Fibrous Plastering in Nelson
Decorative cornices, ceiling roses, mouldings and architectural plaster features — crafted with precision, fitted with care, and matched to what is already there.
Fibrous plastering is the decorative end of the trade, and it is the reason old houses feel the way they do. The cornice running around a villa ceiling, the rose a light hangs from, the moulded arch between two rooms — none of it is structural, all of it is the difference between a room that feels finished and one that feels bare.
It is also a skill fewer people practise every year, which is why so much of this work is repair rather than replacement.
What we make and fit
Cornices — From simple modern coves to deep, ornate profiles, supplied, fitted and finished properly at the corners.
Ceiling roses — Repaired, replaced or newly fitted, with the profile matched to the room rather than picked from a catalogue and hoped for.
Mouldings and trim — Panel mouldings, dado and picture rails, and decorative bands.
Corbels and brackets — Supporting detail for openings, mantels and shelving.
Arches and niches — Formed and finished to match existing detail elsewhere in the house.
Bulkheads and coffered ceilings — Contemporary architectural detail where the shape of the ceiling is the feature.
Restoration and profile matching
Nelson has a lot of villas, bungalows and older cottages, and a lot of them have decorative plaster that has been damaged by leaks, movement, renovation or a previous owner’s enthusiasm. A single broken section of cornice is a common problem and a solvable one.
The work goes like this: we take a profile from a sound length of the original, make a matching run, fit it into the damaged section and blend the joins so the repair disappears into the run. Done properly, you should not be able to find where the new piece starts — which is the entire point, because a mismatched cornice draws the eye far more than a damaged one.
The same approach works for roses, mouldings and arch detail. If a matching original exists anywhere in the building, it can usually be reproduced.
How we work
Look at the room. Ceiling height, room proportions and any existing detail elsewhere in the house all decide what the profile should be.
Take the profile. For restoration work, we take the shape directly from a sound original section so the match is exact rather than approximate.
Make it. Sections are formed and cured properly before they go anywhere near a ceiling.
Fit it. Fixed, mitred and joined — mitres at the corners are where fibrous work is judged, so they get the attention.
Finish it. Joins filled, sanded and blended into the run until the whole thing reads as continuous.
New decorative work
Fibrous plastering is not only for period homes. Plain modern rooms with high ceilings and big wall areas often feel unresolved, and a well-chosen cornice or a coffered detail does more for the room than furniture will. Because the profile is made rather than bought, it can be scaled to suit the room instead of forcing the room to accept a standard size.
Worth knowing: profile scale matters more than profile style. A deep, ornate cornice overwhelms a low-ceilinged room, and a mean little cove disappears in a large one. We will tell you what suits the space, including when the answer is nothing at all.