Gold leaf gilding is a decorative technique where extremely thin sheets of real gold, often 23.5ct, are applied to a surface such as wood or glass to give it a rich, metallic gold finish. Sign painters and glass gilders have a long tradition of using gold leaf. The beauty and brilliance it conveys can't be matched by paint, and has traditionally been used to decorate pub fascias, honours boards, shopfront windows and carved lettering, among other applications. Unlike paint, when genuine 23.5ct gold is used, it will not tarnish and will last the test of time which is one of the main benefits of using gold leaf.

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I have spent many years learning the art of gilding, primarily through visiting the workshop of renowned glass artist David A. Smith MBE to take intensive courses in gilding, etching, silvering and reverse-glass painting techniques. Some of the gold leaf work I offer includes shopfront fascia gilding, gold leaf transom numbers, hand-poured silver mirrors, whiskey mirrors, bar counter tops and gold leaf window designs. Below is a collection of some of the gold leaf gilding I have undertaken in my studio in Dublin, and on shopfronts across the country. If you're looking for gold leaf work done in Ireland, get in touch with Darragh Signs today.