Britain & Co.

Britain & Co. Britain & Co. is a London-based decoration company specialising in fine decoration, conservation & restoration.

04/12/2025

Here’s something unexpected: limewash dries in a completely different pattern every single time. Even on the same wall.T...
02/12/2025

Here’s something unexpected: limewash dries in a completely different pattern every single time. Even on the same wall.

This unpredictability is part of its ancient charm. Historically, households would repaint their limewashed walls regularly, each layer settling into a soft echo of past colours. Today, most clients choose limewash deliberately for the same quality people once tried to cover up.

In recent projects, we’ve seen designers push limewash in adventurous ways: layered tonal schemes, delicate clouding effects, directional brushmarks and washes. But achieving this relies on deep material knowledge. You can’t “force” limewash. You have to understand how it breathes.

That’s why collaboration is essential. We work closely with architects and designers to align vision with material truth. Sometimes the material gives you exactly what you imagined. Sometimes it offers something better. Our job is to guide the process so the result feels intentional, timeless, and beautifully alive.

There’s something magical about a surface that continues to shift with the daylight.

Would you choose limewash over a modern matt paint?

Most people fall in love with limewash for its softness. What they don’t realise is that the beauty comes from what you ...
27/11/2025

Most people fall in love with limewash for its softness. What they don’t realise is that the beauty comes from what you can’t control.

Limewash is one of the oldest forms of architectural paint, used on everything from cottages to palazzi. Its depth comes from subtle shifts in tone, the natural mottling as light moves across the surface. That movement is part of the material’s character, and it’s something we actively protect.

When we work with architects and designers, the first conversation is always about expectations. Limewash cannot behave like modern paint. It breathes, it settles, it absorbs differently on each part of a wall. And when applied well, those variations are what create that unmistakable, quiet luminosity.

Our role is to steward the material. Understanding substrates. Sequencing coats. Managing drying times. Knowing where the mottling will enhance and where it needs control. These are the details you only learn from years of doing the work.

If you’re exploring limewash for a project, what kind of atmosphere do you imagine the room to have?

We’d love to hear.

There is something joyful about hand painted furniture in a country interior. For this country house, the furniture need...
20/11/2025

There is something joyful about hand painted furniture in a country interior. For this country house, the furniture needed something that felt handmade and uplifting, with a nod to folk decoration and English garden motifs.

This painted scheme was a pleasure to create. The brief called for a naïve, playful nature theme that felt timeless and rooted in the character of the house. We developed a light, fluid pattern of flowers, berries and leaves, painted in a soft country palette with gentle greens, yellows and warm pinks.

The charm lies in the simplicity. Each flower was painted by hand, allowing small variations in tone and brushwork that give life to the surface. Nothing is overly perfect. The design follows the curves and panels of the furniture, settling into the architecture of the pieces as though it has always been there.

Projects like this show how colour, craft and nature can bring warmth and character into a room.

27/06/2025

A return visit to our gilding and decorative work at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane—London’s oldest theatre site in continuous use. The crest is even more imposing up close, and it’s all still gleaming beautifully five years on.

A quiet moment on site: These small, meditative acts are the foundation of enduring craftsmanship.                      ...
13/06/2025

A quiet moment on site: These small, meditative acts are the foundation of enduring craftsmanship.

The Harrow Schools Speech Room project required simultaneous actions due to its diverse needs. One challenging yet beaut...
19/04/2024

The Harrow Schools Speech Room project required simultaneous actions due to its diverse needs. One challenging yet beautiful aspect was the restoration and preservation of stained glass windows, which were tall in height. All conservation and restoration efforts for these windows were carried out concurrently with those for the ceiling.

Stripping away the excess, revealing the beauty in simplicity. Embracing minimalism in every detail of decoration and re...
17/04/2024

Stripping away the excess, revealing the beauty in simplicity. Embracing minimalism in every detail of decoration and restoration, from clean lines to natural materials.

Embracing the ethos of minimalism in decoration and restoration architecture is not merely about stripping away excess, ...
09/04/2024

Embracing the ethos of minimalism in decoration and restoration architecture is not merely about stripping away excess, but rather a meticulous curation of space and form. Each element, whether it be a reclaimed timber beam or a sleek steel fixture, serves a purpose, contributing to the narrative of the space. Through thoughtful restraint and reverence for the existing structure, we honor its history while imbuing it with contemporary relevance. It’s a delicate dance between preservation and innovation, where simplicity reigns supreme, and every design decision speaks volumes.

Exploring the art of minimal redecoration and restoration: where each element harmonizes to revive spaces with timeless ...
07/04/2024

Exploring the art of minimal redecoration and restoration: where each element harmonizes to revive spaces with timeless elegance. Dive into the journey of renewal and design refinement. 🏡✨

the epitome of elegance in gilding techniques. From architectural marvels to artistic masterpieces, its delicate applica...
26/03/2024

the epitome of elegance in gilding techniques. From architectural marvels to artistic masterpieces, its delicate application infuses spaces with timeless luxury.

Dive into the world of gilding techniques, where ancient artistry meets modern innovation, creating a symphony of shimme...
25/03/2024

Dive into the world of gilding techniques, where ancient artistry meets modern innovation, creating a symphony of shimmering surfaces and intricate designs.
From traditional water gilding to contemporary leaf applications, explore the diverse methods that breathe life into architectural masterpieces, each technique weaving its own story of skill and creativity. 💫🎨

Address

2nd Floor, 180 Piccadilly
London
W1J9ER

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+442079171724

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