Painting · Gilding · Conservation · Decoration
Since 1987 our painters, gilders and conservators have restored, and created, the decorative finishes of palaces, galleries, livery halls, theatres and London’s finest homes.
Or call our Kensington office on 020 7833 8806
Trusted inside
I.Why it matters
Seal lime plaster under modern paint and it traps moisture and fails. Lay gold leaf on poor preparation and it won’t last. Paint over a scheme nobody has researched and two centuries of evidence disappear for good.
New interiors raise the stakes differently: a finish has to look extraordinary the day it’s revealed and still look right in twenty years. It’s why Spencer House, Lancaster House and the Drapers’ Company have trusted us for decades.
Architectural paint research shows exactly what was there: colours, materials and dates. Restoration becomes faithful, not guesswork.
Water and oil gilding, graining and marbling, trompe l’oeil, polished plaster and more, all from our own painters, gilders and conservators.
We slot into live programmes alongside architects, designers and main contractors, from Purcell and Avanti Architects to Willmott Dixon Interiors and Multiplex.
Tailored maintenance programmes keep every installation looking just finished, which is why some of our client relationships now span four decades.
II.Selected work
State rooms subdivided by decades of tenants, returned to their original splendour. Using paint research and the Spencer family archives, we recreated the paint and gilding scheme of the 1790s under the direction of David Mlinaric, the start of a relationship that continues today.
The gallery’s largest room, returned to architect E. M. Barry’s original scheme, its frieze and lunettes of winged lions and dolphins reinstated.
A 1929 barrel-vaulted ceiling, painstakingly prepared and redecorated, with new gilded detail to the lower cornice developed with the architects.
Nearly 150 metres of ornate wrought-iron balustrade, set between the marble groups of the continents, cleaned, prepared and redecorated in a rich red, with extensive gilding to every face.
The Pagoda’s 80 dragons were removed in 1784 and never seen again. When they finally returned in 2018, our gilders brought the new dragons to life.
Four decades restoring and maintaining the Drawing Room, Court Room, Court Dining Room and Livery Hall, and now a new colour scheme for the Livery Hall, informed by architect Sir Thomas Graham Jackson.
Specialist paint finishes for an apartment designed by Francis Sultana, where pale grounds set off finely gilded ornament.
From Hanover Lodge in Regent’s Park, with Quinlan & Francis Architects and Walter Lilly, to 21 Young Street in Kensington, we work quietly and meticulously in some of London’s finest homes.
Finishes built to survive service and still look extraordinary: leather panels and murals at Annabel’s for MBDS and at Hotel L’Oscar for Jacques Garcia, and polished plaster for the spa and pool at Twenty Grosvenor Square for Finchatton.
The Royal Opera House, the Apollo, Dominion and Aldwych theatres, and in 2025 the sensitive repair of the water-damaged foyer ceiling at Frank Matcham’s Grade II-listed Richmond Theatre.
Thank you very much to you and your team for being so professional and helpful right up to the end with WDI and beyond with us directly during the lockdown.
III.What we do
Every commission is different, so every project starts with a conversation. Most draw on several of these disciplines at once, delivered by one accountable team.
Historic schemes revived after time, decay or disaster: painted surfaces, gilding and plasterwork, using traditional techniques to contemporary conservation standards.
At Stationers’ Hall, completed in 1673, we redecorated and gilded the livery hall’s elaborate ceiling in 23.5-carat gold leaf and conservation-cleaned its central canvas.
Discuss a restoration
Water gilding for a rich, burnished brilliance, oil gilding for durability and bespoke antique patinas, from delicate highlights to whole architectural schemes.
At Lancaster House we have redecorated and gilded the Grand Hall and Staircase, the Long Gallery, the State Drawing Room and the Gold Room.
Talk to our gilders
Microscopic and chemical analysis of paint layers to reveal a building’s original colours, materials and dates: the evidence base for faithful restoration.
At Spencer House, paint research and the family archives guided our recreation of the 1790s scheme.
How paint research works
For designers, architects and private clients: polished and Venetian plaster, tadelakt, leather, lacquer and murals, sampled in our studio and made for your scheme.
Trusted by Jacques Garcia, MBDS, Francis Sultana and Finchatton.
Explore the finishes
Gilded mirrors, frames, consoles and painted furniture brought back to life in our workshop, with the same care we give to a state room.
Ask about a piece
Advice on historically appropriate colour schemes and decorative painting techniques, for institutions, designers and fellow craftspeople.
We’re developing a new Livery Hall scheme with the Drapers’ Company, true to the spirit of the original design.
Book a consultationIV.Distinctive finishes
Every finish here is made by hand, and every one can be sampled in our studio before a brush touches your walls. Choose a swatch to learn more.
No. 01 · Metal & leaf
Water gilding for a rich, burnished brilliance, oil gilding for durability, and bespoke antique patinas, using genuine gold leaf such as the 23.5-carat leaf we laid at Stationers’ Hall.
Seen at Lancaster House, the Albert Memorial, Stationers’ Hall
Request a sampleSwatches are illustrative. Real samples are made by hand in our Acton studio, to your colours and your light.
V.Architectural paint research
Every painted surface keeps a record of its past. Our paint analysts take tiny samples, read them in cross-section under the microscope and identify the pigments and binders in each layer, revealing original schemes, later changes and the materials earlier craftsmen used.
Tiny samples from carefully chosen locations, inside and out.
Each layer read in sequence, like the rings of a tree.
What was used, and roughly when.
Areas uncovered on site to confirm the evidence.
A clear record every stakeholder can work from.
At Pitzhanger Manor we sampled every surface to recreate Sir John Soane’s schemes, overpainted in the 1830s. At Dulwich Picture Gallery, paint analysis inspired a new stone-coloured scheme for Soane’s Mausoleum, and we repaired its faux porphyry columns.
VI.Who we work with
Paint research, sampling and clear specifications, with craftspeople who respect the historic fabric of the building. We supply the findings and reports that conservation management plans and funding applications rely on.
Worked alongside
Purcell · Avanti Architects · Julian Harrap Architects · Jestico + Whiles · Howat O’Farrell Architecture · Quinlan & Francis Architects
Bespoke samples made in our studio until the colour, sheen and texture are right, then delivered on site by the same hands. We’re happy working to your drawings, your references or a single fragment of fabric.
Worked alongside
David Mlinaric · Jacques Garcia · Francis Sultana · MBDS · Finchatton
Experienced foremen, our own skilled team and a clear scope, price and sequence, from scaffold to handover. We’re used to live sites, phased access and working around other trades.
Worked alongside
Willmott Dixon Interiors · Multiplex · Walter Lilly · Stonewest · Quinn London · CBRE · Interserve
Planned maintenance, colour consultancy and a team that already knows your building. Some of the rooms we look after today, we first restored decades ago.
Long-standing relationships
Spencer House · Lancaster House · The Drapers’ Company
Whether it’s a listed townhouse or a new apartment, we bring the skills of the state room to private interiors, with tidy sites, clear communication and finishes made to last.
Homes we’ve worked in
The Albany, Piccadilly · Hanover Lodge, Regent’s Park · 21 Young Street, Kensington
Leather, lacquer, polished plaster and murals that create atmosphere and stand up to daily service, plus the maintenance to keep them that way.
Worked for
Annabel’s · Hotel L’Oscar · Twenty Grosvenor Square · Folie · Royal Opera House · Cartier
VII.How we work
Tell us about the building, the brief and the timescale. We’ll arrange a visit and listen first.
Paint research where history matters, and sample boards made in our studio for you to approve.
A clear specification, method and price, with a programme that fits yours.
Our own painters, gilders and conservators on site or in the workshop, led by experienced foremen.
A tailored maintenance programme keeps everything looking just finished, for years to come.
VIII.The studio
Finishes change with the light, the angle and the room. At our newly refurbished studio in Acton you can watch our artisans at work, handle finished samples and talk through your project with the people who will deliver it.
IX.Our story · “Forward to the future”
Nearly four decades of craft, carried forward. Our founding principles remain the same: quality, fairness, integrity and warm, attentive service.
Hare & Humphreys is founded in London.
Honoured with the Royal Warrant as Decorators and Gilders to HM Queen Elizabeth II, for our work at Windsor Castle.
Decorative and art works on Gloriana, the Queen’s row barge that led the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.
Allied with Atelier Premiere London and its sister companies, sharing a commitment to craftsmanship, heritage conservation and passing on technical expertise.
The Great Pagoda’s dragons return to Kew, brought to life by our gilders.
New management, a newly refurbished studio in Acton, three rediscovered ceilings restored at the British Embassy in Paris and Richmond Theatre’s foyer returned to its former glory.
“Our founding principles of quality, fairness, integrity and a warm customer focussed service will remain implicit.”
X.Questions
Can’t see yours? Call 020 7833 8806 or email info@hare-humphreys.co.uk.
Yes. Historic decoration and conservation is at the heart of what we do, from Lancaster House and Stationers’ Hall to the National Gallery and the Albert Memorial. Where the history of a scheme is uncertain, architectural paint research establishes the evidence before any work begins.
It’s the scientific study of a building’s paint layers. Samples are examined in cross-section under the microscope and their pigments and binders identified, revealing the original scheme and how it changed. If you’re restoring a historic interior, preparing a conservation management plan or applying for heritage funding, it’s usually the right first step.
Of course. We make bespoke sample boards for your project, and you’re welcome to visit our studio in Acton to see finishes in person and meet the people who will carry out the work.
No. We’re based in Kensington with our studio in Acton, and we work nationally and internationally. In 2025 we completed the restoration of three gilded and painted ceilings at the British Embassy in Paris.
Regularly. We’ve worked alongside designers including David Mlinaric, Jacques Garcia and Francis Sultana, architects such as Purcell and Julian Harrap Architects, and contractors including Willmott Dixon Interiors, Multiplex and Walter Lilly.
Genuine gold leaf, chosen for the setting. At Stationers’ Hall, for example, we used 23.5-carat leaf. We water gild where a burnished brilliance is wanted and oil gild where durability matters most.
Yes. We offer tailored maintenance programmes so installations keep their just-finished appearance. At Lancaster House, for example, we carry out ongoing maintenance of the state rooms we have redecorated and gilded.
We’re always pleased to hear from talented painters, decorators, gilders and conservators. We’re currently looking for an apprentice, skilled wallpaper hangers and an estimator. Email info@hare-humphreys.co.uk.
XI.Start a project
Share a few details and the right person will come back to you, whether you’re restoring a listed interior or creating something entirely new.
