California Theater won a 2014 California Preservation award.

The California Theater, in Pittsburg, CA won this year's award for best rehabilitation project. BEATE BRÜHL DESIGN was responsible for the paint/color study, and recreation of historic decoration throughout the building.

Approx. 26 foot diameter ceiling design, recreated from historic photographs

Interior of auditorium during rehabilitation

Columns, and plaster ornaments have been gilded with Dutch metal, and antiqued, the murals have been recreated on canvas, the balcony front has been redesigned from historic photographs, and the frieze has been digitally printed on paper, and installed.

During rehabilitation

Metro Theater, San Francisco, CA - Entry Lobby Ceiling reproduction

Art Deco ceiling design to be reproduced.

Tracing of historic ceiling design made into pounce pattern.

Newly constructed ceiling, ready for reproduction of Art Deco ceiling.

Pounced ceiling pattern, painting of pattern started.

New ceiling pattern, using tracing of historic pattern.

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Reproduced ceiling looking outside the building, toward street.

Metro Theater Conversion, San Francisco, CA - Auditorium, West Mural Restoration

West Heinzbergen mural before theater conversion (demolition of ceiling and auditorium floor

Mural seen during building in of floors

West mural, after demolition, before cleaning

West mural after cleaning with conservation sponges. The shiny areas are figure painted on canvas attached to the wall

Canvas cut-out figure before cleaning

Figure after cleaning with conservation sponges, in-painting, and varnishing. The dark red back ground remained unvarnished.

Detail after cleaning, and varnishing

Detail after cleaning, and varnishing

Detail after cleaning, and varnishing

West mural after cleaning, touch-up, and varnishing of figure

Metro Theater, San Francisco, CA - East Mural Restoration

One of two Heinzbergen murals, facing each other mirror image, as seen after the theater has be closed for a few years. During the Theater conversion the murals were to remain, to be restored. Ceiling and floor were taken out, and 4 new floor were built in. 

Cleaning test with conservation sponges/erasers.

After demolition of floors and ceiling

Detail - East mural

Mural after cleaning, in-painting and varnishing. The cleaning revealed that the figures were painted on canvases, and that they had been varnished

East Mural after cleaning. The 3rd and top floor have been built out around the murals.

It was decided, to visually blend two doorways, not part of the historic; the plaster on the edges was cleaned up, primed, painted with a hand matched mural color, and the canvas figure was completed with an additional piece. - During repair

                  

After repair

Governors Mansion State Historic Park, Sacramento, CA - 3rd Floor restoration - Plaster Medallions

New Hallway ceiling plaster medallion to replace missing one; it was matched to an existing medallion on a lower floor

Billiard Room pllaster medallion before restoration, showing original color scheme under many layers of paint, and exposed ceiling pattern.

Billiard room medallion after treatment.

Ballroom plaster medallion, showing the exposed original pattern that appears in Billiard Room, and Card Room as well

Ballroom medallion after treatment

Card Room/Ladies Parlor plaster ceiling medallion color scheme, exposed, under many layers of paint.

Card Room/ Ladies Parlor ceiling medallion after treatment, showing the same ceiling design as the Ballroom, and Billiard Room.

Governor's Mansion, State Historic Park, Sacramento, CA - 3rd Floor Hallway Restoration

North end of Hallway before restoration, showing two uncovered fields of original paint,

 under many layers of paint.

Hallway during restoration.

Hallway before restoration with exposed original ceiling paint, still showing a temporary wall separating from the stair case

Recreated Hallway ceiling design, leaving a part of the original exposed.

During ceiling painting above stair case.

Detail of new ceiling paining

Coming up the stair to the 3rd floor Hallway

Governors Mansion, State Historic Park, Sacramento, CA - Billard Room Restoration

Uncovered under ca. 10 layers of paint, Billiard Room ceiling design

Recreated ceiling wall and ceiling design, leaving the original design exposed, and varnished

Billiard Room wall design