Master gilder · Direct commissions & subcontract to trades
Gold Leaf Gilding & Heritage Finishes for Architects, Builders, Churches and Heritage Homes
Brisbane · Gold Coast · Northern Rivers · On site Australia-wide
Krissie Kalteis is a master-certified gilder and church painter (Munich, 2024). She gilds ceilings, cornices, domes, columns, frames and lettering in genuine gold, silver and platinum leaf, and delivers verre églomisé, Venetian plaster and traditional lime finishes, either directly or as your subcontractor on site.
Certified Master · Historical Painting, Gilding & Heritage ConservationMember · Society of GildersMember · Australia ICOMOS
Full gold-leaf ceiling · on site
Master CertificationMunich, Germany · gilding & church painting trade
Art Gilding Pty LtdMaster Gilding Course, Sydney · project gilder on their larger works
What we gild and finish
Six trades, one pair of hands, one standard
Every job is prepared, sized, leafed, burnished and sealed by Krissie herself, to the specification of your project. Genuine 23¾ ct and 24 ct gold, white and rose gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper and composition leaf.
Architectural gilding
Ceilings, cornices, capitals, columns, domes, picture rails, vents, lettering and exterior finials. Water or oil gilding chosen for the surface and its exposure.
For heritage buildings, hotels, churches, homes
Frames, mirrors & furniture
Traditional water gilding on gesso and bole, burnished or matte, with period patina. Conservation of antique frames, including Louis XV revival pieces.
For collectors, galleries, designers, framers
Verre églomisé
Reverse gilding and painting on glass. Durable and washable, made for kitchen splashbacks, bar fronts, feature panels, mirrors and wet areas.
For bars, restaurants, kitchens, bathrooms
Venetian plaster & Marmorino
Three-coat polished lime plaster, waxed or trowel-burnished. Marble, concrete and Mediterranean looks for interiors and exteriors.
For feature walls, bathrooms, fit-outs
Heritage paints & limewash
Natural limewash, casein, clay and silicate systems that let old masonry breathe. Reproduction of historic colours and textures, restoration of original plaster.
For conservation projects and heritage homes
Church & sacred work
Statues, altars, tabernacles, icons and panels in egg tempera, gesso and gold. Gilded honour boards and memorial lettering. Trained in the German church-painting tradition.
For parishes, dioceses, chapels, memorials
Selected work
Gold, silver and lime, at architectural scale
A selection from projects across NSW, Victoria and Queensland, including larger works delivered as project gilder for Art Gilding Pty Ltd, Sydney.
Gilded cornices through a full-length hallCeiling in full gold leafDome in silver leafFluted column, gold leafGilded pilaster capitalGilded picture rail and corniceGilded plaster ribs on a coffered ceilingCurved wall in copper and gold leaf, commercial interiorWater-gilded overmantel frameExterior finials in gold leafAntiqued mirror with painted borderHeritage wall vent, gildedArchangel panel, egg tempera on water-gilded gessoPunchwork ornament on burnished gold
Direct commissions and subcontract, built for briefs and site programs
01
Builders, painters & shopfitters
Subcontract gilding and specialist finishes inside your program. Quoted per item or per square metre, own tools and materials, coordinated with your trades.
02
Heritage architects & conservation consultants
Matching original gilding and paint schemes, sample boards, documented methods and materials for listed fabric.
03
Churches, dioceses & institutions
Statues, altars, tabernacles, honour boards, memorials and chapel interiors. Traditional materials from the German church-painting trade.
04
Interior designers & high-end builders
Gilded ceilings, Venetian plaster and verre églomisé delivered to drawings, with samples approved before work starts.
05
Hotels, bars, restaurants & retail
Feature walls, bar fronts, gilded signage and lettering that survive daily use and cleaning.
06
Owners of heritage homes
Queenslanders, Federation and Art Deco homes: picture rails, cornices, ceiling roses, doors and breathable heritage paints.
How a project runs
From brief to burnished gold in five steps
Send photos and a few lines. Krissie replies personally, usually within two business days.
1
Brief & photos
What, where, when. Drawings or a phone photo are enough to start.
2
Site visit or sample
Measure, test the substrate, agree the metal, sheen and patina on a sample board.
3
Fixed quote
Itemised materials and labour, schedule and access requirements in writing.
4
On-site work
Preparation, gesso or size, leaf, burnish, seal. Tidy, on program, coordinated with your other trades.
5
Handover & care
Photos, method record and care notes so the finish lasts for decades.
About Krissie
From a Bavarian castle to Australian heritage ceilings
Krissie grew up in Burghausen, home of the world's longest castle, and at twelve was repainting the interiors of a 60-room Bavarian castle with lime paints and large brushes. Since arriving in Australia in 2011 she has painted and gilded across the country, from Darwin to Melbourne, including maintenance and project work inside the National Gallery of Victoria.
She completed the Master Gilding Course at Art Gilding Pty Ltd in Sydney and has worked as project gilder on many of their larger commissions. In 2024 she returned to Munich to earn her Master Certification in Historical Painting Techniques, Gold Gilding and Heritage Conservation, the only Australian in her year.
“Australia's Victorian and Federation buildings deserve the same materials and care they were built with. That is the work I trained for.”
Munich 2024Master Certification, gilding & church painting
Since 2012Professional decorative painting in Australia
Northern RiversStudio near Ballina · travels for projects
Clients
What owners and clients say
Krissie gilded the picture rails and wall air vents in my 100-year-old building. These elements have transformed my plain-looking space to a grand one, consistent with the historic nature of the building. A hard-working and very tidy worker.
Adam · Darlinghurst, NSW · gilding, 2025
The work exudes finesse and professionalism. Done in the time frame agreed, with no delays and no mess during and after the project. Krissie was exceptional in providing choices and advice.
Lorena · Central Coast, NSW · exterior, 2023
We have a tall house and had difficulty finding someone who would do the job. Krissie was reliable, had no trouble with the height, and completed the job well and in a timely manner.
Roxanne · Nimbin, NSW · 2025
Questions
Before you send a brief
Project check
Not sure what to call it? Seven taps and Krissie will know.
Most people know the look they want, not the trade name for it. Answer seven quick questions and Krissie replies personally with what the work involves, the right finish and a ballpark. Trades and architects can skip straight to the written brief.
