Ann Ballantyne and her assistant, Andrea Kirkham, started conservation on The Painted Closet in September 1993 and completed the final phase in February 1994.

The 17th century closet was not painted until after the shelves had been fitted. The depth of these shelves can be seen from the silhouettes of unpainted plaster where the shelves butted up against the wall opposite the window.

The blocked window on the wall facing the door at one time opened over the roof of the Castle Inn next door to Guildford House in the High Street. Further storeys have since been added to the site of the inn.

The Painted Closet can be seen by the public on Heritage Open Day each year. The rest of the time, it remains closed, leading off one of the offices on the second floor of the Building.

An indication of the original hinges is provided by the silhouette on the left as you enter the room. It is similar in shape to the two on the door of the cupboard half-way down the stairs from the top floor of Guildford House.

Conservation Work

Plaster 
Areas of loose plaster were reattached. Where the detachment was on the surface, a slurry of slaked lime putty was injected into a fissure and the loose plaster gently pressed back in to place. Where a fracture had occurred in the vicinity of the laths, a thick slurry of lime putty and a very fine sharp sand was injected along the laths. When pressure was applied, the injected slurry penetrated the fissures, reuniting the plaster, the plaster key and the laths. Once the worst areas had been treated, the c. 20th century wooden battens were removed.

In areas where sections of lath and plaster were missing, the laths were replaced with sound old (c. 17th C) oak laths, secured with brass panel pins. These areas were covered with a mortar using goat’s hair.

Paint Surface
The paint was flaking badly in some areas, particularly on the timbers. The areas were treated with an acrylic dispersion solution applied through lens tissue which enabled the direct and excess solution to be removed in one operation.

Retouching
Once the painted areas had been cleaned and stabilized, they were retouched in a tone of similar colour and strength as the original. The use of watercolours for retouching has left the restoration readily removable with water.

Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AJ

Tel: 01483 444740
Fax: 01483 444742
Email: guildfordhouse@guildford.gov.uk