

Stay tuned for the bed head, screen and a few surprises.

Gilding is back in vogue!

See pic below of finished door.