GVF repaired and restored a section of decorated ceiling that was sagging, cracked, and missing sections of plaster.
With a matching grant from the Office of then L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe, a sagging, damaged section of the mezzanine ceiling was analyzed, repaired and repainted. Team members included Bob Wolfenden of the Auto Palace, who donated his service; Charles Kibby, principal of Preservation Arts; and Carolyn Lehne, restoration specialist and co-owner of KC Restoration. The KC Restoration team analyzed the ceiling paint and identified key original colors, especially the original gold leaf surrounding each of the light fixture grilles. The gentlest treatments possible, including a water-based, fully removable paint were used, following the Secretary of the Interior’s preservation standards. Carolyn’s team restored a decorated area of about 15′ x 20′. Within that area, they recreated about four square feet that was irreparable. They replaced the gold leaf; and repaired areas of flaking and missing paint, often with a paint consolidation technique which requites reattaching paint flakes into their proper position, then blending all repairs so it is virtually impossible to see where their work ends and the unrestored area begins. On the restored section of the ceiling, the abstract birds dance and the area around the grilles shines – a dazzling example of what was and what could be.
