Location
Glasgow
Date
2021
Type
Historic timber floors and staircase banister
Nature of work
Conservation of the staircase banister; cleaning and refinishing of historic timber floors
Role
Conservation specialist
Client
National Trust for Scotland
Context and aim
At Holmwood House, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s villa in Cathcart, we carried out two pieces of work on the stair and landing: the conservation of the staircase banister and the restoration of the historic timber floors around it.
The banister, with its pierced anthemion panels, carved newel posts and finials, had lost sections of beaded moulding, carved details and the tips of some finials, and its decorative finish was worn and scratched. The missing elements were replicated in timber to match the originals, fitted, and colour matched so that the repairs sit quietly within the historic finish.
The floorboards around the carpet runners were worn, stained and dirty. After cleaning trials, the boards were cleaned, refinished and waxed, bringing back the warmth of the timber alongside Thomson’s richly decorated interiors.
Gallery
Staircase banister · condition before treatment
Worn and scratched finish, losses to edges and mouldings, and open joints.
Photo: the landing balustrade with its pierced panels and newel posts
Photo: the banister seen from the landing
Photo: split and worn finish on a newel post
Photo: losses and worn edges on the underside of the banister
Photo: scratched finish and an open joint at the base of the balustrade
Photo: dust and fine cracks in the pierced scrollwork
Staircase banister · during the works
Missing mouldings and carved details replicated in timber, fitted and prepared for colour matching.
Photo: original beaded moulding and the new replica carved to match
Photo: new beaded moulding fitted to the newel cap
Photo: new timber fillet fitted below the newel cap
Photo: hard wax insert repairing a loss on a finial crown
Photo: finial with its turned tip missing
Photo: colour test on sample finial
Staircase banister · after conservation
Repairs colour matched and the finish consolidated, with the original decoration kept.
Photo: finial with its new tip, colour matched
Photo: the landing balustrade seen from the stair
Photo: the staircase banister after conservation
Floors · condition before treatment
Exposed boards worn, stained and dirty around the carpet runners.
Photo: worn boards around the carpet runner on the landing
Photo: stained and dirty floorboards
Photo: worn boards along the base of the balustrade
Floors · during the works
Cleaning trials, then cleaning and refinishing of the boards.
Photo: corridor boards before cleaning
Photo: cleaning trial revealing the colour of the timber
Photo: landing floor partly treated, central boards still to do
Floors · after restoration
Cleaned, refinished and waxed, ready for the carpet runners to go back.
Photo: the landing floor with the runner back in place
Photo: restored boards at the doorways off the landing
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