From a medieval Yorkshire lychgate to the great houses of the American South — six centuries of buildings entrusted to our care.
Leading the restoration of the exquisite front door surround at the George Read II House in Historic New Castle, Delaware, preserving its remarkable punch-and-gouge woodwork and ensuring the integrity of this exceptional example of early American craftsmanship.
Affectionately “The Castle” of Connecticut's Quiet Corner, this transitional Georgian / Federal mansion was improved by Squire Bosworth after 1791 to reflect his standing as a wealthy merchant. Noted for exuberant vernacular woodwork and a rare monitor roof once used as a Masonic Lodge, it is the subject of a detailed case study in whole-building preservation — down to period-appropriate furnishing drawn from probate records.
Designed by English-trained architect John Haviland and begun in 1822, this Greek Revival church is noted for its Ionic front, modeled on the Temple of Bacchus at Teos. Following years of ill-informed exterior work, we advised on historically appropriate exterior finishes and worked alongside the project’s tradespeople to guide their proper application.
Home of the Cavendish family since 1549, Chatsworth welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Working with the estate since 2014, Michiel corrected the eponymous "estate blue," which had been fading to grey — specifying the finest earth pigments, cobalt blue in place of UV-fugitive ultramarine, and factory-added zinc white for lasting colour and mould resistance.
A Georgian house that served as General George Washington’s headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment (1778–79). Working with preservation architect Annabelle Radcliffe-Trenner, we advised on the exterior restoration, helping to identify appropriate finishes and guiding their effective application alongside the project’s tradespeople.
The lychgate into the churchyard — inscribed "We all do fade as a leaf" — had suffered from improper maintenance, with cracks forming as the timber went unnourished. Michiel advised linseed oil pine tar, a historically accurate finish used for centuries to protect and feed timber, safeguarding the medieval frame against further decay.
Originally built as a single-family home, this simple cottage was later converted into a two-unit dwelling. We advised the owner and project team on appropriate methods for restoring the surviving historic woodwork, which was carefully scraped to bare wood and repaired as necessary. Following repairs, the woodwork was finished with historically appropriate linseed oil paint by Brouns & Co. We also provided hands-on training to help the crew understand the materials and their proper application.
Landmarks where our principals have contributed traditional paint and finishes expertise.
We provide condition assessments, preservation strategies, and hands-on restoration across the United States and internationally.
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