Venetian plastering in Highgate

Looking for Venetian plastering in Highgate? Zavoré installs authentic Italian lime based Venetian plaster with applicators who travel from Birmingham, and also lays Marmorino, limewash, tadelakt, microcement, cornice and coving and gilding. Our work covers family houses, flats and small commercial spaces. The easiest way to begin is to order a sample board, then send photos and the postcode to sales@zavore.co.uk.

Highgate sits on the hill above London, and its mixture of Georgian lanes, Victorian villas and modernist blocks makes for interesting walls.

The buildings of Highgate

Highgate Village is the historic centre, with a high street and Pond Square lined with Georgian and older houses. The Grove, a short row of historic houses, is one of its best known addresses. Highgate School, founded in the sixteenth century, sits at the heart of the village, and much of the village lies within a conservation area.

Below the village, Highgate West Hill, Southwood Lane and the roads around Waterlow Park have a good number of large Victorian villas and terraces, many divided into flats. Swain’s Lane brings Highgate Cemetery and Holly Village, a small Victorian Gothic estate of cottages. Highpoint, the 1930s modernist apartment block by Berthold Lubetkin on North Hill, shows how varied the area is.

The hill itself matters. Streets are steep, and the plaster inside the older houses has had a long life. Before choosing a finish we want to know how old the wall is, what is on it now and whether it is dry.

Finishes that work in Highgate

• Marmorino for Georgian and Victorian rooms, because the lime lets older plaster breathe while the fine surface can be polished to a quiet sheen.
• Limewash for village cottages, stairwells and bedrooms, giving soft colour that moves with the light of the day.
• Gilding and cornice and coving for villa drawing rooms with tall ceilings and mouldings to restore.
• Polished plaster for flats and new extensions with flat, modern walls, including the clean lined rooms of a 1930s block.
• Microcement for bathrooms and kitchens, as we do not put Venetian plaster in showers.

Choose from 48 house colours or any NCS reference. The colours page has the range.

What a Highgate job involves

Because Highgate is in London, we plan the job as a block of days. The applicators remain on site and lay each coat in order, which is how lime plasters are best built up.

You send photos, approximate measurements and the postcode, and we answer what we can from those. Before any installation price we survey the walls, assessing the substrate, flatness, cracks, damp and movement, how the room is used, and access and protection. A wall that needs skimming, stripping or a damp problem fixing will be flagged plainly. After you sign off the sample and price, dates are agreed, and your plaster is tinted to that sample in Birmingham.

Steep, narrow roads and parking restrictions are a fact of life on the hill, so tell us early where a van can stop, and about any steps or lifts. If your house is listed or in the village conservation area, check with the council what consent applies before work is booked. We list the finishes we lay on our Venetian plaster installation page.

Trade, designers and reading

If a decorator will be applying the plaster, we can tint it and send it by tracked delivery. Designers and architects can read our specification page. We run courses in Birmingham and offer trade accounts.

For more on older homes, read about lime plaster and Venetian plaster. See also every area we cover.

Questions about Venetian plastering in Highgate

Which finish suits a Georgian house in Highgate Village?

Marmorino is a good match for Georgian rooms, because it is lime based and lets older walls breathe. Limewash is a gentler choice for stairs and bedrooms.

Can you plaster a flat in a modernist block like Highpoint?

Yes, in principle. Flat modern walls take polished plaster well, but we would survey the walls and check the building rules for contractors first.

Do you handle gilding as well as plaster in Highgate?

Yes. We install gilding, lacquered walls and cornice as well as Venetian plaster, so mouldings and walls can be finished together.

Can you send plaster to Highgate for my own decorator?

Yes. We tint it to your colour and send it by tracked delivery with the base coats and other materials your decorator needs.

Call 07592 929191, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, or email sales@zavore.co.uk with photos and the postcode. Start with a sample board to see your colour.