Decorating Lettice Street

Lettice Street was developed during the 1870s as part of the intensive speculative building programme that accompanied the arrival of the District Railway in Fulham and the consequent transformation of agricultural land into residential streets. The street's name derives from the Lettice family, who held land in the area during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Unlike the grander developments targeting the professional classes along nearby streets such as Moore Park Road and Hurlingham Road, Lettice Street was built for Fulham's growing population of skilled artisans, clerks, and small tradespeople, and the modest scale and limited decorative elaboration of the cottages reflect the economic constraints and practical priorities of this market segment. The cottages were typically built by small local building firms using standardised plans with minimal variation, creating the pleasing rhythm and visual consistency that remains the street's defining characteristic. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has included Lettice Street within the wider conservation area framework that protects much of this part of Fulham, recognising that the street's consistent scale, uniform building line, and surviving original features contribute significantly to the area's historic character. The conservation area guidance specifically identifies the retention of original windows, doors, boundary treatments, and roofing materials as priorities, and discourages the painting of previously unpainted brickwork, the installation of replacement windows in non-traditional materials, and the removal of original chimney stacks.

The conservation decoration of Lettice Street's artisan cottages requires an approach that respects both the authentic material character of the buildings and the practical constraints of their modest original construction. The overriding principle for the stock brickwork is that it should remain unpainted where it has historically been exposed. London stock brick is a relatively porous, breathable material that manages moisture through evaporation from its surface, and the application of impermeable modern masonry paints disrupts this moisture management system, trapping water within the brick and accelerating frost damage, salt crystallisation, and surface spalling. Where brickwork requires repointing, a lime mortar should be specified with a composition and colour matched to the original, typically a hot lime mortar or lime putty mortar with a sharp sand aggregate that replicates the warm buff colour of Victorian lime pointing. Stucco elements around entrances and any rendered areas should be maintained with lime-compatible paint systems, ideally Keim mineral silicate paint or traditional limewash, both of which offer full vapour permeability and a finish quality sympathetic to the modest character of the buildings. Timber sash windows require particular attention, as many original windows survive in serviceable condition and should be repaired rather than replaced. The draught-stripping and overhaul of original sash windows is a cost-effective conservation measure that preserves the authentic character and proportions of the fenestration. Sash windows should be decorated with a microporous alkyd or linseed oil paint system applied over appropriate primer and undercoat, with careful attention to the rebates, meeting rails, and putty lines that are most vulnerable to moisture ingress and timber decay. Entrance doors and doorcases should be decorated in heritage-appropriate colours, with dark greens, deep reds, and traditional blacks being the most historically appropriate choices for Victorian artisan housing of this type and period.