Decorating Scarsdale Villas

Scarsdale Villas is an attractive street of mid-Victorian terraced houses running between Abingdon Road and Earl's Court Road in central Kensington. The street is lined with well-proportioned three-storey stock brick and stucco terraces dating from the 1860s and 1870s, many retaining original ironwork railings, timber sash windows, and decorative stucco cornices. The area has a strong residential character and is popular with families and professionals attracted by its proximity to the shops of Kensington High Street and the open space of Holland Park.

The substantial stucco frontages on Scarsdale Villas require mineral-based paint systems compatible with the lime render substrate to ensure long-term adhesion and breathability. Many properties have had impermeable modern masonry paints applied over earlier lime renders, and stripping these back before recoating is often necessary to prevent delamination.