Garrick's Villa

Garrick's Villa

Over the last few weeks we have been working at the Grade 1 Listed building in Hampton South West London.The plasterwork in at least one of the rooms is likely to have been designed by Robert Adam and carried out by the Joseph Rose Plastering company in the 1770s. After investigating the plaster moldings in the imaginatively named Adams room it looks like a mixture of hand modelled stucco and cast elements .I am not at the moment down to repair the moulding but I did some cleaning and casting out of interest in case too much is lost.

We are however doing all the flat work lath work lime plastering and finishing and you can see the results so far below  

Typical Rose Company Stucco and plaster casts

Earth aggregate found in pricking up coat of original Limework

Samples of existing Lime plaster and proposed mix

On investigation and consulting a real expert this is likely hand modelled

sample of lime plaster prepared

New lathwork

applying pricking up coat

New lathwork to "Adams" room ceiling

Float coat applied to lathwork

Pricking up coat to ceiling

Adding hair

Pricking up coat scratched

Collapse of existing ceiling  

Original lath work Circa 1770

Original sample of Lime plaster 

Float coat applied to Adams ceiling

Finish coat Lime plaster

Finished lime plaster

Small ceiling finished lime plaster

Adams ceiling floated and left to carbonate 

Plaques in Adams Room I think they are hand modelled stucco but others think they are cast  I cant tell at this stage but I bet I am right

Dont Know Whats occurring here

Update on Adams Room

We re-plastered the ceiling and I am not sure what they had in mind for the cornice .stucco roundels and the walls ,as you can see they were in a right state.i think at one point it looked like it would be lost. We suggested we clean and repair the mouldings make good the walls apply a breathable lime based primer and re-skim the walls with lime plaster.Thankfully the client agreed and you can see the results below.I am not sure how involved Adams was in the plasterwork He certainly designed the portico on the outside. He also applied a secret mastic stucco on the wall outside part of the secret apparently was how it worked since it  failed and had to be replaced using fake bricks or mathematical tiles supplied by Adams big rival.Well we all make mistakes.

As far as the plaster work in side is concerned I am convinced it is the work of the Joseph Rose Company since the cast work is exactly the same as the fragments found at the workshop of Joseph Rose at Audley End The fragments were found swept under the floor boards after a renovation there , some things never change.

I am not sure what the roundels depict they are really beautifully modeled such fine detail all the facial expressions and drapery.possibly Italian modelers who were influential on British plaster work of this period. I think they are scenes from the classics it is clear that they had been on the grand tour. Now its done I think I am going on the grand tour of the pub

Fragments from Audley End Joseph Rose Plastering Co

Fragment From Garrick's Villa 

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Audley End

Garrick's Villa

Thin Gypsum cast work

Finished work 

Roundel cleaned

Repairing Plaster work

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Cleaning under way

Note the detail

Cleaned up roundel

Drapery