Our Specialisms
Polished Plaster in St John's Wood
St John's Wood has two very different kinds of home. Detached and semi-detached villas, many of them Regency or early Victorian, sit in large gardens on Hamilton Terrace, Avenue Road, Grove End Road, Elm Tree Road and Clifton Hill. Closer to Abbey Road, Prince Albert Road and the high street, substantial red-brick mansion blocks hold generous apartments, many with views over Regent's Park. Choice Finishes applies Venetian plaster, Marmorino, grassello and Tadelakt in both. Explore all our finishes for polished plaster in London.
Finishes: Venetian plaster · Marmorino · Tadelakt · Microcement
Venetian Plaster — Lucido
Villas with gardens and basements
The villas of St John's Wood are often extended in every direction: rear extensions with wide glazing onto the garden, new basements with pools, gyms and cinemas, and refurbished principal floors. That creates a mix of old and new spaces within the same house, and polished plaster can tie them together. A warm, satin Marmorino carried from a period entrance hall into a contemporary kitchen extension makes the house read as one. Below ground, where we also carry out tanking, we make sure the waterproofing and background are sound before the decorative finish goes on.
Mansion flat refurbishments
In the mansion blocks, polished plaster is most often requested for entrance halls, corridors and principal bathrooms. These are large apartments, but inner rooms can be dark, and a light Venetian finish with a soft sheen helps. We work to building rules and agreed hours, protect common parts, and plan the job room by room. Where cornices and original mouldings remain, we protect them and can repair them where needed.
A considered, contemporary palette
Many St John's Wood homes are refurbished with a clean, contemporary palette of stone, bronze, timber and glass. Getting the plaster tone right against those materials is a matter of sampling. At The Hoxton in Holborn we developed an aged off-white architectural plaster and refined it through several rounds of full-scale samples until it read as a single palette with the copper leaf detailing around it. We take the same approach in a residential setting, sampling against your actual metalwork, stone and joinery. The Hoxton case study explains the process.
Bathrooms, pool rooms and wet areas
Basement pools and spa rooms are common in the larger villas, and they need finishes chosen for moisture. Tadelakt, the traditional waterproof lime plaster polished with stones and sealed with soap, suits showers, steam rooms and wet zones when correctly detailed. Microcement provides seamless floors and walls, including around pools. Waxed Venetian plaster or Marmorino works on walls away from direct water. In every wet area, the waterproofing build-up behind the finish is as important as the surface itself.
Ceilings and stairwells
A polished plaster ceiling over a sweeping staircase or a double-height entrance is a strong feature in a St John's Wood villa. Ceilings are demanding work, as every change in plane shows, but curved and vaulted geometry can be applied and burnished by hand.
External finishes
For garden walls, loggias and pool-house exteriors, external polished plaster is possible using a breathable, weather-resistant lime-based system over a sound render background. Many St John's Wood villas have rendered or stucco elevations, and as we also carry out rendering we can handle the background and finish together. Our St John's Wood area page covers that work.
Polished plaster in St John's Wood: frequently asked questions
Yes, with the right system. Tadelakt suits showers, steam rooms and wet zones when correctly detailed, and microcement can be used on floors and walls. The waterproofing behind the finish has to be right first, which we can advise on as we also carry out tanking.
Yes. Carrying a single tinted finish, often Marmorino, from the original rooms into the extension is an effective way to make a house feel coherent. We sample on site in both spaces.
Yes. We work to each building's rules and permitted hours, protect common parts and plan the job so that preparation work is kept to agreed times.
Get in Touch
Planning a St John's Wood refurbishment?
Send us your drawings or photographs and tell us about the rooms you have in mind. We will arrange sampling and a fixed quote. Call 07854 393865 or email choicefinishesltd@gmail.com.