Restoring a carved Victorian front door

What did the customer need?

Rory Mack Associates needed the original front door at Holly House brought back to life. The building is a Victorian terrace used as offices, and the door is its best original feature. It has carved scrolls, rosettes and diamond panels, a stained glass fanlight above and black fluted pilasters on each side. The door had become tired and patchy, which didn't match the business inside. The client wanted to keep the original door rather than replace it. They also wanted the whole entrance to feel cared for, including the frame, railings and painted plinth along the front.

What condition was it in?

The door was solid, but decades of paint had built up and was peeling away from every carved detail. The layers had filled the carvings, so the fine lines of the scrolls and petals were blurred. Around the panel edges the paint had flaked off completely, leaving bare timber exposed to the weather. The black frame was chipped and worn. The plinth along the front was patchy, with pale filler marks showing through. The railings had lost their shine. None of it was beyond saving, but painting straight over the top would have buried the carvings even further.

What preparation was needed?

Preparation was the biggest part of this job, because the carved details had to be stripped by hand before any new paint could go on. This was a Full redecoration rather than a Refresh, because the old coatings had failed and needed to come off back to sound timber.

Which paints and materials were used?

The door was finished in Johnstones, a gloss finish that stands up well to weather and daily use. Gloss is a good choice for a front door because it's hard-wearing, wipes clean and shows off carved detail well. Under it I used primer and undercoat, which gives the topcoat something sound to grip. The fluted pilasters and door head were painted in black gloss, keeping the original brass roundels. I used the same black on the railings. The plinth and step walls were painted in Johnstones paint, and the arch around the door was refreshed in Johnstones white.

What was the result?

The door now looks as it should, with every carving sharp and clear under a smooth gloss finish. You can see the full detail of the scrolls and diamond panels again, which had been lost for years. The yellow stands out against the black frame and white arch, so the entrance is easy to find from the street. The black railings and solid black plinth tidy up the whole frontage. The original brass letter plate, handle and number 37 are all still in place. Most importantly, the client kept their original Victorian door rather than replacing it.

Questions about this job