Werribee Park An Example of Ornate Decorative Features

Exterior Werribee Mansion

The Italianate style, which echoes 16th century Italian Renaissance Architecture, was first developed in Britain in 1802 by John Nash and was further developed and popularised by Sir Charles Berry, Architect in the 1830s. Werribee Park Mansion in Werribee, Melbourne was built in this style between 1874 and 1877. It is an outstanding example of the effect of architectural decorative mouldings.

The Mansion is a replication of a grand English country house and The main building is predominantly bluestone with a simple yet awe inspiring sandstone facade on three sides, the largest example of Barabool Hills sandstone applied to a privately owned building in Victoria. A stone railed balcony surrounds the central block on three sides. A central tower sits high above the second storey. Below an arcade, beautifully panelled and painted, allows soft light through a series of arches to the large windows of the internal structure.

The two wings of the Mansion feature 60 rooms and adjoin at the rear of a central block. The interior is beautifully crafted with ornate cornices, display niches and superb wrought iron detailing on the grand staircase. Elaborately decorated arches and large, feature windows of stained glass featuring motifs and pastoral scenes add further decorative features. Corinthian pilasters or piers are featured in the main hall. A massive formal dining room and a British style drawing room are reminders of bygone times.

Many of the mansion’s associated buildings are still standing and remain unchanged. The original, authentic 19th century laundry is a rare example and is still totally intact whilst the sunken glasshouse and the 17th century style grotto are unique in Victorian Architecture.

Modern architectural decorative mouldings and features are not as ornate and are now available in lightweight materials from the Finishing Touch that are easily installed yet have longevity.

 

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Current Projects Supplying Lightweight Decorative Mouldings for House Builds

House in Warrandyte with Finishing Touch decorative mouldings

A project was recently completed by the Finishing Touch for an Owner/builder at 12 Kelvin Court, Ringwood North. The post- modern, single storey house of forty squares has 5.4 metres of parapet moulding at the top of the building, across the entrance, model # P8250, sized 250mm x 95mm with 64 metres of a smaller parapet that surrounds the entire perimeter of the house, model # P8200, sized 200mm x 155mm. Five windows have been fitted with window sills, model # WS15, sized 130mm x 5mm and 62 metres of window architraves, model # W1100, sized 100mm x 45mm.

A project presently under development for a house in Balwyn requires 15 metres of parapet moulding, model # P8300, sized 300mm x 235mm and below the larger parapet, 6 metres of a smaller parapet, model # P8250, sized 250mm x 195mm. 4.5 metres in total for three arches, model # W1100, each one measuring 100mm x 45mm adds an eye catching decorative touch to the facade. Nine windows require 45 metres of window architraves, model # W1100, each sized 100mm x 45mm and window sills, model # SR15, each sized 135mm x 185mm. 15 metres of stringer, model# SR4, sized 90mm x 70mm and 50 metres of under gutter moulding, model #PE70, sized 70mm x 70mm completes the job.

Another project under development in North Balwyn is for a French provincial style house with a typical French provincial roof. The build requires 8 metres of parapet moulding, model # P8430, sized 430mm x 335mm, 72 metres of under gutter moulding, model # PE70, sized 70mm x 70mm, and 64 metres of eave moulding, model # PE8200, sized 195mm x 155mm. Thirty five window are to be supplied with window sills, model # WSR15, each sized 135mm x 185mm plus 175 metres of window architraves, model # WDG8XY, each sized 160mm x 50mm. The middle level of the house will be decorated with 45 metres of parapet moulding, model # P8250, sized 250mm x 195mm, whilst the front façade of the home will boast 48 metres of quoining panels, model # Q300, sized 320mm x 30mm – two lines of quoining panels will extend from the roofline to the ground, one a single panel and one a double panel. The front entrance will feature columns and above each column on either side of the entrance single quoining panels will extend to the roofline on the second storey.

Visit our Finishing Touch Products page for drawings and descriptions of the product model numbers quoted here. We also do custom made decorative mouldings, to your specifications. Contact us at the Finishing Touch for a quote.

Buildings of The Future New Design Approaches

“The 3D printer is significantly disrupting the traditional design role held by the structural engineer but, at the same time, presents exciting new opportunities in how building designers will create, relocate and shape buildings of the future,” said Peter Greaves, Aurecon’s Buildings of the Future Leader. In Aurecon’s white paper ‘Buildings of the Future: science fiction or science fact?’ inspired by interviews with a broad group of professionals across the built environment who were asked to imagine how buildings of the future may look and how they may be created, 3D printers were identified as a major disruptor.

The paper reports that new design approaches are being fuelled by the use of new, flexible construction materials, including composite materials, additive manufacturing concrete, solar polymers and carbon fibre balsa. The traditional architectural limitations of size, weight and shape that the building and construction industry is currently working within is about to change dramatically.

One of the areas of building in which this change is already happening is in the manufacture of decorative mouldings. Innovative companies, such as the Finishing Touch, are using new materials to produce lightweight decorative mouldings that look exactly the same as the traditional building materials of concrete and stone. Manufactured from a high grade computer cut EPS polystyrene, triple coated with a multi-part compound reinforced with sand, the new style decorative mouldings are easier to make, take less time to manufacture and are lighter to transport, offering many savings in building costs.

As in any building it is important to ensure that the best methods, processes and quality materials are being used. Unfortunately, there are some suppliers that claim to supply a similar product, but the quality is poor and the decorative mouldings do not stay adhered after a year or two. The Finishing Touch are often contracted to replace these low quality products with Finishing Touch superior quality decorative mouldings, using a fixing process that has a 7 year warranty. As innovators in the building industry, the Finishing Touch are leaders in the supply of quality, reliable, affordable, lightweight exterior decorative mouldings.

 

Busy Month Supply Decorative Mouldings for New Builds, Upgrades and Renos

Finishing Touch decorative mouldings in Balwyn.

The Finishing Touch supplied a number of decorative mouldings to complete the build of a post-modern, fifty square home in Glen Iris. Architectural decorative mouldings included an ornamental border frame, model # S6R2, sized 55mm x 27mm, that sits above the balcony as a square picture frame. Eight windows have been attractively finished with 100 metres of window architraves, model# M1, measuring 110mm x 30mm and window sills, model # WS2, measuring 130mm x 70mm. Adding to the handsome façade is 127 metres of parapet mouldings, model # M25813, sized 265mm x195mm and 60 metres of stringer mouldings, model # S1R4, sized 90mm x70mm.

As so often happens, the Finishing Touch have been called in to replace poor quality decorative mouldings that were incorrectly installed on an existing home. The forty square, double storey house in Glen Waverley required a large number of high quality decorative mouldings as replacement. 58 metres of parapet mouldings, model # P4300, sized 300mm x 285mm along with 9.6 metres of parapet mouldings, model # P4400,sized 400mm x 380mm were required. Fourteen windows needed 38 metres of window headers, model # WH1A, measuring 175mm x 170mm, 51 metres of window sills, model # WSR15, measuring 135mm x 185mm and a double architrave combination made up of 70 metres of flatband architraves, model # DGB100, measuring 100mm x 20mm and 80 metres of architraves, model # WDG8XY, measuring 120mm x 50mm. The addition of 48 metres of quoinings, model # Q300, measuring 320mm x 30mm, made for a lovely finish to the façade. Builders now appreciate that the Finishing Touch supply a high quality, long lasting decorative moulding that won’t shrink, warp or fall off, with certified installers and provide a 7 year warranty.

Another existing home in Surrey Hills needed to freshen up its façade, so the Finishing Touch supplied their quality, lightweight mouldings for this three year old, post-modern home of forty squares. The upgrade required 16 metres of parapet mouldings, model # P7180, sized 180mm x 95mm, 16 metres of parapet mouldings, model # P7140, sized 140mm x 75mm and 16 metres of under gutter eave moulding, model # PE70, sized 70mm x 70mm. Ten windows were improved with 22 metres of window sill mouldings, model # WS5R2, sized 133mm x 91mm and 48 metres of flatband moulding, model # DGB1003, sized 100mm x 30mm completed the new look façade.

The conversion of a commercial premises which was formerly a panel shop, in Blackburn Road, East Doncaster required 43 metres of lightweight parapet mouldings, model #P7270, sized 270mm x 145mm.

Altogether it’s been a busy month in May as the Finishing Touch heads into June with a flurry of activity expected.