Stucco facade restoration + interior LBC works

Brief

A Grade II listed 6-storey Victorian stucco terrace in SW7 (close to the Royal Albert Hall) required full restoration after 40 years of unsympathetic refurbishments by previous owners. Scope: full external stucco repair and limewashing, restore all 24 original sashes with secondary glazing, internal reconfiguration of lower ground (kitchen and family room) and second floor (master suite), restore original plasterwork throughout, replace 1980s heating with new boiler and underfloor heating system, full rewire to heritage standards.

Challenge

Grade II listing meant every internal alteration required Listed Building Consent. The original 1860s plan form had been heavily modified — original servants' kitchen at lower ground had been replaced with a 1980s plywood kitchen and false ceiling concealing original cornice. The first-floor drawing room ceiling cornice had collapsed in two sections. Original plaster mouldings, marble fireplaces and timber panelling were partially intact but covered with 40 years of paint and modern intervention. The stucco facade was cracking in multiple locations from previous cement-based render repairs (incompatible with original lime substrate). RBKC heritage team required parallel LBC for: removal of all non-original partitions; reinstatement of historic plan form; restoration of damaged plasterwork to original profile; lime render and limewash facade restoration; sash window restoration (not replacement); secondary glazing to heritage spec.

Solution

Two-stage LBC application: Stage 1 covered external stucco restoration, sash windows and roof works (granted at 14 weeks). Stage 2 covered internal alterations, plan reconfiguration and plasterwork (granted at 18 weeks). Phased build over 38 weeks. External: stucco stripped to substrate, original lath repaired, lime render applied in three coats with hair binder, hand-finished and limewashed in a custom colour matched to original samples discovered behind shutters. Original ironwork balustrade lifted off, taken to specialist forge for stripping and re-galvanising. All 24 original sashes restored using the split-strip-restore method by Sash Window Workshop; secondary glazing magnetic units fitted internally. Internal: original plasterwork repaired by The Plasterwork Company using lime plaster and traditional fibrous methods; collapsed cornice replicated from in-situ samples. Marble fireplaces stripped of paint and re-polished. Lower ground floor: bespoke kitchen with heritage-style joinery, traditional tiled splashback, brass tapware. Second floor: master suite reconfiguration with restored panelling. Services: new system boiler concealed in basement plant room; underfloor heating on lower ground and second floor (over original timber joists with screed); heritage radiators on principal floors. Rewire to BS 7671 with concealed surface mount in oak skirting and lime plaster chase.

Outcome

Both LBC applications approved within target. Build delivered in 38 weeks against 38-week programme. RBKC conservation officer attended ten site visits during construction; the project was awarded a 2026 RBKC Heritage Award commendation. EPC improved from band F (35) to band D (66) — limited by listing constraints. Floor area unchanged. Independent valuation uplift £1,150,000 against £685,000 spend.