Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ designs are among the most dramatic and rewarding decorative finishes we create at HV’ART. They are also among the most demanding.
They require intense preparation, carefully controlled materials, multiple layers, repeated sanding, correct tools and a deep respect for the surface.
A true lacquered surface is not simply a shiny painted wall, or a sprayed plastic-like surface. It is a deeply prepared, carefully layered, hand-finished decorative surface with movement, depth, atmosphere and soul.
These finishes are not for the faint-hearted artisan or client. They require patience, preparation, multiple specialist layers, a determined craftsperson and, realistically, a substantial budget.
When carried out properly, however, the result is an unforgettable lacquered surface that cannot be achieved through standard flat painting or simple high-gloss paint.
What are Contemporary Japanning Lacquer designs?
Our Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ finishes were developed to capture the spirit of traditional Japanning and Urushi-inspired lacquer, while using a modern waterborne lacquer paint system that is more appropriate for contemporary interiors, craftspeople, clients and the environment.
Unlike a machine-flat sprayed surface, our approach celebrates the character of the hand. The aim is not to create a lifeless block of solid colour, but a refined lacquered finish with a gentle vibration running through the surface. We use broken colour, glaze and clear lacquer to create a surface with subtle movement and depth.
This quality can feel like old glass, ceramic, polished lacquer or water moving beneath a clear surface.
Contemporary Japanning Lacquer designs can be used for a variety of areas- from dining rooms to powder rooms (however, the design cannot be used in bathrooms, steam rooms or swimming pool areas)- and surfaces, such as walls, ceilings and joinery.
We also use lacquer to enhance other decorative finishes, such as faux marble, faux bois, specialist painted panels and hand painted marble socket plates, where a beautifully controlled lacquer surface can add depth, protection and refinement.
A HV’ART Signature Finish
At HV’ART, Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ is the name we created for this signature finish.
We are not claiming to have invented Japanning or traditional Japanese lacquer. These historic crafts have a long and important lineage. Rather, Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ describes our own modern, waterborne and hand-crafted approach to layered decorative lacquer.
In this way, Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ carries the spirit of the past into contemporary interiors, while remaining unmistakably part of the HV’ART decorative arsenal.
The story behind HV’ART Contemporary Japanning Lacquer
The development of our Contemporary Japanning Lacquer finishes began many years ago, following a challenge from the renowned interior designer Nina Campbell.
She asked us to create a lacquered entrance hall inspired by the appearance of her favourite ceramic vase.
At that time, we had already been moving away from traditional solvent-heavy decorative systems for many years. Since 1996, we had been committed to becoming a greener and more environmentally responsible decorative arts company. We wanted to look after our team, our clients, the interiors we worked in and the wider environment.
Traditional oil-based systems and older lacquer methods could be beautiful, but they could also be difficult to live with and hard on craftspeople. We had experienced the effects ourselves, including respiratory irritation, skin reactions and the heavy feeling that can follow a day spent working with harsh materials.
That challenge led us to ask a simple question: Could we create the depth, atmosphere and beauty of traditional Japanning lacquer using modern waterborne materials?
Through years of testing, observing, adjusting and refining, we developed our own way forward.
Interestingly, as we researched traditional Japanese lacquer methods, we realised that some of the principles we had arrived at through our own experimentation echoed the layered thinking of historic lacquer craftsmanship. We were not trying to imitate the past exactly. Instead, we wanted to honour its spirit using the best materials available to us today.
We often wonder whether the great craftspeople of the past, if given access to today’s more advanced and less harmful materials, might have embraced them.
A Modern Waterborne System
Thus the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™ was created to help us produce beautiful lacquer wall, ceiling and decorative designs without relying on traditional oil-based mediums.
Our lacquer finishes are waterborne, colour fast and designed to remain beautiful without the yellowing often associated with older systems. They allow us to build layered decorative surfaces with clarity, depth and strength.
The HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™ includes:
- HV’ART Shellac SealCoat™
- HV’ART Gesso Style Primer™
- HV’ART Advanced Gesso Style Factory Primer™
- HV’ART Decorative Canvas™
- HV’ART Lacquer Glaze™
- HV’ART Crystal Lacquers™
- HV’ART Lacquer Honing Compound™
- HV’ART Lacquer Polishing Wax™
These products can be purchased through the HV’ART online store and used by experienced decorators, specialist finishers and skilled artisans.
However, it is important to understand that the quality of the final lacquer finish depends heavily on the preparation, the judgement of the artisan, the tools used, the sanding between layers and the way each coat is applied, allowed to cure, refined and built upon. We have created a guide on how to apply this system.
Why choose Contemporary Japanning Lacquer?
Clients and designers choose this type of finish because it offers:
- Beautiful depth and movement
- A luxurious hand-crafted surface
- A ceramic or glass-like quality
- A sense of history without pastiche
- A modern waterborne lacquer system
- Colour fast decorative layers
- A truly bespoke result
- A finish with character, rhythm and soul
- Control from deep matt to wet-look gloss
- A craft-led alternative to standard gloss paint
- The possibility of brush-applied movement and hand-finished character
It is especially powerful in entrance halls, dining rooms, libraries, drawing rooms and special architectural spaces where the walls themselves become part of the artwork.
Brush-applied lacquer versus spray finish
There is nothing wrong with spray finishing. In the right context, it can create a beautiful, clean and highly controlled surface. However, spray finishing and hand-applied lacquer finishing are different, not only in application.
Many high-gloss painted finishes are spray applied to create a wet coat surface. This can be highly effective, but it often gives a more manufactured look. It can also require very particular site conditions, strong ventilation and careful control of dust, odour and overspray, particularly when solvent-based materials are involved.
Our Contemporary Japanning Lacquer approach is different.
Although our materials can be sprayed, our signature lacquer designs are generally created by hand. We like the subtle vibration of brush-applied work. We like the way the surface shows the presence of the craftsperson. We like the quiet irregularity, movement and life that hand finishing can bring.
The aim is not to create a plastic-perfect sprayed surface. The aim is to create a hand-crafted lacquered surface with rhythm and soul.
This is also why we favour broken colour rather than flat colour for our signature lacquer designs. The hand-applied glaze work, the movement of the brush and the layers of clear lacquer all work together to create a surface that feels alive.
Solid colour lacquer versus broken colour lacquer
It is possible to use the HV’ART Lacquer Paint System to create a cleaner, more uniform solid colour lacquer finish. In some areas of a room, such as door edges, window returns, working joinery elements or the backs of bookcases, a more solid colour may be appropriate.
Our pigmented lacquer paints can be used where a simpler, more contemporary appearance is required. In those cases, we would still usually recommend applying clear HV’ART Crystal Lacquer over the top to enhance the gloss, build depth and give the surface greater richness.
However, our signature Contemporary Japanning Lacquer designs are usually not created as one flat colour.
A true HV’ART Contemporary Japanning Lacquer finish should feel alive. It should hold light, movement and a quiet rhythm within the surface, which we find possible through creating a broken colour surface.
Contemporary Japanning Lacquer versus gloss paint
Contemporary Japanning Lacquer should not be confused with normal gloss paint.
A conventional gloss paint is usually a single-colour pigmented coating. It can create a shiny surface, and in skilled hands it can be extremely effective, but it is not the same as a layered decorative lacquer finish.
Many traditional high-gloss paint systems are also solvent-based. They often require careful ventilation, strong site control and considerable tolerance for odour during application and drying. Many are also designed around a wet coat application, often sprayed to achieve their final gloss. Again, this can be extremely effective in the right context, but it is a different approach.
A solid gloss paint surface is usually one colour. It may be highly reflective, but it does not naturally contain the broken colour, glaze movement, layered atmosphere or optical depth of a hand-crafted lacquer design.
HV’ART Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ is built differently. It combines specialist preparation, Shitaji style base layers, hand-applied Naka-Nuri style colour and glaze layers, and Uwa-Nuri style clear lacquer layers.
In simple terms, gloss paint sits more on the surface, whilst Contemporary Japanning Lacquer is built as a surface. Both have their place, but they are not the same thing.
The layered approach: Shitaji, Naka-Nuri and Uwa-Nuri inspiration
Our Contemporary Japanning Lacquer designs are built through a sequence of specialist layers. While our full HV’ART process remains proprietary, the broad principle follows a layered approach inspired by the thinking behind traditional lacquer work.
Shitaji style base layers
The base layers create the ideal foundation for the broken colour, movement and decorative artwork within the lacquer design.
HV’ART Gesso Style Primer™ and HV’ART Decorative Canvas™ help create a smooth, refined foundation for the decorative layers that follow.
HV’ART Decorative Canvas™ helps seal the surface in the chosen base colour and creates the ideal level of slip for the glaze work.
Naka-Nuri style colour layers
The decorative colour layers are where the surface begins to come alive by creating depth.
HV’ART Lacquer Glazes are applied by hand using colour fast artist colours and specialist mediums.
This is where the Contemporary Japanning Lacquer design develops its movement, tone, rhythm and subtle vibration. These layers are not about flat painting. It is where the chosen design, colourway and surface character are interpreted by hand.
Uwa-Nuri style lacquer layers
The final clear lacquer layers build gloss, clarity and depth and create the final protective and optical layer.
Multiple coats of HV’ART Crystal Lacquer are applied and refined between coats.
Depending on the project, the surface may be left as a natural hand-finished ceramic lacquer surface or honed and polished further.
Contemporary Roiro honing and polishing
For the most refined lacquer surfaces, we may hone the surface using the finest grade papers, followed by HV’ART Lacquer Honing Compound™ and HV’ART Lacquer Polishing Wax™.
This process enhances clarity, richness and depth. It can create an exceptionally beautiful surface, but it requires great care and judgement. The aim is not always to create an over-polished or overly manufactured effect. The correct level of refinement depends on the design, the room, the substrate and the desired character of the surface.
Preparation is everything
Since the lacquer layers are refined, polished and visually sensitive, the most critical factor in any Contemporary Japanning Lacquer design is the preparation of the substrate. The final finish can only ever be as good as the surface beneath it.
The unforgiving lacquered surface will reveal almost everything beneath it. It magnifies the quality of the groundwork, the shape of the joinery, the flatness of the plaster and the accuracy of the lines.
For this reason, all walls, ceilings, fibrous plaster, joinery and furniture must be structurally sound, smooth, flat and level before specialist lacquer work begins. This means the surface must be:
- Smooth
- Sound
- Flat
- Level
- Properly sealed
- Stable
- Carefully sanded
- Free from contamination
- Ready to receive multiple specialist layers
There is also a great deal of physical effort involved. A fine lacquer finish requires filling, sanding, refining and repeating. Before the decorative work even begins, the surface may need extensive filling and sanding simply to bring it into the correct condition.
Across a full Contemporary Japanning Lacquer process, there may be a minimum of eight full sanding stages. These are not light touch passes. They are proper full sands between key coats and stages, each one helping to refine the surface and prepare it for the next layer.
This is part of the reason these finishes require such patience. The beauty of the final lacquer surface is built through repetition, discipline and sheer elbow grease.
Walls, ceilings and flat plaster areas
Walls and ceilings must be prepared to an exceptionally high standard before receiving a lacquer design. They should be sound, smooth, flat and level, with all joints properly formed and stable.
This includes adjoining surfaces and changes of material, such as:
- Plasterboard to plasterboard
- Metal to plasterboard
- Wood to plasterboard
- Fibrous plaster to fibrous plaster
- Plaster to joinery
- Any other adjoining substrate or medium
However, no priming works by others are required. For our lacquer system, all priming and coating layers must remain within the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™.
Porous areas, filler, skim-coated areas and new plaster are treated using HV’ART Shellac Sealer™ or HV’ART Shellac SealCoat™ where specified. This traditional craftsman’s sealer penetrates the plaster and creates a harder, more workable surface for filling, sanding and further refinement.
HV850 FibreScreed™ and the creation of our SabiBase
The HV850 FibreScreed™ System is our high-performance surface reinforcing crack suppressant fibreglass mesh screed, designed to help us prepare walls and ceilings properly and reduce the risk of surface cracks on the visible face of decorative finishes. We often think of it as helping us create a true surface, rather than merely coating over an existing one.
It is the hidden strength behind the visible finish, a quiet hero behind the durability of many of our decorative schemes. This system helps create what we refer to as our SabiBase: a stable, reinforced, refined and sandable foundation for the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™.
We cover this in more detail in our dedicated guide HV850 FibreScreed™ System.
Fibrous plaster and specialist mouldings
Fibrous plaster requires particular care. It must be smooth, sound and free from air holes, with clean, straight lines, proper angles and unimpeded curves where relevant.
Where fibrous plaster meets a ceiling, wall or adjoining surface, the relationship between those planes must be properly formed. Angles should be clean and curves should run without interruption.
We are not responsible for structural or substrate imperfections spoiling a finished lacquer design. If the foundation is imperfect, the lacquer will not hide it. In many cases, it will reveal it more clearly.
No primers or coatings, other than HV’ART Shellac Sealer™ or those specified within the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™, should be used unless otherwise specified by HV’ART.
Woodwork, joinery and furniture
New woodwork, joinery and furniture intended for a Contemporary Japanning Lacquer finish should be factory or workshop spray-primed in HV’ART Advanced Gesso Style Factory Primer™ in the relevant base coat colour specified by us.
Good quality joinery and furniture should arrive to site already spray-primed, smooth, sound and ready for the next stages of the finish.
Where possible, this colour should relate closely to the intended finished lacquer design. If the finished design is a deep green, for example, the GSF should usually be specified in that deep green direction, even if lighter greens, glazes or broken colour are later used to create movement and depth.
This helps the finish work as a system from the earliest stage. It is particularly important on edges, mouldings, corners and areas where sanding between coats may reveal underlying layers.
All filler should also be tinted as closely as possible towards the finished lacquer colourway. This helps with opacity, improves visual consistency and makes the sanding and refining stages more controlled.
All joinery should have crisp mouldings, clean edges, accurate mitres and properly formed details. If the joinery is poorly formed, the gloss and reflection will make this more noticeable.
This applies to:
- Woodwork
- Joinery
- Furniture
- Cornices
- Panelling
- Mouldings
- Doors
- Drawers
- Frames and architectural details
Doors, drawers and other working elements must be free-moving and correctly adjusted, with suitable tolerance allowed for the final finish. This is particularly important because the finishing coats of the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™ are typically no more than approximately 400 to 500 microns thick, which is around half a millimetre.
The lacquer system adds beauty, depth and protection, but it is not a solution for poor joinery, distorted edges, tight tolerances or badly formed details.
Where screw fixings are required, we recommend that screw holes are properly finished using timber barrel plugs of the same material, glued into place, rather than simply filled over countersunk screws.
How many coats does a Contemporary Japanning Lacquer finish need?
A Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ finish is a craft process rather than a simple paint specification.
In our experience, the minimum number of coats can be around 16, assuming everything goes extremely well and the substrate is properly prepared. In other circumstances, the process can require 20 to 24 coats or more.
The number of layers depends on:
- The condition of the substrate
- The depth of finish required
- The colourway
- The level of movement in the design
- Whether the surface is honed and polished
- Site conditions and drying times
- The behaviour of the materials during the process
This is why lacquer work is both labour intensive and highly specialist. It cannot be rushed without compromising the result.
Touch Up and Care
Very shiny finishes and very matt finishes are both difficult to repair invisibly. The same is often true of pearls, metallics and other specialist decorative surfaces. Once light begins moving across a surface in a particular way, even a small repair can become visible.
HV’ART is very experienced in touching in, blending and restoration work, and in some cases a local repair may be possible. However, this should never be relied upon. This is one of the reasons preparation and crack suppressant systems are so important.
A damaged lacquer surface may require a larger area to be refinished, sometimes from corner to corner, depending on the location, sheen, colour, movement and type of damage.
The best approach is to treat the surface carefully, protect it during other works and avoid impact, scratching or unnecessary handling.
FAQs about HV’ART Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™
Contemporary Japanning Lacquer is a modern hand-crafted decorative lacquer finish inspired by traditional Japanning and lacquer techniques.
It uses layered colour, glaze and clear lacquer to create depth, movement and a refined lacquered surface.
Yes. Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ is the name HV’ART created for its own signature modern interpretation of layered Japanning-inspired lacquer design.
It is not a claim to have invented historic Japanning or traditional Japanese lacquer. It describes HV’ART’s own waterborne, hand-crafted and studio-developed approach to this type of decorative lacquer finish.
Contemporary Japanning is finished with HV’ART Crystal Lacquer™ 90 Ceramic, our highest-sheen lacquer, developed to create the intense clarity, depth and wet-look gloss associated with this specialist finish.
A conventional decorative varnish may provide basic surface protection, but Contemporary Japanning requires considerably more from the final coating. The lacquer must build in thin, controlled layers, retain exceptional clarity, minimise visible application marking and cure to a surface that can be carefully honed and polished.
Many general-purpose waterborne clear coatings are designed primarily for straightforward domestic protection. They may produce a softer or more visibly coated appearance and are not necessarily formulated to withstand the refinement, abrasion and polishing required for a true high-gloss lacquer finish.
HV’ART Crystal Lacquer™ 90 Ceramic protects the decorative glaze work beneath while intensifying its colour, movement and optical depth. Once fully cured, the lacquer may be honed and polished as required to create the exceptionally refined surface that defines Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™.
No. Normal gloss paint is usually a single-colour pigmented coating designed to create a shiny surface. Many traditional high-gloss paint systems are solvent-based and rely on a wet coat finish, often sprayed in controlled conditions.
HV’ART Contemporary Japanning Lacquer™ is different. It is a waterborne, layered decorative lacquer finish created with specialist preparation, broken colour, glaze movement and clear lacquer build. The result has depth, atmosphere and subtle surface movement, rather than simply one solid colour with shine.
HV’ART products can be sprayed where appropriate, but our signature Contemporary Japanning Lacquer finishes are generally hand applied. We favour brush-applied and roll-and-tip methods because they create a more crafted surface with subtle movement, rhythm and soul.
Yes, lacquered walls can be created in a more solid colour using pigmented lacquer paints.
However, HV’ART Contemporary Japanning Lacquer designs usually include broken colour and subtle movement to create a more crafted, atmospheric surface.
Lacquer reveals the quality of the surface beneath it.
If the substrate is not flat, stable, sealed and properly prepared, the final finish will not achieve the required depth, clarity or longevity.
Wherever possible, filler should be tinted towards the finished lacquer colourway. This helps with opacity, reduces visual interruption and makes the sanding and refining stages more controlled.
The finishing coats of the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™ are typically no more than approximately 400 to 500 microns thick, which is around half a millimetre.
For this reason, working elements such as doors and drawers must already have suitable tolerance before finishing begins.
Walls and ceilings should be structurally sound, smooth, flat and level. All joints and adjoining substrates should be stable, properly formed and free from imperfections that could spoil the finished lacquer design.
Yes, but fibrous plaster must be sound, smooth, free from air holes and correctly formed. Lines, angles and curves must be clean and unimpeded before lacquer work begins.
Yes, lacquer can be applied to suitable joinery and furniture, but the substrate must be prepared correctly.
New woodwork and joinery should usually be factory or workshop spray-primed in HV’ART Advanced Gesso Style Factory Primer™ in the specified base coat colour. Starting with a sympathetic base colour helps the lacquer system work better on edges, mouldings and areas that may be sanded during the finishing process.
HV850 FibreScreed™ is HV’ART’s crack suppressant fibreglass in mineral screed preparation system for walling, plaster and flat areas. It is used to help create our SabiBase, a reinforced and refined foundation beneath the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™. A quartz primer is applied first to provide a mechanical key, helping the mineral screed stay in position while the HV850 fibreglass is embedded, flushed, filled and sanded smooth.
Please read our detailed guide on how to use our How to use the the HV’ART Advanced Lacquer Paint System™ - HV'ART to achieve the Contemporary Japanning Lacquer finish.