Victorian Semi-Detached Villa Full Exterior Repaint — Fitzroy Road

The Challenge

Securing Camden Conservation Area approval for the proposed colour was a prerequisite for the project and added a four-week lead time before any work on site could begin. The client had specified a Farrow & Ball Cornforth White tone — a warm mid-grey with slight purple undertones — which is not available directly in a masonry paint formulation, requiring a custom colour match to be produced and submitted for conservation approval. The villa's exposed position on Fitzroy Road, at the corner of the terrace, meant the facade was subject to wind-driven rain from two elevations, and the existing masonry paint had failed most severely on the corner return. Access to the full four-storey height of the building, including the attic dormer storey, required a full-height independent scaffold with fan protection over the pavement.

Our Approach

We produced a bespoke Sandtex Smooth Masonry colour match to Farrow & Ball Cornforth White and prepared sample panels fixed to each elevation of the facade for assessment by Camden's conservation officer. Approval was granted on the first submission. With scaffold in place, the facade was thoroughly washed with a diluted fungicidal solution and all areas of failing paint were mechanically scraped and wire-brushed back to a sound surface. Cracks and open joints in the render were raked out, primed with a PVA consolidant, and filled with Toupret Exterior Flexible Filler before being sanded smooth and feathered into the surrounding surface. A full coat of Sandtex stabilising primer was applied to the entire facade before the two topcoats of Cornforth White-matched masonry paint. All twelve sash windows and two box bay windows were stripped using the Speedheater infra-red system, re-puttied where glass had lifted from the rebate, and finished in three coats of Dulux Trade Weathershield Exterior Gloss in Brilliant White. Fascia boards, soffits, and all external timber were prepared and finished to match. The decorative Victorian bargeboards on the gable were carefully cleaned and repainted in matching colours.

The Result

The villa stands transformed on Fitzroy Road, its warm Cornforth White facade restored to the standard the street demands. The fresh masonry finish and crisply painted sash windows have noticeably improved the property's presence on what is one of Primrose Hill's most prominent residential roads. Camden's conservation officer approved the completed works without conditions, confirming that the colour achieved the character appropriate to the conservation area. The client received two unsolicited compliments from passing pedestrians during the final days of the project.