Our Specialisms
Polished Plaster in Holland Park
Holland Park's large stucco villas, many detached or semi-detached and set around private garden squares, are among the most generous houses in west London. On Holland Park itself, Holland Park Avenue, Addison Road, Ilchester Place, Melbury Road and Upper Addison Gardens, houses have tall reception rooms, deep bays and grand staircases, and many are listed. Choice Finishes applies Venetian plaster, Marmorino, grassello di calce and Tadelakt for homeowners, architects and interior designers in these houses. Explore all our finishes for polished plaster in London.
Finishes: Venetian plaster · Marmorino · Tadelakt · Microcement
Venetian Plaster — Lucido
Polished plaster for villa reception rooms
A Holland Park villa often has a sequence of linked reception rooms on the raised ground floor, each with its own light. Polished plaster rewards that. In a south-facing drawing room, a satin Marmorino gives a soft, even glow; in a library or a north-facing dining room, a deeper tinted Venetian finish brings warmth. We protect original cornices, joinery and fireplaces while we work, and our heritage team can restore mouldings in lime or fibrous plaster before the decorative coats are applied. We sample every finish on site against your furniture, fabric and stone.
Ceilings, bays and stairwells
Polished plaster ceilings are demanding, because the work is overhead and every change of plane shows, but in a house of this scale the effect can be remarkable. Our clearest example is at Lancaster Gate in Bayswater, part of a three-year heritage restoration, where we burnished grassello di calce to vaulted ceilings and bay windows so finely that they reflect the windows opposite. The same material suits a curved bay, a vaulted landing or the stairwell beneath a roof lantern in a Holland Park villa. Read about the project in our Lancaster Gate case study.
Garden-level and basement rooms
Holland Park's larger plots often support basements beneath the garden, creating kitchens, family rooms, pools and cinemas at lower level. These spaces benefit from finishes that bounce light, such as a light-toned Venetian plaster. Because we also carry out tanking and waterproofing, we can assess the full build-up behind the finish and take responsibility for the background as well as the polished surface. For pool halls and steam rooms we recommend Tadelakt or microcement.
Bathrooms and dressing rooms
In principal bathrooms, Tadelakt is the right choice for showers, wet rooms and bath surrounds, as it is a traditional waterproof lime plaster when correctly detailed. Waxed Venetian plaster or Marmorino suits bathroom walls away from direct water, dressing rooms and powder rooms. Microcement provides a seamless floor where wanted.
Breathable finishes in listed villas
Polished plasters such as Marmorino and grassello are made from slaked lime and marble, so they remain vapour-permeable and are compatible with traditional solid walls. Where a listed villa retains original lime plaster, we prefer to repair it rather than strip it, then finish in a compatible lime-based system. Specification in listed buildings is agreed with the architect and conservation officer.
External polished plaster
External polished plaster can be used on garden pavilions, courtyard walls and rear elevations, using a breathable, weather-resistant lime-based system over sound render. The white stucco fronts that define Holland Park's streets usually need render matching and repair instead, which is covered, with our heritage and tanking work, on our Holland Park area page.
Polished plaster in Holland Park: frequently asked questions
Yes. Curved and vaulted geometry is applied and burnished by hand. At Lancaster Gate we burnished grassello di calce on vaulted ceilings and bay windows to a mirror finish.
Lime-based finishes such as Marmorino and grassello are breathable and generally compatible with traditional walls. We repair original lime plaster where possible and agree the specification with the architect and conservation officer.
Tadelakt and microcement are better choices for wet zones such as pool surrounds, showers and steam rooms. Waxed Venetian plaster can be used on walls away from direct water. The waterproofing behind the finish has to be correct first.
Get in Touch
Talk to us about your Holland Park villa
Send us drawings or photographs and let us know the listed status and the rooms you have in mind. We will arrange sampling and a fixed quote. Call 07854 393865 or email choicefinishesltd@gmail.com.