Balthazar

Balthazar is a large-scale Parisian-style brasserie in the heart of Covent Garden, designed to feel as though it has occupied its site for a century. The brief called for wall and ceiling finishes with the depth and imperfection of a genuinely aged interior, rather than a flat, modern decorative surface.

Choice Finishes was appointed to deliver the specialist plaster finish across the main dining room and bar area, working closely with the interior design team to translate mood boards and reference photography into a buildable plaster specification.

The result is a warm, richly patinated surface that reads as naturally weathered rather than artificially distressed — a finish designed to age gracefully alongside decades of service in a busy hospitality environment.

The central challenge was achieving genuine depth and irregularity by hand, at the scale of a full restaurant interior, without the finish reading as repetitive or mechanical.

Our approach was to work in sample panels first, agreeing the exact tone and texture with the design team before scaling up, then to vary application technique subtly across the space so no two walls read identically — replicating the organic inconsistency of a genuinely old interior.