From Monday 28th July the shop will only be open Wednesday's to Saturday's 9:30 to 5:30 until the end of August 2008.
Services:
   Frequently Asked Questions:
 
The Overmantels Company
      Q1 What are your opening times?
  Q2 Do you have parking?
  Q3 How can I reach you by public transport?
  Q4 When was Overmantels established?
 
The Mirrors
  Q5 Where are the mirrors made?
  Q6 What type of mirrors do you make?
  Q7 Do you only make mirrors to go above fireplaces?
  Q8 Can you advise me on how to choose the size of my mirror
  Q9 Can you make mirrors to any size?
  Q10 Can I customise the decoration on my mirror?
  Q11 What are the mirrors made of?
  Q12 What different finishes do you offer?
  Q13 Do you do specialist paint finishes?
  Q14 What kind of glass do you use?
  Q15 Can you 'antique' the glass in your mirrors?
  Q16 Can the glass be bevelled?
  Q17 Do you sell antiques as well as reproductions?
 
Miscellaneous
  Q18 Do you have a brochure detailing your antiques?
  Q19 Do you deliver?
  Q20 Can you fit the mirrors for us?
  Q21 How is the mirror fixed to the wall?
  Q22 Which forms of payment do you accept?
  Q23 How long after ordering will a mirror take to arrive?
  Q24 Are you outside the congestion charge zone?
  Q25 Is there anywhere else I can view your mirrors?
  Q26 Are there circumstances or situations where you would recommend having a bespoke mirror made?
  Q27 Do you do restorations?
   
   
 

1  What are your opening times?
  Our shop is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

  2  Do you have parking?
  Although we are on a red route, it is possible to park in the loading bays there are 2 bays the one directly outside the shop is a 20min only loading bay but the one further on outside the restaurant ‘Buchan’s’ is parking for an hour, both are between 10am and 4pm only. There is also ‘Pay & Display’ parking in the surrounding streets. See Location
  3  How can I reach you by public transport?
  The numbers 49, 345, 319 and 239 buses come past our shop from, respectively High Street Kensington, South Kensington, Sloane Square and Victoria station on the way to Clapham Junction station. Our stop is on the south side of Battersea bridge.See Location
  4  When was Overmantels established?
  Overmantels was established in 1985 by Seth Taylor who has been dealing in antiques since 1973. See History
  5  Where are the mirrors made?
  The majority of our mirrors are made in the UK by our own workshops which are based in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. See Workshop
  6  What type of mirrors do you make?
    We sell all kinds of mirrors but we specialise in traditionally made wooden framed and gilded mirrors. Our traditional mirrors are based on Georgian, Regency and Victorian originals and these are mainly English designs, although we do have a few French style mirrors as well.
If you have a taste for the Contemporary we also carry a selection of modern mirrors.
See Mirrors
  7  Do you only make mirrors to go above fireplaces?
  Our mirrors can be hang in many different places, above sofas, used as decorative bed heads, over console tables in hallways or ‘sitting’ on dado rails, over sideboards in dining rooms, at the top of stairs the list is endless. We can also change the base of a mirror to make it more suitable for ‘free hanging’ by giving it a continuous base. See Mirrors
  8  Can you advise me on how to choose the size of my mirror?
  Yes if you want a mirror over your fireplace we have a measuring guideline which we use to find the correct dimensions of the mirror. See Measuring Up. Otherwise we are happy to discuss the sizing of a mirror for other places.
  9  Can you make mirrors to any size?
  Yes. We make all the mirrors in our catalogue ourselves and 90% of these can be made to measure. Quotes for these special sizes on request. See Bespoke Mirrors
  10  Can I customise the decoration on my mirror?
  On the majority of our traditional range it is possible to alter and change the ornamentation you have. However on are carved range the decoration is intrinsically part of the frame itself. See Bespoke Mirrors
 

11 What are the mirrors made of?
  The timber frames are made from tulip wood which is a type of poplar wood, and this is harvested from renewable wood sources. The decorative ornamentation is made of composition which is an eighteenth century technique for creating decorations that was faster than hand carving the wood. The recipes for this are handed down through the generations and are closely guarded as they all differ slightly. Finally the frames are gessoed (this is the ‘white’ layer) and then boule is applied (this is a coloured clay in either yellow or red) and then the gold is applied.

  12  What different finishes do you offer?
  Our choice starts with our standard gilt finish, this is included in the mirror prices, and is a subtle soft gold colour. Next we have our Dutch Gold Leaf finish, this is an extra on top of mirror price, and this is a more yellow gold colour and is a brighter finish. We also do a Silver Leaf finish; this too is extra on mirror price. Then there is our Rubbed Gilt finishes, again extra, and is a textured white finish with gold highlights on the decorations. See Finishes
  13  Do you do specialist paint finishes?
  No. However we can supply the frame for your decorator to finish. See Finishes
  14  What kind of glass do you use?
  We use the finest quality 6mm silvered glass, we can also do safety glass and we can also do a ‘verre Eglomise’ glass, which is a technique using individual silver leaf on the back of clear glass.
  15  Can you 'antique' the glass in your mirrors?
  We have not found any ‘antiqued’ glass that looks realistic, but the ‘verre Eglomise’ finish is a much softer look and would be good to look at as an alternative.
  16  Can the glass be bevelled?
  Yes. Some of the mirrors have bevelled glass as standard, and we can quote for bevelling glass in any of the other mirrors.
  17  Do you sell antiques as well as reproductions?
  Yes, we always have a selection of original antique English and French mirrors. See Period Originals.
  18  Do you have a brochure detailing your antiques?
  Our antique stock is constantly changing as we source and sell them, so we don’t have a brochure. However we do keep updating our website pages.
  19  Do you deliver?
  We can arrange a specialist carrier almost anywhere on the UK mainland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. For Europe and Worldwide we can put you in touch with recommended Shippers. See Delivery
  20  Can you fit the mirrors for us?
  Unfortunately as we have expanded our workshops and subsequently have had to move them outside of London, we are not able to fit mirrors any more.
  21  How is the mirror fixed to the wall?
  If the mirror is sitting on the mantel shelf, the fireplace will take the weight and we will supply two mirror plates to secure it against the wall. You can also opt for additional fittings such as extra mirror plates, keyhole fixings and chains depending on where the mirror is hanging. See Measuring Up
  22  Which forms of payment do you accept?
  You can pay by either cash, cheque, Visa, MasterCard or Switch/Debit card. We can also take payments over the phone. We are unable to accept AMEX, American Express or Diners Club cards.
  23  How long after ordering will a mirror take to arrive?
  The majority of our mirrors are ready to deliver or collect 5/6 weeks from order. A specially made bespoke mirror will take roughly 8/10 weeks from order. Delivery in the UK adds approximately a week, overseas delivery times will be quoted individually. See Delivery
  24  Are you outside the congestion charge zone?
  Yes we are outside the new enlarged congestion zone. If you do go throgh the congestion zone on your journey please see cclondon.com for map and payment details.
  25  Is there anywhere else I can view your mirrors?
  We have various agents around the country, see Agents list
  26  Are there circumstances or situations where you would recommend having a bespoke mirror made?
  Yes, if you wanted a free standing floor mirror made from any of our mirrors we would suggest the use of safety glass and perhaps change the base and height. If you wanted to ‘free hang’ a mirror or make a mirror to fit a certain space i.e. an alcove we could alter the width and height and perhaps have a continuous base instead of one that should ‘sit’.
  27  Do you do restorations?
  We are currently not taking in restoration works.
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