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Where it goes

Venetian plaster ceilings.

The surface everybody looks at and nobody finishes. Done properly it changes the light in a room more than any wall.

01 Why a ceiling

What ceilings actually is

A ceiling is the largest uninterrupted surface in most rooms and it is almost always flat white. A polished finish up there bounces light differently: warmer, softer, with movement in it, and in a room with a pendant or concealed lighting the effect is considerable. In a dark scheme a burnished ceiling stops the room feeling like a box.

02 What it involves

Where ceilings belongs

More labour than the same area of wall. Everything is worked overhead, the material has to be mixed to stay put, and every coat has to be kept live across the whole ceiling because a dried edge in the middle of a ceiling has nowhere to hide. Cornices, roses and lighting all need cutting in by hand. It is not a cheap thing to do and we would rather say that at the outset.

Where it works

Dining rooms, snugs, hallways with a lantern or rooflight, bars and restaurants, and period rooms with cornice worth drawing attention to. In a bathroom a lime ceiling also helps with moisture, because it can take up and release humidity rather than shedding it back into the room.

03 Our work

Ceilings we have finished

Our own projects, photographed on site. Not every photograph on this page is this finish — the gallery is grouped by project and says which is which.

04 Questions

Common questions about ceilings

Can Venetian plaster go on a ceiling?
Yes, and it is one of the more striking things you can do with it. It costs more per square metre than a wall because everything is worked overhead and the whole ceiling has to be kept live between coats.
What about the cornice?
Cut in by hand. On a period ceiling we would usually leave the cornice in a breathable lime finish and keep the sheen on the flat, so the moulding stays crisp rather than filling in.
Matt or polished?
Polished bounces light and suits dark or low rooms. Matt lime suits period ceilings and bathrooms. We make a sample panel and hold it up there before deciding.
05 Where we work

Ceilings across the UK

Our studio is in Birmingham. These are the cities we are asked for this in most often, and each has its own page.

06 Start

Send us the wall

A photograph and a rough size is enough to begin. You will have next steps within one working day, and a sample panel made in your finish before anything is agreed.

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