Recreating Georgian Beauty

Ever wanted to live in a Jane Austin style mansion? At Churchgate House we worked with interior designer, Fenella Pledger, to help recreate a Georgian aesthetic. This included cast iron railings, a matching gate, a large Victorian Spiral Staircase and wrought iron balustrading for a stunning three flight mahogany helical staircase.

Whilst the initial property included some features which referenced Georgian design, it had undergone a number of piecemeal extensions over time. The result was a rather jumbled affair with undersized bedrooms and a convoluted layout. The owners decided to demolish much of these extensions and start from scratch, rationalising the layout and developing a finished, 6-bedroom design that convincingly resembled an original Georgian building.

Having high quality metalwork was essential for the project, as Fenella explained: “The architectural ironwork can really make a project such as this. It can also let down a project badly if not designed and executed properly, so it was key to choose a company with the knowledge and experience that the British Spirals & Castings team can offer.” 

The external railings surrounded key elements in the property, including the roof terrace, and it was vital that they embodied the spirit of the refurbished home. We explored a range of different options with Fenella and the owners, eventually selecting a design which combines simple decorative spindles, ornamental panels with an intricate central crest, and circular newel posts topped with a ball finial.

Fenella also shared: “The client was so impressed with the British Spirals & Castings pieces that they even redesigned a large sliding gate at the front of the property so that it matched the rest of the ironwork.”

The gate design adopts elements from the railings, including internal ball finials, but provides a more decorative aesthetic with flowing patterns and spear finials which deliver a real ‘wow factor’ when you arrive at the property.

As a finishing touch, we also crafted a Juliet balcony with spindles which match those of the railings and low-level curved metalwork referencing the external gates.  The balcony sits outside the large French windows of the master bedroom, flooding the room with light and allowing the owners to open the room out during the summer months.

Spiral Staircase

The external spiral staircase provides access to and from the raised roof terrace above the garage. With its narrow diameter and compact footprint, a spiral design was ideal for the space, providing easy access without obstructing the path into the garage.

The cast aluminium staircase came from our Victorian spiral staircase range. As with all our spiral staircase designs, the tread and landing plate designs can be matched with a huge range of spindle options to create the desired aesthetic for the project. In this case, we used a decorative spindle which matches those within the railings.

Balustrade

On entering the home, you are immediately greeted with the stunning helical staircase which rises to the top story and encircles a beautiful, pendant glass chandelier.

The wrought iron balustrading uses simple, slender spindles which complement the flow of the centrepiece staircase. Rather than fixing directly into the face of the mahogany treads, we created a design that instead uses intricate side fixings. These add a further stylistic flourish to the staircase whilst also maximising the available tread width – allowing two people to comfortably cross on the staircase or walk up and down together.

We collaborated with the handrailing manufacturers to communicate the precise dimensions for the handrail plate. This ensured the mahogany handrail perfectly matched up with the balustrading, providing a seamless finished effect. The end result was a stunning one-of-a-kind piece that sets the tone for the beautiful design throughout this home.

For the full price breakdown (as of 2018) of this project, see below:

Get in touch

Whether you’re looking for a complete package of metalwork across a townhouse, or to add an individual bespoke staircase or balcony for your home, we’re here to help. With our friendly, dedicated service, we can create beautiful pieces that perfectly meet your expectations. Visit our gallery to find more examples of our work and to send in a quote request so we can begin on your dream project.