G Cook and Sons has won three national accolades at the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) Awards.

The Cambridge-based company won a Silver Award in the External Rendering category and a Gold Award in the Judges Award category, as well as the Project of the Year Award.

The first project involved the external lime rendering to a country house called Birch Hall near Colchester. The house had been extended from a farmhouse into a large Georgian mansion. The render was done in a stucco finish and unpainted as would have been traditionally done.

G Cook and Sons' second project was the restoration of two 18th century Robert Adam decorative ceilings at the offices of the Architects Benevolent Society in Portland Place, London.

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Previously, two rooms on the first floor had been updated in the 1970's to make them more attractive for letting them out. This work involved installing a modern suspended ceiling below the existing plastered ceilings. Unfortunately, once completed huge areas of the original ceilings were removed or severely damaged, with between 40% - 50% of the ceilings still intact.

When it was decided to remove the suspended ceilings and restore the original ceilings, G Cook and Sons were asked to provide a quotation for the work and were duly awarded the contract, working under Roxwell who were the main contractors for the project.

The project involved conserving and repairing the areas which survived the work in the 1970's and replacing the areas which were missing.

The company replaced the missing areas using only traditional materials and methods which would have been used when the ceilings were originally done. The company copied the decorative elements where possible from those that survived and from photographic evidence.

Established in 1887, G Cook and Sons specialises in the conservation and restoration of ornate and decorative plasterwork in historic buildings both in the UK and further away.

For more information, visit www.georgecook.co.uk