Ryan Swart 30/10/2024 Ryan Swart 30/10/2024

Cornice (coving) repairs at Leeds

Roundhay, Leeds project: We carry out cornice (coving) repairs to this ornate Edwardian cornice following damage by builders when they used acrow props and install RSJ steel beam to make away for new hi fold doors in dining room. See below of our progression pictures.

Ryan Swart 08/09/2024 Ryan Swart 08/09/2024

Grove House, Barrow upon Humber, North Lincolnshire (near Hull)

Lucy and Seb has bought Grove House, Barrow upon Humber, near Hull, and saves from total ruin from water decay, and everything is back to brick and timber as all plasterwork are damaged from water ingress and been helping them to reinstate the plasterwork mainly cornice (coving) , arches and number of corner features as there they would find it at first place. Like for like. Even we did traditional three coat lime plastering in which is original fabric periodic to the Georgian property. They have Instragram and Facebook pages and give them a follow for their journey to restore the beautiful Grade 2 listed home back to its former glory. Also featured in Channel 4 - Renovation Nation - series 1 and 2. Have a look of some progression pictures below and the project is still ongoing as so many work that needs to be done.

Ryan Swart 15/09/2023 Ryan Swart 15/09/2023

Lime plaster and Lath ceiling at Thorganby Hall, Lincolnshire

We have been employed to carry out new lime plaster and lath ceiling at this 17th century Thorganby Hall near Grimsby, the existing ceiling has seen better of it’s day due to water pipe burst. Taken down the ceiling , clean up the debris , and re-lath by using Douglas Fir laths from Best of Lime www.bestof lime.co.uk and apply Warmcote as backing coat , lightly scratch with comb scratch and apply topcoat - limecote and trowel to smooth finish. It is always an honour to work at historical buildings and restore back to its glory.

Ryan Swart 26/10/2022 Ryan Swart 26/10/2022

Fairfield Road Flag House Restoration

The Flag Houses on Fairfield Road, Scartho are locally iconic and were built in around 1910 for Thomas Baskcomb’s company The Louvre Limited. Referred to locally as the Flag Houses, their gables are decorated with a cement flag, incorporating the house name.

Each house has a ‘gable stone’ with an ornate flag moulding with the house name in the centre. The names all begin with ‘Rose[…]’ being built on land that had been part of Rose Farm (the old farm house is next door).

We were contacted by the owner of the property at Rosebud, Fairfield Road to repair and restore the Flag House to its former glory. The flag had been badly damaged before the previous occupier purchased the property in the 70s - the name was no longer visible.

Ben, the owner told us that he felt “restoring this feature has therefore felt a historically important moment.”

What We Did

Rosebud is an Edwardian semi-detached property, the Flag House was in the process of being decorated internally when the owner noticed wet rot, with the main joist and gable end rotten. The timber needed replacing and the gable re-rendering.

Having worked on a project for the owner previously, he contacted us with the knowledge that we had undertaken a similar project on the Flag Houses, Weelsby Road. After an initial survey with the client, discussing the project and what they wanted to achieve, and the relevant structural checks made, we were commissioned to reinstate the flag motif on the house as part of this restoration project.

You can see from the image below the damage to the property and the flag, compared to the neighbours flag and rendering.

Restoration and Repair Process

Flag

The flag restoration process started with the flag being taken down, (this ideally needs to be in one piece, and thankfully in this case it was).

During this process a template of the flag was taken from one of the neighbours houses, to be used as a base for the replacement flag. This is done by tracing the existing flag to allow us to get an overview template design of a flag that was in good condition.

From the tracing template, we then were able to make a timber template to get the basic shape to the flag.

The drawing was sent to Saffron Mouldings, a clay artist who started the clay modelling process, using timber boards before applying clay and creating the flag detailing and lettering (using stencils for precision).

Saffron Mouldings then created the clay model and made the lettering detail (the wording was created by printing the name in the chosen font and cutting this out using tools), transferring it into clay.

The completed clay piece was modelled and a silicone rubber mould was then made, this is called a reverse mould. The reverse mould was then sent to us to make a cast out of it, which allowed us to see what the finished product was going to look like.

Once the mould was ready, the correct resource was poured into the mould, in this case glass reinforced cement, but it can be made from anything, depending on what the project requires. A fresh cast was then taken, making sure there were no air bubbles! The detailing at this point looked amazing and the flag was ready for installation.

Once the flag had been created, and the gable restored (see details below) a framework was built and we fixed the flag to this with the suitable fixings. This then allowed the rendering to be complete all around it. The flag was then painted by Jonathan, who has completed the painting of flag on previous projects.

Gable End

As part of the overall restoration project, the gable was rebuilt, freshly rendered and painted to complete the Edwardian look and feel of the house, with the replacement flag adding the final finishing touch.

Results

Ben, the owner of the property is really pleased with the results of the project and commented:

“As I’ve come to expect from Ryan, the quality of the workmanship has been outstanding. Ryan is clearly passionate about his work - the quality is outstanding, his knowledge is expert and his work ethic unquestionable. To compliment the craftsmanship of the moulding, the flag was then painted with great care and attention to detail by my neighbour Jonathan. He decorated the knob at the top of the pole in gold leaf. The result is outstanding - I am over the moon.”

We are really happy with this project and the outcome, it was a great project to be part of. The Flag House looks amazing, with the Edwardian features rightly restored and looking their very best!

Ryan Swart 04/10/2022 Ryan Swart 04/10/2022

Old House, First Love

Old houses – where do we begin? A romance that is utterly unique, and in every sense of the word too. When you decide to buy an old house, the honeymoon stage fleeting replaced by a complicated but hearty relationship which, with every milestone, grows more complicated. It can feel like the house takes more than it gives at times. It can feel rather, off-kilter. There will be highs, and there will inevitably be lows but, somehow, through it all, that twinkle never seems to dull.

Benefits of investing in an old home

Investing and living in an old home, is not for everyone. In fact, we’d go as far to say that for a lot of people, they just aren’t an attractive prospect. To some it is the shine, the simplicity, the youth of new properties that drives a sale. And that’s totally fine - each to their own.

When you choose an older property, you may not get clean lines, you may not even get straight walls, you may not – and in our experience probably won’t – get a smooth ride during the refurbishment stages, but what you will get is worth its weight in gold. What you get is an experience, an adventure even.

In return for your perseverance, your dogeared determination and persistence for doing things ‘right’, you will get a true one-off. You will be moving into living history. You will have a home with heart, memories, character, stubbornness, and one that has been brought back to life with a shedload of surprises along the way. If you’re one of those people who has a soft spot for heritage, for things there were made with dedication, attention to detail, respect for the old ways, then nurturing an old building will absolutely be for you.

A space in a house’s history is one you will have to earn though. When you do get those stripes though, the benefits you reap will absolutely outweigh your efforts. You’ll have a one-off home, a unique backdrop, one that you created, ready for you to create your own cherished memories in. Far from only delivering sentimental satisfaction, financially, the monetary value you add to a property of age will – in most cases – overtake your initial outlay.

Challenges of an old home

It sounds like it’s all sunshine and rainbows, but there are of course lows. And believe us there will probably be plenty. Like any renovation project, it isn’t always smooth sailing, but older houses do seem to come with their own agendas, their own attitude. We’ve seen projects sail through with barely a hiccup and then we’ve seen ones that encounter issue after issue. From finding dry rot or subsidence, to unearthing drainage problems, damp, even structural instability - not ruling out any cowboys who may have come before you too.

You will face challenges along the way. For most, these boil down to financial and material. As we’ve said, what you put in, in most cases, isn’t wasted investment, but with older properties unless the correct initial surveys and research are undertaken by proven professionals, some buyers can find themselves unexpectedly on top of a money pit. As for materials, prices may have increased on your standard supplies, but when it comes to working in Victorian or Edwardian homes for example, even medieval ones, replacing like-for-like does require time, and effort. Finding the resources you need can be a tricky task. That said, it can also be a rather enjoyable one. Trawling salvage yards, haggling over specific pieces such as coping stones, flagstone floors or fireplaces, finding experts who can repair or recreate damaged original features – plaster ceiling details or coving for example – requires more of that drive and dedication we’ve already talked about. It requires passion.

Old buildings and their refurbishment are not for the faint of heart. They can be all-consuming. They can have you banging your head against a very old brick wall one minute, the dancing on the ceiling the next. We’ve gone on about the lows, but there are so many highs too – and these will be the moments you remember. They can be as simple as pulling back a stained old carpet to find beautifully preserved floorboards, or original tiles lining your hallway. They can be as small, yet deliciously delightful, as uncovering antique spoons hidden under floorboards, or lost marbles behind a skirting from a long unfinished game. Hints of plasterwork, cornicing, corbels and ceiling roses, even hand-painted wallpaper, that have been patiently waiting for their next time to shine.

There’s never a dull moment when restoring an old home

Then, there are the moments that don’t fall into either category. The surprising, unnerving moments. Finding bricked-in knick-knacks that do make you ponder the previous owners reasoning for hiding them in the first place, or bird skeletons choosing the optimum time to drop out of chimney breasts. Children’s shoes dug out of tile floors laid straight onto mud.

There is never a dull moment when an old home is being restored. We use that word specifically because that is exactly what you are doing when you take on an old house. In fact, when you buy an old home and make it your own, you don’t really become the new owner, you take on the role of custodian. Because, really, that is what you are. You may hold the keys, but you are one in a long line of people who have cared for that house.

New homes may have their appeal, but old homes, have grandeur. They have nostalgia. They have mystery and pull at our curiosity. They have some sort of draw that we can only compare to finding buried treasure. To us, that is what heritage homes are, treasure. Not buried, but right on the surface of things, just waiting for someone to turn the key, open the door, and breathe life back into their gilded edges once more.

Ryan Swart 19/08/2022 Ryan Swart 19/08/2022

Lime Plastering

We have started to offer lime plastering as additional service alongside with plaster mouldings as customers often asked if we can do lime plastering as lime plasterers are very thin on the ground. Historical buildings benefit hugely from lime plaster as allow walls to “breathe” - moisture from inside / outside pass through thus makes the walls dry and warm. Lack of knowledge - people applied modern plastering system - gypsum based plaster or modern emulsion paints traps moisture in walls thus makes them damp and cold and develop salty deposits (efflorescence and gyroscopic salts) and mould spores. Let them breathe ! Get in touch (we can help - depending on size / nature of project and timeframe. We don’t offer lime re-skims - only from bricks and laths.

Ryan Swart 29/06/2022 Ryan Swart 29/06/2022

An Introduction to Cornice Mouldings

Cornice mouldings add an elegant touch to any home. They are made of plaster and used to conceal the joint between ceiling and wall, so cracks don't become visible. You'll find examples of cornicing in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian homes and high-specification modern buildings.

A cornice not only adds decoration, but also brightens a room by reflecting light into areas of shadow, and gives the illusion of a room being larger by drawing the eye upwards.

It will also provide a pleasing symmetry, mirroring the skirting board at the bottom of the wall.

You may hear the word 'coving' being used interchangeably with cornice. Coving tends to be a simpler, more regular design, whereas cornice is often very ornate.

Types of Cornice Moulding

Since the beginning of the 18th Century, homeowners have been adding cornicing to rooms of all shapes and sizes.

The age of the moulding can often be identified by the intricacy of the design. Georgian and early Victorian designs tend to be more ornate than Edwardian.

You may hear the word 'coving' being used interchangeably with cornice. Coving is a simpler, more regular design. Many new homes will be fitted with clean, modest coving.

However, if you really want to create some opulence and refinement, there are hundreds of off-the-shelf designs of cornicing to choose from, featuring decorations from swags and flowers to regimented flutes.

Restoration and Repair

After the Second World War, British interior design underwent a huge transformation. Homeowners began to modernise and simplify, stripping out architectural features. Many beautiful mouldings were destroyed, and lots of homes were left without their original character.

Fortunately, interior design trends have shifted again and the restoration and recreation of original features is now a priority.

There is a range of very specialist methods and materials used to return internal plaster decorations to their former glory. Experts can create moulds to create yards and yards of curved or straight cornice in a bespoke design, or they can touch up chipped or damaged cornice and prepare it to last for centuries to come.

Our Recent Work

Bespoke Georgian Cornice for a beautiful family home in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Tricky but so very satisfying.

The creation of an ornate rose mould to produce a multitude of flowers to decorate a true restoration project - a Grade 2 listed Georgian home in North Lincolnshire.

For a more contemporary home - some super-sleek art deco cornice.

The restoration of some of the most beautiful cornice we've ever seen in an iconic Yorkshire seaside hotel. It had been water damaged, but we brought it back to life - even though it was 5 metres from the ground!

Ryan Swart 22/04/2022 Ryan Swart 22/04/2022

Curved Cornice, Lambert Road, Grimsby

You may wonder if there’s curved cornice (coving) that would need to go up if you have curved wall?

We can offer this option, no problem!

See below on with one of our jobs which leaves customer over the moon in Grimsby.

Ryan Swart 06/09/2021 Ryan Swart 06/09/2021

Flag houses on Weelsby Road, Grimsby - Restoration

The Project

The Flag Houses on Weelsby Road within Wellow Conservation Area. They were built for Thomas Baskcomb and share the same basic design as the Flag Houses on Fairfield Road in Scartho (also built for Baskcomb). We have been commissioned to re-instate the flag motif on one of the houses as part of restoration project.

Gable end with its missing original flag motif

Original flag being traced from one of flag house in which is good condition

Coring out by using timber boards in order to save on clay

Clay has been applied before starting on with details

Flag detailing done , and now the lettering to follow.

Stencilling …. Photo credits: Saffron Mouldings.

Clay modelling completed. Now ready to make rubber mould out of it

Silicone rubber mould made and note small trial mould so can see what the external material in which new flag would look like. Portland sandstone colour.

Fresh cast in Glass Reinforced Cement - ready for installation

The Results

Flag mould has been fixed up onto gable end wall, ready to be rendered around it.

New flag motif with new render. Painting to take place early 2022 once winter has passed.

Ryan Swart 06/05/2021 Ryan Swart 06/05/2021

Large Georgian cornice (coving) restoration in Filey, North Yorkshire

The Project

Please see progression pictures following bad original cornice (coving) in Filey, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, which needs restoration. This also include the curved section where the bay window are. Job satisfaction for sure.

In process to make core for the mould to go over

The Results

Ryan Swart 16/04/2021 Ryan Swart 16/04/2021

Large Ornate Cornice coving repairs at Royal Hotel Scarborough

The Project

We have won the project to restore large ornate cornice (proper term for coving) at Royal Hotel Scarborough at Scarborough, North Yorkshire as the room is served as for weddings , overlooking to the beach. Ceiling is 4.7 meters high. See below the progression pictures of affected sections where got damaged from water ingress from above. #scarborough #cornice #coving #repairs #northyorkshire #ornate #plaster

Royal Hotel Scarborough- damaged cornice coving

Boards hiding the water damaged section of cornice coving

Chopped down bad section of water damaged cornice

Salvaged the enrichments (patterns) to be reproduced at the workshop

Floral enrichment cleaned off layers of paint - prep prior making new rubber mould

Paint removal reveal more details - quite an difference !

New meets old - cornice (coving) repairs in Scarborough

The Results

Great to see our repair being painted. Very tall ceiling !

Corner section of cornice (coving) repaired at Royal Hotel Scarborough.

Ryan Swart 19/03/2021 Ryan Swart 19/03/2021

Dentil block cornice in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

The Project

We have been tasked to fit matching to existing cornice to go around new TV unit in beautiful property in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire.

Old piece taken down to get copies of the pattern

Dentil block cornice nearing to its completion.

Ryan Swart 05/12/2020 Ryan Swart 05/12/2020

Large high relief cornice coving restoration in Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire

The Project

This 150 years old cornice has been damaged due to previous owners converting residential home into offices as putting up suspended ceiling to lower the height of ceiling and new owners are reversing back to original by taking down suspended ceiling , however the cornice are badly damaged. They need taken down and replicated. The members contains deep undercuts and high relief members but they does look very beautiful in appearance but it is quite challenge to reproduce due to its size and its pattern. See below the progression pictures. Property is in Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire.

Cornice length mitres ana ready to fit up

Stopping in mitres (making good) you can see how massive they are !

The Results

End results of restoration, looking great !

Completed after decoration in Barton upon Humber

Ryan Swart 14/11/2020 Ryan Swart 14/11/2020

Trammel of Archimedes - Elliptical ceiling panel mould in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

You may wonder on how we can make elliptical mould , it’s big thanks to Archimedes of Syracuse who was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer and inventor. He invented the trammel to create ellipse. We have made the trammel from scratch up, test run and it’s good to go.

Ceiling panel mouldings containing ellipse shapes.

Ryan Swart 24/10/2020 Ryan Swart 24/10/2020

Cornice repairs at Owmby Mount, Searby cum Owmby, Lincolnshire

Video of Victorian Cornice repairs at beautiful Owmby Mount in Lincolnshire. (Before and After)

Ryan Swart 21/10/2020 Ryan Swart 21/10/2020

Tathwell Hall, nr Louth - Ornate ceiling repair

We are honoured to win the project to restore original features at this very beautiful Hall , nested near Louth. What a great statement ceiling.

What a beautiful ceiling - needs tender loving care !

Ryan Swart 05/10/2020 Ryan Swart 05/10/2020

Circular window reveal moulding, Theddlethorpe, Lincolnshire

Tasked to produce circular window reveal as customer wants perfect and true circle. And able to meet customer’s requests.

Ryan Swart 30/08/2020 Ryan Swart 30/08/2020

Curved gyproc cornice

The Project

We have been tasked to make curved gyproc cornice as lighting trough, we normally avoid gyproc stuff as we are high end side of things - prefer to do proper stuff - plaster and fibre - all by hand. But we can help our client out so both are happy. See pics below

During - curved coving cornice made by running the mould against eccentric rule

The Results

After …. fitted up. Ready to be decorated ….

Ryan Swart 18/07/2020 Ryan Swart 18/07/2020

Bespoke Victorian cornice in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire

Client in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire, wants bespoke cornice for Drawing Room to match with the property's original features such as architrave and cornice in other room. We took the template from cornice in dining room downstairs and reduce the size hy 20% as drawing room ceiling is slight lower than dining room. Made the sample to be send off for signing off before we manufacture the lengths and fit up. See below the pictures of progression.

Template taken from dining room and reduced by 20%.

Sample made and posted off to get it signed off

Negative mould mould ran and sealed prior to casting lengths

New bespoke cornice fitted in Drawing Room,

End results of bespoke cornice (coving) , Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire

Ryan Swart 10/07/2020 Ryan Swart 10/07/2020

Periodic Ornate Architrave for Library, Apethorpe Palace

We have been tasked to produce large bespoke window architraves for Library at Apethorpe Palace. Incorporate with patterns to make it to go with the characters of the historical building.

Architrave model made prior to silicone rubber pour.

Architrave installed in Library, Apethorpe Palace