All resplendid pieces begin with a history from a previous life. Vintage fabrics, salvaged frames, and stately silver trays are all repurposed for a new function. Chalkboards, rag quilts, and etched mirrors gilded with silver leaf are among the home decor items that have been made splendid again.
Silver leaf mirrors begin as repurposed frames or vintage windows that are cleaned and repaired, then treated in the French tradition of verre eglomise, meaning glass gilded. This is a process where the backside of glass is gilded with metal leaf using a gelatin adhesive. The result is a mirror-like, softly reflective finish in which designs may then be engraved. While the common term is silver leafing, I prefer to work with aluminum leaf, because it is more stable. You can see the faint edges of the individual adjacent squares of metal leaf behind the glass. Patterns have been applied to some of the pieces to create a whimsical impression of an open window. Added hooks create functional key holders or coat racks.
Each resplendid mirror is a unique result of the delicate hand gilding process, the imperfect layering of distressed paint finishes, the intrinsic history of the salvaged wood, and the surroundings that you provide for reflection.
enjoy
Denver, Colorado,