Our Specialisms
Cornice Restoration
London
Specialist cornice restoration and fibrous plastering for period properties across London, including ceiling rose repair, lath and plaster repair, and plaster mouldings restored to original detail.
What is Fibrous Plastering?
Fibrous plastering is the craft of casting and installing decorative plasterwork reinforced with hessian and timber — a technique developed in the 19th century to create the intricate cornices, ceiling roses, enrichments, and mouldings that define London's finest period interiors. Our team also carries out plaster mouldings and ceiling rose repair for damaged or deteriorated period features.
Unlike run-in-place plaster, fibrous work is cast in the workshop from original moulds or purpose-made new patterns, then installed on site with precision. This approach allows complex profiles and repeat ornamental elements to be reproduced to exact historical detail.
Choice Finishes specialises in both new fibrous plasterwork — for luxury residential and hospitality projects — and sympathetic repair and restoration of existing period ornament, matching original profiles, textures, and patinas.
The Period Detail We Restore
- Cornices — plain and enriched, including egg-and-dart, dentil, acanthus, and bespoke profiles
- Ceiling roses — from simple Georgian to elaborate Victorian and Edwardian designs
- Dado rails, picture rails, and skirting mouldings in fibrous plaster
- Panel mouldings, pilasters, and column capitals
- Coffered ceiling panels and vaulted plaster soffits
- Bespoke ornamental enrichments to architect's drawings
Our Restoration Approach
Accurate restoration requires forensic attention to surviving original fabric. We work from physical evidence — taking moulds directly from intact sections wherever possible, rather than approximating from catalogues.
Survey
Detailed condition survey of existing ornament — recording what survives, what is missing, and the complexity of any enrichment.
Moulds
Rubber moulds taken from surviving original sections, or new moulds made to architect's or conservation officer's drawings.
Casting
Plaster cast production in our workshop — trial pieces checked and approved before full production begins.
Installation
Careful on-site installation, making good junctions with surviving original work, invisible repairs and seamless patination.
Cornice Restoration, Ceiling Rose Repair & Lath and Plaster Repair
The vast majority of our fibrous plastering enquiries fall into three specific repair categories, each requiring a different approach.
Cornice restoration typically involves damaged, cracked, or missing sections of an existing decorative cornice — often caused by water damage, previous poor repairs, or the removal of a wall or partition. We take moulds from surviving intact runs of the original profile so that new sections match precisely, then splice and finish the join invisibly.
Ceiling rose repair ranges from cleaning and consolidating a fragile original rose to full replacement when a ceiling rose has been lost entirely — common in properties where a pendant light was changed or a ceiling was replastered without care for the existing ornament.
Lath and plaster repair addresses the timber lath substrate beneath traditional ceilings and walls in pre-1930s properties. Where laths have failed — sagging, cracking, or detaching from joists — we can carry out localised lath and plaster repair, or a full re-lath and plaster where an area has failed completely, before reinstating any fibrous ornament above.
Related Specialisms
Our Specialisms
Heritage Lime Plastering
Breathable lime plaster for listed buildings and period properties — the authentic substrate beneath ornamental finishes.
Learn moreOur Specialisms
Full Plastering Services
See our full range of plastering, rendering, and modern finishes across London.
Learn moreCase Study
Lancaster Gate Heritage Restoration
Three years of lime and fibrous plastering across 11 luxury apartments — see fibrous restoration at scale.
View case studyFrequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions we hear from clients, architects, and designers.
Cost depends on the length and complexity of the cornice profile, how much of it needs replacing, and access. Simple splice repairs to a small run cost significantly less than full-room reinstatement of an elaborate Victorian profile. We quote after assessing the damage and the surviving original detail on-site.
Get in Touch
Discuss Your Project
From a single damaged cornice to a full building restoration — we can assess, specify, and deliver fibrous plasterwork to the highest conservation standard.
Request a Consultation