Decorative plasterwork dates back to around 7500 BC in Jordan, although Britain only started plastering in the 14th century, with a technique throughout East Anglia called pargeting. There have been many different styles since, from the elegance of Regency and Georgian, the full-on ripeness of Victorian and Edwardian designs, through to the chic pared-back aesthetic of 1930s Art Deco. At Fine Art Mouldings, we believe that the only way to gain an understanding of the development of decorative plasterwork is to see history first hand. Cue our archives.

Since the company was launched in 1989, we have amassed an extensive library of original plasterwork designs dating all the way back to the 1600s. Among the sections of friezes, coving and ceiling plasterwork are designs from the Tudor period through elegant Robert Adam style to simple contemporary plasterwork design. Through them, our experts have learnt different plastering techniques and understood the designs’ stories and provenance, whether an elegant cornice egg and dart pattern, winding acanthus leaves on panel moulds, corbel scrolls, friezes or elaborate ceiling roses.

We can recreate historical plasterwork in all its exquisite ornamental detail, producing custom plaster mouldings to create new plasterwork that is impossible to distinguish from the original. You can see one of our most prestigious plasterwork replicas at London luxury hotel Claridge’s, where we crafted a ceiling rose in a suite that Winston Churchill declared part of Yugoslavian territory for one day in 1945 – so that Crown Prince Alexander II could be born on his own country’s soil.

Our archive collection is a source of pure inspiration. We draw on its contents to guide our clients through different plasterwork designs and periods, leading them to a pattern they like, whether classic 18th century Robert Adam or simple 1930s Art Deco. A client in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge approached us, as they had seen their neighbour’s magnificent plaster ceiling and wanted to replicate it in their own home. We researched the design of the buildings in the Edwardian crescent and used our library to put together a sample board of period plaster ceiling designs, suggesting different motifs in keeping with the building to create something truly bespoke.

Some clients have approached us with just an image for inspiration, and we trawl our library to come up with a design that approximates it. Most memorably, one lady came to us with photograph of her as baby. In the background was a cornice that she had always loved, and she wanted to recreate it in her own home. The old black-and-white photo was all we had to work with, but we were able to create a near-identical design using our archive mouldings. She was incredibly moved by the finished room as a memory of where she had come from – and we hope she still loves it as much now.

Let us provide you with the inspiration to design a new plasterwork pattern. Our archive is a brilliant resource that provides clear designs to follow, or we can use it as inspiration in creating something totally new and unique. “We take inspiration from many, many different sources,” our Managing Director Samuel Barry says. “A building’s age, existing architectural features, our client’s own memories or taste…. It’s all about staying true to the spirit of building and getting creative.”