In May 2026 we supplied bespoke stencils to Bernard Watson Decorators for the renewal of decorative wall patterns at the University of Glasgow. Having supplied stencils for the same project over ten years earlier, we were pleased to work with their team again.
Our involvement was to produce the stencils used by Bernard Watson’s decorators to recreate the detailed designs across the walls. The photographs from the project show the work at different stages, from the initial setting out to the painted patterns.
The University’s main building at Gilmorehill was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic Revival style. Its stone arches and tall windows frame the richly patterned walls, where gold-coloured motifs stand out against a deep blue background.
The South Stair’s decorative scheme was introduced during its 2014 refurbishment. Developed with conservation architects Nimmo and Partners, it combined Gothic Revival colours with stencilled emblems of Scotland and the University. The scheme brought an elaborate decorative treatment to the staircase, reflecting an ambition that had not been realised when the building was first created.
Bernard Watson won the NFB Heritage Project of the Year award in 2014 for their work on the South Staircase in the Gilbert Scott Building. We are proud to have supplied stencils for their work at the University.
For this latest commission, we again produced the bespoke stencils for the decorative wall patterns. The designs include thistles, foliage, circular emblems and repeating borders, each with fine details that needed to be reproduced clearly.
Our stencils gave the decorators consistent templates to work with across the walls. With a repeating design of this scale, the detail in each stencil helps the individual elements come together as a continuous pattern.
Bernard Watson’s team carried out the work at the University, carefully positioning the stencils and applying the decoration. Their setting out and finishing were essential to achieving the overall result.
The project photographs show how the it developed. Individual stencil sheets were positioned across the blue walls, with alignment lines helping to set out the repeats before the motifs were applied.
As the work progressed, the separate elements formed a detailed pattern of diagonal borders and decorative emblems. The wider views show the scale of the work and the access needed to apply the stencilling around the building’s architectural features.
Being asked to supply stencils for the same project over a decade later was a rewarding opportunity to work with Bernard Watson again. As a family business, we value the relationships we build with customers and the trust involved in a return commission.
We would like to thank Bernard Watson for involving us again and for sharing photographs of the work. They show the care taken by the decorating team and how our stencils were used throughout the project.
We produce bespoke stencils for decorative wall patterns, borders and restoration projects. We can work from supplied artwork, drawings or photographs to create stencils suited to the design and application.
If you have a project in mind, send us your design, approximate dimensions and details of how the stencil will be used. We can advise on suitable materials and any adjustments needed to make the design work as a stencil.
If we're the sort of supplier you'd like to work with Get in touch.
