Decorating Harrington Gardens

Harrington Gardens was developed between 1882 and 1888 on land belonging to the Smith's Charity Estate, one of the great South Kensington landholdings that shaped the district's architectural character during the second half of the nineteenth century. The street takes its name from the Earls of Harrington, who held interests in the surrounding area. The architect principally associated with Harrington Gardens is Ernest George, working in partnership with Harold Peto, whose designs drew heavily upon Flemish and North German Renaissance precedents. George and Peto's red-brick compositions, with their elaborate gabled facades, oriel windows, and profuse terracotta enrichment, represented the vanguard of the Queen Anne Revival movement and the Aesthetic Movement's influence on domestic architecture. The street was conceived as an enclave of artistic, cultured living, attracting residents from the upper echelons of Victorian intellectual and cultural society. W.S. Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, resided at number 39, and the street has maintained its association with artistic and professional elites throughout its history. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has designated Harrington Gardens within a conservation area, recognising its exceptional architectural coherence and the importance of preserving the original palette of materials that gives the street its distinctive polychrome character.

The decoration of Harrington Gardens properties requires a carefully differentiated approach that recognises the distinct requirements of each substrate. For the red-brick facades, the overriding principle is preservation of the natural brick surface; these elevations were never intended to receive paint, and any coating would disrupt the designed polychrome effect while potentially trapping moisture within the brick matrix. Where cleaning is necessary, gentle nebulous water spray techniques or Jos/Torc micro-abrasive systems should be employed, avoiding acidic cleaners that can dissolve the iron-rich minerals responsible for the characteristic red coloration. Terracotta elements similarly should remain uncoated, though localised consolidation with ethyl silicate consolidants may be appropriate where surface friability has developed. Lime mortar repointing must employ a hydraulic lime mortar carefully colour-matched to the original, avoiding any Portland cement content that would create rigid, impermeable joints incompatible with the surrounding clay substrates. For timber elements, the premium specification centres on linseed oil-based paint systems. Traditional lead-based primers have been superseded by modern alkali-resistant primers formulated for use over historical timber, followed by undercoat and finishing coats from manufacturers such as Teknos or Ottosson. These systems offer the flexibility and breathability that prevents moisture entrapment within the timber substrate while providing the depth of finish and slow weathering profile that befits these significant properties. Wrought ironwork requires thorough preparation to remove all corrosion products, followed by a zinc phosphate primer and micaceous iron oxide intermediate coat before a high-quality alkyd or oil-based gloss finishing system is applied.