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
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.
Conservation treatment of Thomas Hardy altarpiece
Cleaning and repair of a forgotten treasure which had been hidden for nearly a century.
Related news
We are speaking at the Traditional Paint Forum Annual Conference 2022
Alexandra Miller is joining Katherine Carey, Project Manager, Sir Robert McAlpine, to talk about the restoration of Elizabeth Tower.
ICON Talk: Gold shines new light on Elizabeth Tower
Cliveden Conservation's Senior Project Manager, Alexandra Miller, is delivering a talk 'Gold shines new light on Elizabeth Tower' as
Dorset Museum Mosaic reinstallation is shortlisted for Museums + Heritage Awards 2021
The Fordington mosaic, which we lifted, conserved, re-backed for wall mounting at Dorset Museum has been shortlisted for an prestigious award.