Melbourne Plastering
& Building Maintenance
Melbourne is a beautiful city with a diverse range of architectural styles for the city’s age.
The term “plastering” has taken on an equally diverse range of disciplines and skills over Melbourne’s different periods.Over the past 30 years Mark has had the opportunity to work in a large cross section of Melbourne’s buildings, domestic and commercial, internal and external.
He has worked on buildings representative of all Melbourne’s major architectural periods such as Georgian/Colonial, the marvellous Melbourne Victorian period, Edwardian, Inter-War period and buildings from the 1940’s to the New Millennium.
Decorative styles have changed greatly over the different periods.Mark has a unique philosophy when it comes to restoring period properties. If you are fortunate enough to own one of these period gems but are unsure how to go about restoring it Mark will provide invaluable advice and expertise. As he sees it he has a duty of care not only to incorporate your needs and ideas into the restoration project, but a duty of care to the actual building.
Mark excels at and loves breathing new life into tired, sometimes run-down heritage buildings. His restoration of your period gem will be done sympathetically and in keeping with its historic architectural period. By the end of the project your home will shine once again as it is restored to its former glory.
HERITAGE PLASTERING
Does your property belong to once of these architectural periods?
Old Colonial Period - Colonial architecture is a style taken from a mother country and adapted and incorporated into the buildings of colonies in distant locations. It was the predominant style for the first fifty years after settlement. It was typically very simple and plain often featuring the use of corrugated iron.
Georgian - Georgian architecture was the predominant style in English speaking countries between 1720 and 1820. The style was characterized by the use of strict symmetrical arrangements, decorative pilasters, 6, 9 or 12 paned windows and cornices were embellished with decorative moldings, usually dentilwork.
Neo-Gothic (or Gothic Revival) - Many of Melbourne’s churches, schools and universities, e.g.Melbourne University, built in the 1850’s were built in this style. Typically these buildings share some of the features derived from the original Gothic architecture such as lancet windows, scalloping, decorative patterns and hood moldings.
Early – Mid – to late Victorian (1860 – 1890) - Melbourne has arguably the best collection of Victorian terrace housing in the world. Fuelled from prosperity from the gold rush there was no expense spared on some of those buildings. Popular European styles were introduced, particularly from Italy (Italianate). In the 1880s Melbourne was given the title “Marvelous Melbourne” and boasted a city that rivaled the great cities of Europe and North America.
Decorative plastering during this period was truly amazing. Melbourne developed its own distinctive styles such as Filigree known for extensive use of external cast iron fretwork.
Art Nouveau (1890 – 1910) - Art Nouveau is considered a total art style as it embraces architecture, interior design, decorative arts and fine arts, amongst others. Natural curvilinear forms and structures inspired it. During this period architects and designers tried to harmonise with the natural environment typified by the use of organic motifs.
Edwardian (1901 – 1915) - Also known as Federation Style. Federation occurred in 1901 and encouraged national patriotism. This overflowed into housing with Australian flora and fauna being used in building decoration such as cornices, ceiling roses and timber fretwork. Many features were the same or similar to Victorian houses but generally floor plans were smaller and a little less ostentatious.
Californian bungalow (popular from 1913 onwards) - In Australia the bungalow underwent regional adaptations particularly in the building materials used. Due to its amazing popularity many outstanding bungalows still exist and they are ripe for renovating. Often an extra level is added either into the roofline or on top; or the back of the house is extended to take further advantage of the current trend towards indoor/outdoor living and create open-plan family areas. Usually the many period features such as exposed beams, leadlight windows and ornate ceilings are retained.
Art Deco (1930s – 1940s) - After the First World War Melbourne experienced a second boom and quickly began to modernize. As a result Melbourne has a large collection of interwar Art Deco buildings influenced largely by the American cities of New York and Chicago. Historians have defined Art Deco as an assertively modern style that is characterized by rectilinear rather than curvilinear forms and to symmetry rather than asymmetry.
