This elegant living room in an Edwardian house in south London required more preparatory work than usual, particularly on the ceiling and on an area of blown plaster near one of the windows.

The condition of the original lath and plaster ceiling, while parlous, was not unusually so — the number of cracks and general instability is fairly common on ceilings of this vintage, which are now well into their second century.

David and team removed the ceiling woodchip, scrim-taped the cracks, feathered-out two coats of Gyproc joint cement, before sanding and painting.

The main wall colour is Calamine; the woodwork was finished in Slipper Satin - both are colours by Farrow & Ball.