Gold Leaf Mirrors: Hand Gilded Frames Made to Measure

A gold leaf mirror is a different object from a mirror in a gold coloured frame. The gold is not applied from a tin: it is laid on in sheets of genuine gold leaf over a prepared chalk ground, then burnished until the surface takes on the depth that only real metal can give. In my workshop every gold leaf mirror starts as lengths of solid timber and leaves the bench as an individual, hand gilded piece.

Below I explain how genuine gilding differs from imitation, how I build and gild a mirror frame, which shades of gold suit which interiors, and what to look for when buying a decorative mirror with an ornate gold frame.

Gold leaf or gold paint: what actually makes the difference

Mass produced gold mirrors are usually finished with gold paint or a thin imitation foil. The result looks acceptable in a photograph, but in a room the surface reads flat: it reflects light evenly, without the shifting warmth of real metal, and it tends to wear or discolour at the edges within a few years.

Genuine gold leaf behaves differently. Each sheet is beaten to a fraction of a micron, so once it is burnished it follows every detail of the profile and reflects light with visible depth. It does not tarnish, and it ages by developing character rather than by peeling. If you are comparing materials before a purchase, I have written separately about how gold leaf and Dutch metal differ: the short version is that only genuine leaf gives a permanent, non tarnishing finish. So when people search for a real gold mirror, this is precisely what the phrase should mean: a frame gilded with genuine gold leaf, not sprayed with gold coloured paint.

How I gild a mirror frame

Every frame begins with solid timber. I mill the profile on the spindle moulder, saw the lengths and mitres, and join the corners, usually with biscuit joints, so the frame stays true for decades. The rebate that holds the mirror glass is milled as well, sized to the exact glass thickness.

The gilding itself follows the traditional sequence: many thin coats of chalk gesso, careful sanding, then coloured bole clay, and finally the gold laid on with gilding water. This technique, known as water gilding, is the only method that allows the gold to be burnished with an agate stone to a deep, mirror like shine. It is slow work, and it is the reason a hand gilded frame looks nothing like a factory one.

For the glass I use SGG Miralite Pure Diamant, a silver backed mirror glass with a faithful, neutral reflection, available with an optional bevelled edge.

Choosing the shade of gold: carats, bole and patina

Genuine gold leaf comes in a wide range of alloys, and the carat number decides the colour. In my workshop I gild with leaf from 6ct to 23.75ct. The high carats, 23.75ct and 23ct, give the classic deep yellow gold. 22ct moon gold is slightly cooler and calmer. The low carats, 12ct and 6ct white gold, are pale, almost silvery, and suit modern and Scandinavian interiors.

The bole colour underneath also matters: a red bole warms the gold and glows through wherever the leaf is rubbed back, while a grey or black bole cools it. On request I can distress the finish, gently rubbing the high points so the frame looks like it has hung in the house for a century. Gold also pairs naturally with painted colour. A cream and gold mirror in 23ct gold leaf softens the shine for lighter interiors, while a black frame with a gilded inner edge is one of the most requested combinations, described in detail in the article on the black and gold framed mirror.

Ornate or restrained: choosing the profile

An ornate mirror frame does not have to mean heavy baroque carving. Ornament can come from the profile itself: a deep cove, a stepped edge, a rippled or hand carved detail on the sight edge. A wide, richly shaped profile in burnished gold suits classic and glamour interiors. In a modern room the same genuine material works best kept simple: a modern gold framed mirror in 23 carat leaf with a smooth profile, or the narrow gold frame of my Linea Slim, which brings gold in without dominating the wall.

If you are still weighing up whether gold suits your room at all, my overview of the gold framed mirror covers styling and placement; the article you are reading now is about the material and the craft behind the finish.

Where gilded mirrors work best

A gilded mirror earns its place wherever light and a sense of occasion are wanted: above a living room fireplace or console, opposite a window to double the daylight, or in a hallway as the first thing a guest sees. In glamour arrangements gold is practically the defining accent, which is why so many of my glamour mirrors are gilded; a glamour mirror in a gold frame made to measure is among the most frequently commissioned pieces in my workshop. Bathrooms are possible too, with good ventilation and placement away from direct splashes; I have covered the practical side in the guide to the gold framed bathroom mirror.

Where to buy a decorative mirror with an ornate gold frame

Furniture chains sell gold coloured mirrors in fixed sizes; a gilding workshop makes them to order. The difference shows in three places: the frame is built from solid timber rather than pressed mouldings, the gold is genuine leaf rather than paint, and the size is made to measure for your wall rather than the nearest stock dimension.

In my shop you can browse ready designs of decorative mirrors and framed mirrors made to measure. Every design can be ordered in your dimensions and in a different shade of gold; finishes are agreed from photographs of previous frames and mirrors, so you know exactly what the gilding will look like before I start. A commissioned mirror typically takes four to eight weeks, because each one is built and gilded individually.

Caring for a gold leaf mirror

Genuine gilding needs little: dust the frame with a dry, soft cloth and keep cleaning liquids away from the gold. When cleaning the glass, spray the cleaner onto the cloth, never onto the mirror, so it cannot creep under the leaf at the sight edge. Treated this way, a water gilded frame will outlast the fashions around it, and if an older gilded frame in your home has suffered, it can usually be restored and regilded rather than replaced.

Frequently asked questions

Are gold mirrors in style?

Yes. Gold framed mirrors have never really left; what changes is the profile. Currently narrow gilded frames and pale white gold finishes are gaining ground alongside the classic deep yellow, so there is a gilded mirror for both traditional and contemporary rooms.

Is a gold leaf mirror made of real gold?

The leaf is genuine gold: an alloy whose carat number, from 6ct to 23.75ct, determines the colour. The frame core is solid timber, gilded on the surface, which is exactly how gilded mirrors and picture frames have been made for centuries.

Can a gilded mirror hang in a bathroom?

Yes, provided the room is ventilated and the mirror hangs away from direct water splashes. Water gilded and lacquer protected finishes cope well with normal bathroom humidity.

What sizes can be made?

Every mirror is made to measure, from small hallway pieces to large mirrors well over a metre. Send the wall dimensions and a photo of the interior, and I will propose a profile, a carat of gold and a finish based on photographs of my previous work.