Decorative Plaster Ceilings, Styles, Materials and Restoration

A decorative plaster ceiling can be the finest thing in a room, from a simple ceiling rose to a fully enriched Georgian ceiling. This guide covers the main styles of decorative plaster ceilings, the materials they are made from, how they are restored, and how modern methods can recreate traditional work.

Zavoré lays this for you too. Our own team provides decorative plaster installation across the UK.

Styles of decorative plaster ceilings

• Cornice and ceiling rose. A common British decorative ceiling, found in many Victorian and Edwardian homes.
• Panelled and beamed ceilings. Ceilings divided into panels by mouldings or plaster beams.
• Coffered ceilings. Recessed panels in a grid, giving depth.
• Enriched Georgian and Regency ceilings. Delicate ornament, swags, borders and central motifs.
• Polished or Venetian plaster ceilings. A modern decorative ceiling with a smooth sheen. See Venetian plaster ceilings.
• Painted and gilded ceilings. Plasterwork picked out in colour or gold leaf. See gilding.

Materials

Lime plaster was used for most historic ceilings, often on timber laths. Fibrous plaster, cast and reinforced with hessian, is used for cornices, roses and ornament. Modern plaster is used in most modern ceilings. Read types of plaster and decorative plasterwork and mouldings.

Maintaining and restoring decorative plasterwork

• Clean gently. Old ornament is often clogged with layers of paint, which can be carefully removed by a specialist.
• Watch for cracks, sagging or bulging, which can mean the plaster is losing its grip on the laths. Get it checked before it falls.
• Missing pieces of cornice or ornament can often be cast from a surviving section and matched.
• In listed buildings, check with the council before altering historic plasterwork.

Modern methods that look traditional

New moulds can be made by scanning or measuring an existing profile and cutting it by CNC, then casting matching pieces. This lets a new extension or a restored room match the original plasterwork. See CNC moulds and mouldings.

Get it made or fitted

See our cornice, coving and mouldings service.

Questions

What is a decorative plaster ceiling made of?

Historically lime plaster, with fibrous plaster for ornament. Modern ceilings are usually ordinary plaster with fibrous mouldings fixed on.

Can a damaged plaster ceiling be saved?

Often, yes, if it is assessed early. Cracks and sagging should be assessed by a specialist.

Can you copy an existing ceiling design?

Often, by taking moulds or profiles from surviving sections.