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Gold & Silver Gilded Finishes in Auckland
The gold-leaf look, hand-applied — Porter's Aquagild turns walls, ceilings and niches into rich, reflective gilt surfaces. The most opulent finish in the range, without the artisan-leafing price tag.
Master PaintersMember Porter's-trained applicators $10m insured ★★★★★ Auckland-wide
The Finish
What is Aquagild — and how do you gild a whole wall?
Traditional gilding means pressing fragile gold leaf onto a surface, square by square — beautiful, and brutally expensive at wall scale. Porter's Aquagild delivers the gilded look as a brushable finish: rich metallic pigment in a water-based system, applied by hand for a luminous, reflective gilt surface.
The result reads as gold leaf without the seams — continuous across a whole wall, ceiling or alcove, catching candlelight and lamplight the way only gilt does. It's rated for exterior use too, so entrance details and features outside are fair game.
Two finishes, two temperatures: warm gold and cool silver. Compare them with the rest of our decorative finishes, or get a free instant estimate for your wall.
Warm · Opulent · Candlelit
Aquagild Gold
Rich, warm gilt that glows in evening light. Made for dining rooms, powder rooms, ceilings and the alcove behind the art — old-world opulence, applied by hand.
Cool · Luminous · Modern
Aquagild Silver
Bright, cool-toned gilt with a moonlit character. The contemporary take on gilding — striking against charcoal, navy and deep greens in modern interiors.
Finishes above are indicative — we'll apply real gilded samples on your wall so you can watch them catch your light.
The honest comparison
Aquagild vs traditional gold leaf
Same lineage, different era. Here's why we gild walls with Aquagild.
| Aquagild (Porter's) | Traditional Gold Leaf | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Brushable gilding finish with rich metallic pigment | Fragile metal leaf, laid sheet by sheet |
| Scale | Seamless across whole walls and ceilings | Best at small scale — frames, details, accents |
| Cost | The gilded look at a per-m² finish price | Among the most expensive surfaces there is |
| Consistency | Even, continuous lustre — no leaf seams | Visible leaf lines and overlaps |
| Where it can go | Interior & exterior, curved surfaces, trim and details | Sheltered interior details, ideally |
| Repair & touch-up | Straightforward — it's a coating system | Specialist gilder required |
Want gold with real metal depth and patina instead of gilt? That's our Liquid Gold in the metallics range — we'll help you pick the right lane at a free consult.
Where it works
Where gilded finishes suit Auckland spaces
Gilding is jewellery for a room — small doses, maximum effect.
01
Feature walls
One gilded wall in a dining or living room turns evening light into an event.
02
Ceilings
The gilded ceiling — the oldest luxury move there is, and still the most surprising. Bounces warm light through the whole room.
03
Powder rooms
Small room, full drama. A gold or silver powder room is the one guests photograph.
04
Alcoves & niches
Gild the inside of shelving, arches and niches — depth and glow exactly where the eye lands.
05
Doors, trim & details
Gilded door faces, cornices and mouldings — restraint that reads as bespoke.
06
Hospitality & retail
Bars, restaurants, salons and boutiques that trade on atmosphere — durable and photographable.
How we apply it
Gilding, done properly, start to finish
Consult & sample
We look at your space and its light — especially evening light — then apply real gold and silver samples to choose by eye.
Free · No obligationLevel 5 preparation
Gilt magnifies every flaw beneath it. Our own Gib and plastering team brings the surface to dead-flat first.
Base & gilding coats
A tinted basecoat sets the undertone, then Aquagild is laid off by hand in even, directional coats for continuous lustre.
Inspect & handover
Checked in daylight and lamplight — because gilt lives in both. Site spotless, care guidance included.
What does gilding cost?
Priced per m² — get your number before you commit.
Aquagild is a hand-applied, multi-coat system over a Level 5 base, priced by the surface and the prep — and gilded features are usually small areas, so the entry point surprises people.
Free instant estimate — an indicative figure in about 60 seconds
Exact price confirmed at a free on-site consult, with gilded samples to approve
No surprises later — base, coats and prep all counted upfront
Price your gilded feature
A wall, a ceiling or a niche — get your indicative number in about a minute.
Try the free estimator → Or book a free consult No obligation · No spam · Just a clear next stepKeep exploring
Not quite the one? Compare the family.
Gilding is the most opulent of the range — here's where it sits next to our other metal and sheen finishes.
Liquid Copper & Metallics
Real metal with a living patina — including Liquid Gold, the real-metal cousin of gilt.
Explore metallics →
Duchess Satin & Industrial Lustre
Softer sheens — pearl silk and burnished gunmetal, when full gilt is too much.
Explore the sheens →
Fresco Polished Plaster
Burnished, stone-like depth — pairs beautifully beside a gilded niche or ceiling.
Explore polished plaster →Good to know
Gold & silver questions, answered
How much does a gold or silver gilded finish cost in Auckland?
It's priced per m² and depends on the surface size, prep and coats — but because gilded features are usually smaller areas (a niche, a ceiling, one wall), the entry point is lower than people expect. Get an indicative figure with our free instant estimator, or book a free consult for an exact price with gilded samples on your wall.
Is this real gold leaf?
No — and that's the point. Porter's Aquagild delivers the gilded, gold-leaf look as a hand-applied coating: seamless across whole walls and ceilings, without leaf lines, and at a fraction of the cost of laying genuine leaf. For most rooms it's the smarter way to get gilt at scale.
What's the difference between Aquagild Gold and your Liquid Gold?
Aquagild is a gilding finish — a bright, even, reflective gilt surface, like gold leaf. Liquid Gold in our metallics range suspends real metal in the coating for a deeper, moodier gold with genuine material depth. Gilt reads regal and bright; liquid metal reads raw and rich. We'll sample both if you're torn.
Will it tarnish or fade?
No — Aquagild is a stable, durable coating system rather than raw metal leaf, so it holds its lustre without tarnishing. It's even rated for exterior use, which genuine gold leaf could never survive. Normal cleaning is gentle dusting; marks in high-touch areas are straightforward to touch up.
Where does gilding work best — and can you do ceilings?
Ceilings are one of the best places for it — a gilded ceiling bounces warm light through the whole room and is the classic luxury move. Feature walls, powder rooms, alcoves, niches, door faces and mouldings all work beautifully. The rule with gilt: small doses, maximum effect.
Does the wall need special preparation?
Yes — gilt magnifies everything beneath it, so surfaces are brought to a Level 5 standard first. Our own Gib fixing and plastering team handles that, so the base and the gilding arrive as one job with one standard.
Let's begin
Rooms that glow like candlelight on gold.
Auckland homeowners, designers and architects trust Key Painting for gilded finishes done properly. Start with a free consult — or get your number in 60 seconds.
