Synergy News & Blog: Bath Office

Restoration of the Temple Room at Stowe House

Restoration of the Temple Room at Stowe House

In May 2020 work started on the next phase of work to the historical State Rooms at Stowe School.

The Temple Room (or State Drawing Room) was to be restored to how it would have looked in 1805, when it was sketched by a lady called Betsey Wynne, a frequent visitor to the House with her husband Captain (later Admiral) Sir Thomas Fremantle who fought at Trafalgar with Admiral Lord Nelson.

The works carried out have comprised the following:

  • For safety reasons the Oak floor was renewed in its entirety along with structural repairs and fire compartmentation.
  • From the Stowe House Preservation Trust records, the room was described as having Orange Silk Damask hanging on the walls – the walls were stripped back to the original and plaster repairs were carried out along with the introduction of lining paper to receive a wall covering hung over Easter and will replicate the original silk damask.
  • The joinery was extensively repaired to its original fine detailing.
  • Complete redecoration throughout the room. To establish the exact colour scheme for the ceiling, our client commissioned a detailed analysis of the historical paint schemes. The analysis revealed a scheme in three shades of pink with gold detailing in all but the corner panels, which were found to have been silver. At some stage in the past, all the detailing had been coated in aluminium leaf.
  • An exact copy of the original fire place is currently being made using modern technology to create the outline and traditional skills to hand finish the intricate carving, the original Chimney piece was sold in the great sale of 1922, but it has been tracked down to a bank in Spain! The new fireplace is expected to be installed during the Easter holidays.

Messenger BCR group carried out the works whilst all the redecorations including the fine gilding to the joinery were carried out by Chroma Conservation.

Synergy’s Cost Consultancy team have really enjoyed being involved with this fascinating project.

Posted on 12/4/2021

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