Grade II Listed Victorian Living Room Restoration

Our client owned a stunning Grade II listed Victorian townhouse in Hampstead Village that had not been decorated for over 15 years. The living room featured exquisite original Victorian plasterwork including elaborate ceiling roses, deep cornicing, and decorative picture rails. However, years of settling had caused cracks throughout the plasterwork, and previous decorators had applied modern paints that were incompatible with the breathable lime plaster beneath. The client wanted to restore the room to its former glory while maintaining strict conservation standards and preserving all original features.

Key Challenges

We approached this project with the meticulous care required for heritage properties. Our first step was to carefully remove the incompatible modern paint layers using gentle steam stripping methods to avoid damaging the delicate plasterwork underneath. We then worked with a specialist heritage plasterer to repair all cracks using traditional lime plaster mixed to the original Victorian specifications. The intricate cornicing and ceiling rose were painstakingly restored, with our team hand-finishing every detail to match the original craftsmanship. For the paint specification, we selected Farrow & Ball's breathable Estate Emulsion in "Cornforth White" for the walls and "Pointing" for the woodwork, both colors carefully chosen from the National Trust palette to complement the period of the property. The ceiling was finished in a traditional "Off-White" to enhance the natural light in the room.

Project Approach

Project Gallery

Restored Victorian living room with original features

Detail of restored ceiling rose and cornicing

Period-appropriate color palette application

Services Provided