Make Sure You Research Period Features

If you’re looking for - or have bought - a period home that is in need of some TLC and renovation work, you might be keen to get cracking and start adding period features left, right and centre.

But before you rush ahead and make any major changes, it’s important that you research the property you own and find out what features would have been there when it was first constructed.

That’s the advice from Real Homes, which noted that while restoring period features is undoubtedly a lovely way to acknowledge the history of older homes, it’s important to stick to the features that would have been there in the first place.

“Get to know your home, the age it was built in, and the kind of people who lived there,” the publication stated. It also recommended that you start by repairing the existing features and “undo any well-intentioned mistakes that could affect the condition of the building”.

In doing so, you might stumble across some gems that have been hidden by other decor. We’ve all seen the stories of couples discovering beautiful fireplaces hidden behind false walls and so on.

If the coving and plasterwork on your ceiling needs some work, it’s best to call in coving specialists in London to get a professional finish and one that will match the period of your property.

For some inspiration on how beautiful a period home can be when you give it a bit of love and attention, take a look at what interior designer Clare Pater recently achieved in her property. One feature she insisted on in the living room was coving, because it “adds character”, she asserted.

Traditional Crafts That Deserve A Revival

There will always be something about crafting and making things by hand using centuries-old techniques that will be far more appealing than computer-controlled, mass-manufactured products.

Now more than ever, these British artisans need support and help to keep old crafts alive, keeping the stories alive, and the passion, skills, and work that go into each piece of work. We have some of the traditional crafts and skills here that need to be kept alive

Blacksmithing

Blacksmiths use fire, hammers, and an anvil to hot-forge iron and steel, shaping and forming the metal to make everything from gates and staircases to chairs, fire irons, curtain poles, doorknobs, jewellery and sculptures.

The skills needed to be able to use a 1,000C furnace, and all the cutting, shaping and bending tools take many years to perfect, but the results make it well worth it.

Calligraphy

Computer and smartphones have rendered the need to send handwritten letters pretty much redundant.

But the rarity of beautiful handwriting is part of its appeal. Calligraphy is an exacting but rewarding craft demanding knowledge of its history, an aesthetic sensibility, and a bold yet delicate hand. Modern, inventive hands are every bit as calligraphic as formal historic scripts such as gothic, copperplate or Spencerian.

Dry stone walling

There are over 125,000 miles of dry stone walls in Britain. Some are ancient, dating back to 3,500 BC, while most surround fields and were constructed in the mid-1800s, in the wake of the Enclosure Acts.

It was neglected for many years, but dry stone walling is making a comeback. Your only tool is a sharp-edged hammer, but good wallers aim to cut stones to shape as little as possible. It's arduous but satisfying work, generally undertaken in beautiful surroundings, and the result is something natural that properly looked after, should stand for centuries.

We are specialists in traditional Victorian plasterwork in London, so contact us today if you need expert help.

Coving ‘Adds Character’

An interior designer has recently been sharing how she transformed what she describes as a property that was an “absolute disaster” inside into a stunning family home.

Clare Pater talked to Real Homes about the transformation and how she has managed to create a high-end look on a limited budget. One of her top tips is to search eBay and charity shops for artwork and to upcycle items where you can.

There are a few features that she was adamant about including in the property and one of these was coving in the living room. Ms Pater stated: “I knew I wanted to go very dark on the walls and have very traditional flooring. And I had to have coving - it just adds so much character. It looks like it’s meant to be there.”

She chose to paint the walls black, which contrasts perfectly with the marble fireplace, as well as the crisp white of the coving, ceiling and skirting boards. Pale wood-effect flooring and a sofa and rug in light shades mean that the space doesn’t look too dark.

It seems that many people in the UK have started house hunting since the restrictions surrounding lockdown have been eased in recent weeks.

Show House reported on figures from chartered surveyor and estate agent DEXTERS, which saw a 200 per cent increase in new enquiries in the first two weeks after lockdown restrictions were relaxed in May, compared to the same period in 2019.

Top priorities for those house hunting in London at the moment have included properties with outdoor space and additional interior space for home working.

If you buy a property that needs some work and you want to replace or repair plaster coving in London, get in touch with us to find out about our specialist services.

The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades Lockdown DIY Show

We’re always interested in people who commit to keeping the ‘old ways’ alive, artisan craftspeople who have a passion for skills from yesteryear. There’s something about hand-crafted, bespoke, unique things made with sometimes ancient techniques that modern production and technology just can’t replicate.

Such is the case with BBC1’s The Repair Shop, where each week a team of experts at The Weald and Downland Living Museum, just outside Chichester, take the ‘unfixable’ treasured possessions and restore them for the owners. One of the experts is 50-year-old furniture restorer Jay Blades, who has a new show for DIYers.

“We’re on to a winner – you heard it here first,” said Jay, who believes his new Home Fix series will run and run. “This series taps into our worker bee mentality, that desire to do jobs around the house and garden.”

The show, which airs on weekdays on BBC1 and sees Jay fix up old objects, create new ones and share his cheats for replicating household products, reconnects us with a golden era before mass consumerism and landfills full of broken TVs

“We’re looking back fondly to a time when we fixed stuff rather than chucked it away, getting items out the loft to repair them, instead of buying new. “It’s a return to the days of our parents, to the Second World War and the 50s – the make-do-and-mend era.”

In recent episodes, he has shared his recipes for furniture polish, and a solution to clean the fridge using apple cider vinegar and peppermint oil.

As well as Jay’s clever tips and advice, there will be archive footage from gardening expert Monty Don, and Sarah Moore, presenter of BBC1’s Money For Nothing. Jay Blades’ Home Fix is at 10 am, weekdays on BBC1

If you need experts in traditional Victoria plasterwork in London, came and talk to us today.

How Heritage Sites Can Practise Fire Safety During The Pandemic

Heritage sites and museums around the country have been given advice from London Fire Brigade on how to prioritise best practice in fire safety during the coronavirus crisis, including working with local fire services to develop emergency plans so as to mitigate the loss of priceless heritage if something does happen during pandemic-related closures.

Tips include switching off non-essential appliances, using safer LED bulbs in place of older traditional fluorescent ones, making sure that fire safety systems and equipment are in good working order, and making sure appropriate control measures are in place if construction work is ongoing right now, Museums + Heritage reports.

William Knatchbull, heritage team leader with LFB, said: “Help us to help you is my key message to building managers right now. We’re lucky to have so many beautiful historic buildings in London and we need to make sure they are treasured by generations to come.”

He went on to stress the importance of salvage plans, which can be produced remotely and which identifies the items of priority that would need to be removed. Make sure that information relating to item size, security fastenings and how many people are required to move items is included.

Mr Knatchbull further advised reviewing emergency contact lists at the moment as some staff members may not be able to attend sites should an emergency arise.

Museums and heritage sites around the country will remain closed until at least July 4th, which is the date the government has tentatively put forward for reopening based on what happens over the next few weeks as lockdown measures are eased.

Do you need to restore the cornicing at your London site? Get in touch with us today.

Victorian Homes Stand The Test Of Time

Victorian properties will never go out of fashion. With their sash and bay windows, the intricate cornicing in the high ceilings, beautiful fireplaces in every room, patterned tiles and stained glass, it’s not that surprising.

There is also the draw of our love affair with the period. We only have to see the viewing figures for our favourite period dramas, and who wouldn’t want to live in a house that feels like a part of the glamour of TV drama?

The high demand for these properties, both for more common terraces as well as fabulous detached homes, ensures that Victorian properties command a premium over relatively more modern homes.

The Victorians were a particularly house proud society, and the advances in building technology at the time meant the middle classes could afford to build relatively grand houses packed with beautiful features.

They built their homes to last, which is why there’s still so much stock available today. The Victorians built many of the transport links and infrastructures we still use today, meaning that you will usually find housing of that era in many areas close to shops and stations.

The generous proportions of Victorian homes are particularly popular with families and buyers who are attracted to the ease with which they can be extended and modernised.

The architects of the time were put through their paces at the time, to keep up with a growing population. As the population increased, builders responded to demand by the middle classes looking to move to larger houses away from cramped, back-to-back terraces.

Victorian properties fell out of favour during the 1960s and 1970s, and many of their much-loved features were removed. Hardboard concealed panelled doors, features were stripped of paint, and ceiling roses and cornicing torn down. Fireplaces were thrown out and tiles ripped off the walls. Thankfully, many have been restored sympathetically.

Not only do these properties provide appealing homes, but they are also a good investment. The resale value for Victorian houses is strong.

If you’re restoring your Victorian home, and need coving specialists in London, get in touch.

What Is Cornicing?

There are some interior design and architectural terms that you can hear frequently without truly thinking about what they mean. We’re willing to bet that, for many people, cornicing is one of them.

So, we thought we’d explain what cornicing is, why it’s a great feature to restore if you have a period property, or why you might want to consider cornicing in London if it’s not an element that’s already part of your interior.

We’lll start with the basics. What is cornicing? According to Designing Buildings, it’s “an area or space that overhangs something else”. In interior design, a cornice is most commonly found running along the top of interior walls.

There can be a great deal of variation in interior cornices. They can be very plain and simple, or they can be incredibly intricate and ornate. Generally, people will call plain cornicing “coving”, which means the term cornicing is typically reserved for more ornate examples of decor.

Interestingly, cornicing was first used as far back as the time of Ancient Greece and Rome, when it was commonly used on many buildings.

You can also get exterior cornices, which can also be decorative but which serve a very practical purpose, namely to protect the walls of a building by directing rain water away from them.

When it comes to interior cornicing, you don’t have to simply paint it the same colour as your walls or ceiling. There are some ways of decorating to really bring this feature to the fore.

A post for Livingetc recently suggested that one option is to paint the cornicing in a shade that complements the rest of a room. This introduces “a modern twist to a traditional room”, the publication stated.

5 Reasons Why We Love Victorian Houses

Victorian houses have some incredible features, from glorious high ceilings to charming fireplaces. They account for approximately one in every six homes in the UK, so it’s no surprise that they are such a dominant style of British architecture.

Whether you’re wanting to restore a Victorian property to its former glory or building a contemporary extension for a growing family, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite features.

1. Elegant stained glass in hallways

As with life today, in the Victorian era, first impressions count, so, understandably, the Victorians regarded the entrance hall as an important part of the home. Stained-glass windows and doors were used to demonstrate the wealth and affluence of the owner, as well as their exquisite taste.

2. Stunning Victorian hallway tiles

Another feature of the hallway were the deep-toned, patterned tiles. No matter whether they are the original tiles that have been restored to their former glory, or newer replica tiles, they are an icon on Victorian homes.

3. Statement fireplaces with detailed tiling make a stunning focal point

The ornate fireplace surrounds showcased the incredible craftsmanship of those who produced them. Usually, they were made from cast iron or limestone, and the more affluent homeowner likely had marble and intricately carved wood.

4. Victorian homes have excellent potential for extension

While Victorian houses boasted large front sitting rooms, the rear of the property is often home to a small galley kitchen that is not as practical for more modern living. However, these challenges can be overcome by extending and thankfully Victorian homes lend themselves to new additions.  

5. Elegant cornerpieces and plasterwork create unique statements

As well as their aesthetic value, ornate corner-pieces, plasterwork and roses, also help to define period styles and the status of homes. In the Victorian period, dornice was very ornate, featuring flowers, fruit and vines. Ceiling roses were also at their height.

If you are looking for Victorian coving specialists in London, get in touch today!