The Zuber wallpaper installed in the dining room at a private residence in Manchester, had stains resulting from roof and gutter leaks at several locations. While most of these areas were near or at the ceiling, they offered a significant interruption to the generally pastel tones of the paper. The...
The Whip Hill historic house in Stoneham, MA, had a dining room containing a landscape mural, which had become stained from water and moisture over time. After dry cleaning spots of obvious contamination, reversible paints were used to blend away the...
A fire in the sacristy of the Church of the Immaculate Conception caused extensive smoke damage throughout the sanctuary. The entire space was staged to provide hand contact with all the surfaces from the floor to the sixty foot ceiling. While dry erase sponges completed the cleaning of the wood...
As a result of widespread water penetration, portions of the ceilings in three library rooms were in need of extensive decorative plaster restoration and repair. In partnership with Austin Ornamental, Blackburn was able to restore and conserve the complex moldings in three reading rooms of the original 1910 structure. While...
Improper gold leaf application and weather damage resulted in areas of loss to the gilt cupola of this historic building. Blackburn completed the application of gold leaf to the cupola and historic eagle weathervane of this historic building, completing this gold leaf restoration and repair job. While the use of...
The large crystal and brass chandelier had adorned the entrance lobby at Mass Mutual since the 1920s. This unique chandelier was constructed using three iron discs with holes drilled to secure 172 large clear glass sunbursts. A very heavy fixture, weighing close to five hundred pounds with its crystals, this...
The silver-backed dining room fireplace wallpaper surround had been severely damaged by long term water infiltration. After repairs to the chimney flashing were completed, we were asked to consolidate and repair the damaged areas. After wallpaper cleaning and the removal of compromised design elements from the entire surround, a layer...
The revised interpretation of the 1684 kitchen required an examination of what the original surfaces would have looked like. It has been fairly well-documented that original seventeenth and eighteenth century floors were not varnished. Varnish was not available and shellac would have been too expensive. To create a more authentic...
As part of a renovation of this Federal courtroom, we were asked to perform gilt and decorative plaster restoration for the ceiling and niches. We started work on the ceiling. One of the challenges was to match the gold paint that had been used during the last renovation. With some...
In the renovation of this late nineteenth century courthouse, it was decided to conserve and restore the faux finished ornamental grillwork and stairs that provided access to the basement and second floor. The structure was steel, faux finished to look like patinated bronze. The first step to this metal finish...