Ever wanted to live in a Jane Austin style mansion? At Churchgate House we worked with the homeowners and interior designer, Fenella Pledger, to help recreate a Georgian aesthetic within a much newer home. This included cast iron railings and a matching gate, a large Victorian Spiral Staircase and wrought iron balustrading for a stunning three flight mahogany helical staircase.
Whilst the initial property included some features which referenced Georgian design, it had undergone a number of piecemeal extensions over time. The result was a rather jumbled affair with undersized bedrooms and a convoluted layout requiring a long walk to get from the kitchen to the dining room.
The owners decided to demolish much of these extensions and start from scratch, rationalising the layout and developing a finished, 6 bedroom design which convincingly resembled an original Georgian building which had been faithfully developed and added to over time. Having high quality metalwork was essential for the project, as Fenella explained:
“The architectural ironwork can really make a project such as this. It can also let down a project badly if it is not designed and executed properly so it was key to choose a company with the knowledge and experience that Antonia and the British Spirals & Castings team can offer.”
Railings, Gate and Juliet Balcony
Alex Maguire Photography
The external railings surround key elements in the property, including the spacious roof terrace, and it was vital that they really embody the spirit of the refurbished home, communicating both the quality and the overall aesthetic for the property. We explored a range of different options with Fenella and the owners, eventually selecting a design which combines simple decorative spindles, ornamental panels with an intricate central crest, and circular newel posts topped with a ball finial.
“We loved Antonia’s input and ideas throughout the entire project. The clients was so impressed with the British Spirals & Castings pieces that we even redesigned a large sliding gate at the front of the property (with Antonia’s input) so that is matched the rest of her ironwork.”
-Fenella Pledger
The gate design adopts elements from the railings, including internal ball finials, but provides a more decorative aesthetic with flowing patterns and spear finials which deliver a real ‘wow factor’ when you arrive at the property.
Alex Maguire Photography
As a finishing touch, we also crafted a Juliet balcony with spindles which match those of the railings and low-level curved metalwork referencing the external gates. The balcony sits outside the large French windows for the master bedroom, flooding the room with light and allowing the owners to open the room out during the summer months.
Alex Maguire Photography
Spiral Staircase
The external spiral staircase provides access to and from the raised roof terrace above the garages. With its narrow diameter and compact footprint, the spiral design was ideal for the space, providing easy access without obstructing the path into the garage or blocking light from the nearby household windows.
The cast aluminium staircase comes from our Victorian spiral staircase range. As with all our spiral staircase designs, the tread and landing plate designs from the range can be matched with a huge range of spindle options create the desired aesthetic for the project. In this case, we used a decorative spindle which matches those within the railings.
Alex Maguire Photography
Balustrade
On entering the home, you are immediately greeted with the stunning helical staircase which rises to the top story and encircles a beautiful, pendant glass chandelier.
The wrought iron balustrading uses simple, slender spindles which complement the flow of the centrepiece staircase. Rather than fixing directly into the face of the mahogany treads, we created a design which instead uses intricate side fixings. These add a further stylistic flourish to the staircase whilst also maximising the available tread width – allowing two people to comfortably cross on the staircase, or walk up and down together.
We collaborated with the handrailing manufacturers to communicate the precise dimensions for the handrail plate. This ensured the mahogany handrail perfectly matches up with the balustrading, providing a seamless finished effect. The end result is a stunning one-of-a-kind piece which sets the tone for the beautiful interior design throughout this home.
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- Alex Maguire Photography
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- Alex Maguire Photography
Get in touch
Whether you’re looking for a complete package of metalwork across a townhouse, or to add an individual bespoke staircase or balcony for your home, we’re here to help. With our friendly, dedicated service, we can create beautiful pieces which perfectly meet your expectations. Visit our gallery to find more examples of our work and to send in a quote request so we can begin on your dream project.