Renovations & Refurbishments — Virginia Water GU25
Period Property Renovation in Virginia Water — Edwardian Detached, High Specification
Location
Virginia Water, GU25
Project Type
Renovations & Refurbishments
Duration
18 weeks on site
Scope
Full renovation, structural alteration, kitchen, replaster, period joinery throughout
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The Brief
A substantial Edwardian detached property in Virginia Water, GU25 — one of the most valuable residential postcodes in the South East. The property had been thoughtfully maintained but not significantly updated in 30 years. The clients — purchasing the property for family use — wanted a full renovation: a new kitchen, a structural opening between the kitchen and drawing room, full replastering throughout, and all internal joinery (doors, skirtings, architraves, staircase balustrade) restored or replaced to period standard — a historic full house restoration which needed modern amenities and services brought up to today's standard without losing what made the house feel like a period property in the first place.
Our Approach
No planning permission was required. Building regulation applications were submitted for the structural alteration (a 3.6m opening between two rooms on the ground floor, both partially loadbearing). A structural engineer specified a 254x146 UC section RSJ and confirmed the bearing detail. The scale and specification of joinery matching on a property of this age and value required significant research — original skirtings were measured and profiled, and a matching torus/ovolo profile was routed from hardwood (not MDF) to match.
The Build
Full strip-out of kitchen. Structural wall removed under Acrow props, 254x146 RSJ installed. The existing lime plaster throughout the house was assessed — the ground floor had been overboarded with modern plasterboard in the 1990s; the first floor retained original lime. All modern plasterboard was removed on the ground floor. Walls were re-plastered in two-coat Thistle (hardwall and finish). First-floor lime plaster was patched conservatively where cracked — full replacement not required. New kitchen drainage: 110mm run to existing stack. Electrical alterations to kitchen circuits (NICEIC sub-contractor). Hardwood skirting and architrave throughout ground floor — profiled to match Edwardian originals. Period-style four-panel internal doors (Cheshire Mouldings Edwardian range) with Edwardian-style ironmongery. Staircase balustrade: existing newels and handrail retained and restored, missing spindles replaced like-for-like. The structural RSJ installation was designed by our structural engineer, inspected by Building Control at each stage, and signed off with a Building Regulations Completion Certificate on handover.
Materials & Specification
Structural steel: 254x146 UC. Plaster: British Gypsum Thistle Hardwall and Finish. Skirtings/architraves: torus and ovolo profile hardwood (Accoya), painted. Internal doors: Cheshire Mouldings Edwardian 4-panel in pre-primed hardwood. Ironmongery: Carlisle Brass Edwardian range, polished chrome.
The Result
The completed renovation retained every period feature while bringing all services and finishes to a contemporary standard. The structural opening between kitchen and drawing room transformed the ground floor flow. The hardwood joinery throughout matches the Edwardian originals closely enough to be indistinguishable from a distance. The client described the result as exactly what they had hoped for when they bought the property.
Project Photos
Strip-out and structural opening — period renovation Virginia Water
Replastering and new joinery installation — Virginia Water renovation
Completed ground floor after full period property renovation — Virginia Water GU25
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Project FAQs
Do you work on high-value period properties?
Yes. Pindi Sahota has 32 years of trade experience including carpentry and joinery — period properties where joinery matching, lime plaster patching, and careful structural alteration matter are exactly the kind of project we do well.
Can you match Edwardian internal joinery?
Very close indeed. For this project we measured and profiled the original skirtings and had matching cutters routed in hardwood — the result is near-identical. For truly critical matches we work with specialist joinery workshops.
Do you use lime plaster or modern plaster?
We recommend retaining original lime plaster where it is in reasonable condition — it breathes and performs well in period buildings. Where replacement is needed, we typically use modern two-coat Thistle in non-heritage rooms. For listed buildings, we would specify a traditional lime mix.
Why Choose Berkshire Bespoke Builders
- ✓Owner-managed — Pindi Sahota is on site and managing your job personally
- ✓32 years on the tools — time-served builder, 25 years fitting bespoke kitchens
- ✓Fully insured — public liability and employer's liability on every project
- ✓Fixed-price written quotes — itemised by material and labour
- ✓Building regs managed — we submit applications and attend all inspection stages
- ✓Based in Bracknell — covering all of Berkshire. No travel surcharges or delays
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