Blog

A Mid-Summer Day’s Update, 2018

July 19, 2018

The first half of 2018 has been a whirlwind. Phase I of works on Waterloo Road were completed early in the New Year. Polished to a high shine, the house has been restored to its former character. The new lime render on the rear facade has gone off beautifully. Together with the new timber sash windows, painted in ‘Railings 31’ by Farrow & Ball, and the IMC slim-profile double glazing, the vernacular appearance of the west elevation has been restored and the thermal efficiency of the house has improved considerably. In the sitting room and library, the Axminster wool carpet came together with the renewed decorative plasterwork, chandeliers and various shades of Colourtrend paint finishes to elevate the persona of these rooms and create a warm, inviting and historically-accurate interior. New soft furnishings, brass carpet rails and a feature wall of Peacock Blue bookcases were the finishing touches to in-depth conservation and repair works that have given this building a new lease on life.

Phase II of the project has also commenced, which will see the sand-and-cement pointing to the front facade raked out and repointed with a NHL 3.5 mortar. There was also evidence of a Roman Cement moulding to the parapet blocking course which has been lost, and the parapet valley requires interventions to ensure it is watertight and to secure its longevity. Between now and September, the facade will be restored to both protect its character and the integrity of the newly-refurbished interior.

Two other exciting projects are located in Dublin’s Leinster Square, and in Rathcam, just outside of Mullingar in Co. Westmeath. For the former, we are set to replace the aluminium windows to the front facade of the c.1840 terraced, multi-occupancy property. Internally resplendent with original decorative plasterwork and joinery, the restoration of the facade will be the first pass at returning the building to its previous appearance, and to improving the character of the wider streetscape.

In Rathcam, works are about to begin on a c.1850 equine barn located at the heart of an intact Georgian estate. The barn has remained in agricultural use since it construction in the early Victorian era. Time has taken its toll on the barn, whose undersized roof timbers have begun to sag under the heavy weight of the Blue Bangor slates. In the absence of properly functioning rainwater goods, there has been serious damage to the external rubble stone walls, and several large structural cracks have appeared. The external ground levels are also set to be lowered, and a new soakaway introduced. The roof timbers will be repaired where feasible, and otherwise will be replaced and reinstated alongside a new breather membrane and counter battens. Salvaged slate to match the existing will be patched in on the secondary roof pitch where required, and new rainwater goods will ensure the integrity of the external walls, pending the upcoming stitch repairs and localised repointing. As part of a larger demesne that retains an incredible amount of original built and landscape features, the restoration of this barn will constitute the beginning of a wider approach to the renewal of the estate.

Aside from conservation and refurbishment projects, the first half of the year has been incredibly busy with Interior Design projects, ranging from space planning, lighting designs and full FF&E schedules for a commercial scheme of four apartments, to bespoke joinery design for a residential client, and many others. The days are long and there is no sign of slowing down. Stay tuned for more updates as these and other ongoing projects continue throughout the summer.