Richard Ireland

William Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice of England, commissioned James and Robert Adam to modify and add to his modest villa in Hampstead. In 1770 Mansfield revealed the completed works including the new pavilion on the east side - a single great room of mixed function balancing the existing orangery on the west, in the words of Robert Adam, 'intended both for a library and a room for receiving company.' Adam's work was described in 1782 as 'A new room, one of its happiest improvements, is considered, for its proportions, decorations and novelty, as superior to anything of the kind in England.'

Technical trials, research, specification, and direction of conservation programme for reinstatement of the much altered and amended original 1770 Robert Adam designed decorative scheme for the Library, together with reinstatement of the Entrance Hall decoration and further interior and exterior plaster and paint advisory for English Heritage and Historic England.

Construction of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House began in 1619 and completed 1622 for James I. Nine ceiling paintings were commissioned by Charles I from Rubens and installed by 1636 depicting the achievements of his father James I who had died in 1625. The ceiling paintings and framing have remained physically unaltered, unlike the changes to the exterior and windows of the building by Robert Smirke and John Soane, though several decorative campaigns over the centuries have altered the appearance of the timber coffer framing. This had been completely repainted in different colours from that of the original Inigo Jones decoration.

Investigation of original Inigo Jones decoration of the gilded ceiling coffer framing of the Rubens paintings to establish the treatment before and after their 1636 installation.

Lancaster House dates from c1820. The first design was by Sir Robert Smirke for the Duke of York, superseded by Benjamin Dean Wyatt, who together with Philip Wyatt presented new designs 1825-27. It was completed for the 2nd Duke of Sutherland as Stafford House 1833-38, with an added attic storey and Smirke as executant architect. Staircase lantern and decoration by Sir Charles Barry 1838. The richly decorated white and gold state rooms in Wyatt's lavish Baroque-Rococo inspired by Verasilles. The Main Stairs hall makes extensive use of scagliola, an artificial marble, to great effect.

Investigation, survey and treatment recommendations of the Main Stairs scagliola. Investigation, survey and treatment recommendations for the upper floor plaster ceilings.

The largest and earliest great Irish Palladian house, begun 1722 by William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. Designed by Italian architect Alessandro Galilei and in part by Edward Lovett Pearce. Decorative plasterwork additions 1760, and decoration in Pompeian manner of the Long Gallery 1776. After two years of standing empty and deteriorating, rescued 1967 by the Hon Desmond Guinness and restored and in the care of the state since 1994.

Survey, repair and conservation of the 18th century decorative plaster. Paint investigation and reinstatement of the 18th century paint schemes throughout the main house and West Wing.

Robert Adam (1728-1792) was commissioned by Sir Thomas Talylour 3rd Baronet and 1st Earl of Bective from 1771 to provide designs for the modelling and decoration of six principal compartments for his newly built country seat outside Kells. Adam's radical design for the 'Eating Parlor', first conceived in 1767 for the Library at Kenwood, London was rejected by Bective. Other rooms proceeded, but not until 1775 did Adam deliver a second, this time satisfactory proposal, echoing his 1768 Saloon ceiling for Saltram, Devon. Adam's original green coloured 1775 design proposal is at the Yale Center for British Art.

Survey, repair and conservation of the 1770s decorative plasterwork. Extensive research, paint analysis and reinstatement of the 1772-1775 Robert Adam designed decorative schemes throughout the principal areas: Entrance Hall, Stair Hall, Chinese Room, Saloon and 1775 'Eating Parlor'.

A typical 1770s speculative development London townhouse to the south of Regents Park, comprising four storeys over basement with the principal reception rooms on the first floor. A number of plots might be bought up by a speculative builder at an annual rateable value of a peppercorn for the first four years. The building would be expected to have been completed by the fifth year, the house sold on, and the proceeds used to purchase further plots. Plasterwork in this building type is often generic and at this 1770s date more often of safe and fashionable 'Adam style' to appeal to the aspiring client. More elaborate decorative plasterwork is often found where the building has been purchased before completion and a more bespoke finish negotiated.

Salvage, repair, conservation and reinstatement of 18th century decorative plaster ceiling damaged by partial failure and loss. Paint investigation and reinstatement of decorative paint scheme.

Delfont Mackintosh Theatres estate encompasses a number of WGR Sprague designed theatres - Wyndhams 1899, Noel Coward 1903, Novello 1905, Gielgud 1906 and Sondheim 1907, together with the Victoria Palace 1910 by Frank Matcham, Prince Edward Theatre 1930, by Edward Stone, and the Prince of Wales 1937, by Robert Cronin all situated in the West End of London.

Advice, investigation, specifications and direction of refurbishment works on Delfont Mackintosh Theatres together with colour surveys, specification and direction of decorative treatment.

Witley Court, Worcestershire was transformed into a 'Victorian Palace' for Lord Ward first Earl of Dudley in 1860 by Samuel Whitfield Daukes from the twin towers of the original seventeenth century house, itself transformed in 1790 into a vaguely Palladian-style mansion and further modified by John Nash in the early nineteenth century. Daukes added four-storey towers and two-and-a half storey wings with canted bays at their ends, together with a curving seven-bay wing and thirteen-bay Orangery. Ward's descendant sold Witley to Sir Herbert Smith in 1920, who put it up for sale in 1938, the year after a great fire swept through the principal building consuming most of the fabric. The demolition contractors who purchased Witley had removed much of the non-structural fabric by 1945, and in 1972 the house was taken into state Guardianship, and is now in the care of English Heritage. A large scale programme of restoration works was instigated in the late 1990s.

Preservation of fragile and deteriorating external and internal elements provides particular challenges to best meet the needs of balancing minimal intervention with preservation of culturally significant architectural fabric.

Robert West was the pre-eminent native Irish modeller of the third quarter of the eighteenth century, flourishing in Dublin from 1756 where he first worked on the Rotunda Hospital staircase. No. 20 Lower Dominick Street, which he built in 1757, showcases a wide range of modelled plasterwork, and in particular the exuberant Stair Hall incorporating birds projecting up to 500mm from the background surface.

Survey and investigation. Paint removal, conservation, repair and remodeling of Robert West's 1757 decorative plasterwork to the ground floor and first floor rooms. Paint investigation and reinstatement of decorative schemes throughout the prinicpal rooms.

The Royal Hospital was begun in 1680 by Sir William Robinson and the chapel completed 1687. The chapel was re-roofed 1891-92 and at the same time loose decorative enrichment secured. Following redecoration in 1896 and further securing of loose enrichment, the ceiling was subsequently taken down and replaced - J D Crace of the London decorating firm noting the old 'ceiling removed, framework renewed, and a new ceiling substituted strictly in accordance with the original design but in lighter materials, introducing into it where possible many of the best parts of the old stucco work in their orginal positions.'

Chapel ceiling investigation and survey with the identification of reinstated 17th century original hand modelled lime plaster and the early 1901 replacement papier mache and fibrous plaster restoration.

St Paul's Church, Deptford, designed by Thomas Archer in 1713 and completed in 1730, is one of the twelve churches completed by the Commissioners for Building Fifty New Churches (1711-1759), and is the only one to retain its interior reasonably intact without the need for substantial restoration. A fire in the apse in 2000 led to more extensive investigation and the discovery of Henry Turner's fictive decoration of the entablature and apse walls to add to the 'glory' above, previously exposed and retouched in 1975.

Paint removal, conservation of fire damaged 1720s interior and recovery of previously unknown scheme for replication and reinstatement of original architectural paint scheme.

Uppark House was rebuilt in the Anglo-Dutch mnanner c.1690, posibly to the design of William Talman, by Ford Grey, 3rd Lord Grey of Warke. Extensive remodelling was commenced from 1747 on its purchase by Sir Matthew Featherstonaugh, completing the Saloon and Little Parlour c.1770 with further alterations undertaken by Repton 1811-15 by his son Sir Harry. Uppark passed to the National Trust in 1954, and was subsequently devestated by fire in 1989. The Trust restored Uppark and reopened to the public in 1995.

Salvage, conservation and reinstatement of decorative lime plaster ceilings. Investigation and research. Re-modelling of damaged 1805 Garrard Busts and Plaques and reinstatement of decorative treatment.

A large classical Palladian building designed and built by Richard Castle, completed c.1752 for Joseph Leeson, created 1st Earl of Milltown 1763. The ceilings of several rooms are attributed to the Swiss-Italian stuccodores, the brothers Paolo and Filippo Lafrancini. A fire in 2010 severely damaged the west wing. The main building remained undamaged.

Paint removal, conservation, repair of decorative plasterwork. Paint investigation and reinstatement of 1760s schemes to Stair Hall and Entrance Hall. Specification and oversight of reinstatment of plaster and decoration of fire stricken West Wing.

Auckland Castle was probably begun in the twelfth century and completed in the thirteenth century, since when it has undergone several building phases. In 1832 it replaced Durham Castle as the official residence of the Bishops of Durham. Bishop Trevor was responsible for some of the extant decorative plasterwork in the 1760s which has survived James Wyatt's later unifying of much of the disparate development of the castle from the 1790s for Shute Barrington, whose interiors remain largely unaltered today.

Survey, repair and conservation of 18th century decorative plaster. Development and specifications for reinstatement of historic decorative treatment to principal rooms.

Leinster House is the largest and grandest town house built in Dublin in the eighteenth century. Designed in Palladian style and begun 1745 by Richard Castle for James Fitzgerald, created Duke of Leinster in 1766, with work continuing on the interior during the 1750's to designs by Isaac Ware, and the large Picture Gallery completed in 1775 to neoclassical designs by James Wyatt. In 1924 Leinster House was acquired as the seat of the newly established Government of Ireland.

Survey, repair and conservation of 18th century decorative plaster throughout principal and secondary rooms for the Office of Public Works, Ireland

Rathfarnham Castle has its origins as a sixteenth century castle built for Adam Loftus. It was regularised and remodelled externally and internally in the late eighteenth century to designs by Sir William Chambers and James 'Athenian' Stewart. A period of decline led to its rescue by the state in 1987 and declared a National Monument. The Office of Public Works has actively conserved and restored the castle since.

Investigation, plaster conservation and reinstatement of decorative treatment to principal rooms.

The building today is largely the result of Sir Robert Smirke's overall plan formulated in 1823 and completed from 1845 by his younger brother Sydney Smirke. The last significant element is Norman Foster & Partner's Great Court opened in December 2000. The first element, forming the eastern section, was the King's Library completed in 1827 and the subject of major restoration works in 2003. The south front and colonnade were practically finished in 1846. The Front Hall opened to the public in 1847 with its polychromatic decorative design proposal by L W Collman in 1846 and put forward by Sydney Smirke, then the museum architect. Smirke was also responsible for the Reading Room unveiled in 1857 replete with his decoratve scheme also reinstated in 2000.

Research, formulation and specification of the conservation repair technique for the treatment of the dynamically moving cracking of the Reading Room 19th century Bielefeld Patent Wood interior. Uncovering, research and design for the reinstatement of the original polychromatic 19th century Reading Room and Entrance Hall decoration. Survey and condition report for the King's Library restoration project. Survey, investigation, specification and direction of the plaster conservation and decorative reinstatment of the South Colonnade ceiling coffering completed 2021.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre occupies a site in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, which according to traditions dating back to the fourth century, contains the two holiest sites in Christianity - the site where Jesus was crucified, and where he is believed by Christians to have been buried and resurrected. The building has undergone many phases of damage, repair and rebuilding over the centuries from the 1048 reconstruction by Constantine IX. The 1868 restoration of the dome was restored again 1994-97 as part of modern renovations ongoing since 1959.

Conservation and restoration of principal dome. Research and redecoration.

An early Grade 1 listed seventeenth century red brick mansion built for Sir John Dormer, dated 1626 on the staircase soffit of the Stair Hall and retaining a number of seventeenth century ceilings and architectural details. The mansion underwent remodelling and alterations in 1784.

Survey and condition report on the decoratve plasterwork of the principal historic rooms following concerns about integrity. Repair and conservation of 1626 decorative plasterwork to the Stair Hall ceilings and Great Chamber. Specification of appropriate conservation guided decorative coatings.

Stourhead House was designed by Colen Campbell and built 1721-25 for Henry Hoare. The lake and temples were developed by his son Henry Hoare II between 1744 and 1770 designed by the architect Henry Flitcroft. The Pantheon, built by 1757, and furnished by 1762, is the most important temple at Stourhead providing symbolic and visual focus situated at the far end of the lake.

Salvage, repair, conservation and reinstatment of freehand modelled decorative lime plaster panel by Benjamin Carter 1762.