How to decorate with gold leaf, from fireplaces to mirrors

Grand plans, some clever decorative ideas and a pot of gold has turned a tired cottage into a home glowing with individuality

End of a terrace and tucked away down a lane in Moulton, Northamptonshire, is the Victorian former alehouse home of Lara Bezzina and her husband Stuart Bruce. Having already renovated three properties, this fourth project presented the couple with a dark, damp, 1970s time warp begging for some tender love and care.

Style tip

• A dark wall is used to make the gold-leaf fireplace an eye-catching focal point

It was important to find a house they felt had some character to work with, somewhere Lara could unleash her flair for interior design. The couple exposed original build elements like the brick walling in the sitting room and a small lath and plaster wall in the upstairs hallway, and discovered that several interior doors and a small bedroom fireplace had been boarded up – these they uncovered. ‘Embracing these features has added great character to the place without huge cost,’ says Lara.

Style tip

• Painting the ceiling black draws the room in and makes it feel cosier

In 2022 Lara completed a diploma with the Interior Design Institute before setting up her own business, where she helps people achieve their dream interiors and resolve design dilemmas. ‘It also features my gold-leaf artwork and murals, and a blog based around DIY and reimagining furniture,’ she reveals. ‘It’s focused on things I’m really passionate about or have implemented in my own home.’

Style tip

• Use gold leaf to create the illusion of a bed head with an almost Eastern look

Interior-wise, the house is a wonderful riot of contrasting colours and patterns and a great mix of old, new and upcycled furnishings and decorative pieces, all tied together with a homespun golden thread. ‘My first attempt using gold leaf was a roll-top bath that I wanted to make look copper, as I couldn’t afford the real thing,’ Lara recalls. ‘I loved the result and was hooked!’

Adding gold leaf to vases, lamps and other small objects – many picked up second-hand at the local reuse centre – Lara soon graduated to larger objects and spaces. ‘As my journey with gold leaf continues, I have created murals, freestanding mural panels and mirrored gold artwork,’ she says. ‘The possibilities are endless.’

WORDS: ALICE ROBERTON