• Phone: +1.301.929.9450
  • Email us: inquiries@gilders.com

About The Gilders’ Studio


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The Gilders' Studio, Inc.The Gilders’ Studio is a world renowned company specializing in architectural gilding and decorative finishes, which can be applied to virtually any surface, domes, sculpture and other decorative elements. Our award winning projects have been featured in local, national and international publications. We are experts in interior and exterior gilding using genuine gold leaf from 12 KT White Gold leaf to 23.75 KT Rosenoble gold leaf, made to our specifications. We also use aluminum leaf, silver leaf, copper leaf and imitation gold leaf for architectural elements, furniture and reverse glass gilding and much more.

Our expertise ranges from conservation of monumental gilded and painted sculpture to development of unique gilding and coating systems tailored for some of the most challenging environments on the planet.

The Gilder’s Studio is comprised of a core group of highly skilled artisans and professionals with widely divergent backgrounds and training. When needed, we draw from a select group of talented gilders and artists from across the country, many of whom have worked with us for more than 25 years.

THE GILDERS' STUDIO TEAM

Gilders Studio Owner and Team Member: Michael Kramer

MICHAEL KRAMER

President & Founder

Michael is the founder and President of the studio. He learned the trade from a master decorator while working his way through the University of Maryland in the late 1960s. In 1985 he formed the studio and has concentrated on broadening his horizons in decorative painting and all forms of gilding.

Michael is a noted educator and author in his field, teaching for the Smithsonian as well as the Society of Gilders and is a Recipient of the Washington Building Congress’ Craftsmanship Award. A longtime member of the Society of Gilders, he served as president from 2006 to 2013

Gilders Studio Team Member: Lisa DaSilva

LISA DASILVA

Master Gilder

Lisa graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Advertising Design. After several years in that field, she joined the studio in 1988 as an apprentice and has since moved up to become Executive Director.

She is a master gilder and decorator with an extraordinary eye for detail. Lisa is a 2002 Recipient of the Washington Building Congress’ Craftsmanship Award.

Gilders Studio Team Member: Jill London

JILL LONDON

Master Gilder

Jill is a master gilder and educator, having over 30 years experience. She got her start in the field by serving a traditional apprenticeship after graduating from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.

A long serving board member of the Society of Gilders, Jill served as Education Chair for the Society for over 15 years and is a noted educator in the gilding arts across the country. She has studios on the East and West Coast, where she incorporates gilding into her paintings and vice versa.

Gilders Studio Team Member: Dennis DaSilva

DENNIS DASILVA

Gilder

Dennis studied Art at the University of Maryland and the Corcoran. A talented sculptor and painter, he joined the Studio in 1996. Since that time, he has become an expert gilder as well as executing murals, building maquettes and decorative painting.

Dennis is a 2002 Recipient of the Washington Building Congress’ Craftsmanship Award.

Gilders Studio Team Member: Alex Robinson

ALEX ROBINSON

Gilder

Alex has worked as a gilder since high school and during his tenure at Colgate University, where he majored in Art, with Honors in Science.

Since that time he has continued to expand his expertise and knowledge in the areas of conservation and restoration of gilded objects and surfaces. He works on interior and exterior architectural gilding, eglomisé, decorative painting and also as an inventor.

William Holton

WILLIAM HOLTON

Gilder

William graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 with an MFA in Painting. He then moved to New York and first worked with the Gilders’ Studio on the gilding of the top of the New York Life building in Manhattan in 2007. He has been enthusiastically working as a gilder ever since.

William received a Southern Arts Foundation/NEA grant in 1996 and has shown his work throughout the US for 25 years.

Gilders Studio Team Member: Stephen Gallagher

STEPHEN GALLAGHER

Gilder

Stephen has a long standing association with the studio dating back to the early 80’s where it all began by executing various glazed finishes and gilding projects in and around Washington DC area.

Aside from being an expert gilder, Stephen has a talent for architectural design and 3d illustration. His most notable 3D illustrations were the concepts designed by Ara “Corky” Normart that helped to depict the new decorating scheme for the Great Cupola for Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Elizabeth Kennedy

ELIZABETH KENNEDY

Gilder

Elizabeth Kennedy has been gilding architecturally for over 25 years. Starting in San Francisco working on many private residences as well as Macy’s and the exterior of  San Francisco City Hall. She moved back east, and worked on the re-gilding the ceiling of the House of Representatives, and also consolidating and restoring antique painted surfaces in the PA Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA. She was part of the team working on the gilding of Radio City Music Hall in New York City and cleaning and restoring an antique mosaic ceiling in The Hershey Theater.

In 1999 she joined forces with the Gilder’s Studio and has worked  on the Hillwood Museum, the Renwick Gallery, Union Station, The State Library in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, The Pershing WWI Memorial and the Ritz Carlton. Elizabeth currently lives in rural Virginia with her family.