The BBC Antiques Roadshow brought Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery into the national spotlight, showcasing our three-year restoration project to a nationwide audience on BBC One. This rare opportunity to see Sir John Soane’s masterpiece featured on national TV is now available for catch-up on BBC iPlayer. 

Starting 17 minutes into the episode, our Director Clare Gough gives presenter Fiona Bruce an exclusive tour of the manor’s intricate conservation work. The segment delves into how years of paint were carefully removed to uncover Soane’s original decorative schemes, and how modern science helped recreate his bold use of colour and materials.

The Restoration Journey

During the segment, Clare reveals the incredible detective work behind the restoration, which began in earnest in 2016. Soane’s entrance hall, once painted entirely white, was meticulously returned to its original grandeur. The marbling effect, which resembles real stone, is in fact painted plaster—a clever cost-saving technique frequently used by Soane. 

The Breakfast Room, another highlight, features a stunning domed ceiling inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The room’s oculus—a circular opening that mimics an Italian sky—exemplifies Soane’s genius for creating light-filled spaces even on overcasted Ealing days. 

Perhaps most striking is the chinoiserie Upper Drawing Room, where paint specialists uncovered traces of rare pigments like lapis lazuli and realgar—an ancient pigment containing arsenic. Thankfully, modern alternatives were used to recreate Soane’s vibrant blues, green, and reds. This meticulous work was made possible by examining paint layers under a microscope to identify the original colours and techniques used during Soane’s time.