Gold Leaf Vein Plastering in Bishopsworth, Bristol

Gold leaf vein plastering in Bishopsworth, Bristol. Fine metallic veins set into polished plaster so the wall catches the light as you move past it. A specialist finish, and one of our favourites to apply.

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Metallic Veins Set Into Polished Plaster

The base is the same polished Venetian plaster we use elsewhere. The difference is a thin line of gold worked into the surface before the final burnish, so the metal sits in the plaster rather than on top of it. That is why the veins do not wear off or peel the way a painted line would.

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How the Gold Is Applied

Leaf is laid into the wet plaster by hand, a small section at a time, then pressed in and burnished with the rest of the coat. It has to be done while the plaster is at the right stage. Too early and the gold sinks. Too late and it will not take. There is a narrow window to work in.

Keeping It Subtle

Most people picture something louder than it turns out to be. A few veins across a dark base reads as a shimmer rather than gold stripes, and it only really shows when light hits it side on. We usually suggest starting light. Adding more is easy. Taking it back is not.

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STILL NOT SURE?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gold leaf vein plastering real gold?

We use metal leaf, which is a gold coloured alloy, on almost every job. It looks the same on a wall and costs a fraction of the price. Genuine gold leaf can be used if you want it, and we would price that separately. Both are laid the same way.

Can gold leaf veining be added to an existing Venetian wall?

Not to a finished, sealed wall. The leaf has to go into wet plaster, so an existing wall would need a fresh top coat before the veins could be added. If the wall is otherwise sound that is a small job, and cheaper than starting again from bare brick.

Does gold leaf plastering suit a small room?

It can, on one wall. In a small Bristol bedroom or a downstairs cloakroom a single veined wall gives the room something to look at without crowding it. What does not work is veining every wall in a small space, because there is nowhere for the eye to rest.

About us

Gold leaf vein work is the specialist end of what we do, and it comes directly out of 15 years of Venetian plastering. It is priced per wall rather than per room, because almost nobody wants it everywhere. Most of the walls we do are behind a bed, a bar or a fireplace in Bristol homes.