Decorating Cleveland Row

Cleveland Row takes its name from Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, the celebrated mistress of Charles II, who was granted Cleveland House on this site in the 1660s. The street has maintained an intimate connection with the Court of St James's throughout its history, serving as the principal approach to the palace from the west. The surviving buildings date primarily from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, though several incorporate earlier fabric within their walls. Bridgewater House, designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1854 for the Earl of Ellesmere, dominates the eastern end of the row with its Italianate palazzo facade in Portland stone — the same architect brought his experience from the Reform Club and Houses of Parliament to this substantial commission. The Stafford Hotel, originally a private residence, occupies the site of former courtiers' lodgings and retains sections of seventeenth-century walling in its cellars. During the Georgian period, Cleveland Row attracted diplomats and senior courtiers who required proximity to the palace without the visibility of a Pall Mall address. The street's character has always been one of discreet privilege rather than ostentatious display, a quality reflected in its restrained architecture and absence of commercial frontages. The Tudor gatehouse of St James's Palace at the street's eastern terminus provides an incomparable backdrop, its red-brick battlements and octagonal turrets dating from the 1530s when Henry VIII built the palace on the site of a former leper hospital. The Crown Estate and the Duchy of Cornwall between them control much of the street's property, ensuring consistent management of its historic fabric.

The decoration of Cleveland Row requires exceptional restraint and attention to historical authenticity, befitting a street that forms part of the immediate setting of St James's Palace. Exposed brickwork must be maintained through lime-mortar repointing using hot-mixed lime-putty mortars that replicate the soft, slightly irregular character of the original jointing. The Portland stone of Bridgewater House demands periodic cleaning using controlled water-spray techniques, avoiding acidic or alkaline cleaners that would etch the stone's surface or destroy its protective fire-skin. Where stone decay has advanced beyond surface soiling, plastic repairs using a lime-based stone repair mortar matched to the colour and texture of Portland stone can restore the profile of eroded carved elements. For rendered surfaces, Keim mineral silicate paint systems in stone-complementary tones provide the breathability and visual subtlety required. Timber sash windows should be decorated using a full linseed oil paint system in colours approved by the Crown Estate — typically off-white or Portland stone cream for the main frames, with dark painted reveals to enhance the apparent depth of window openings. The wrought-iron railings along Cleveland Row, being relatively exposed to weather from Green Park, require particular attention to corrosion prevention. Hand preparation to remove loose rust, followed by application of zinc-rich primer and micaceous iron oxide finish coat in traditional black, provides robust protection without obscuring the ironwork's forged detailing. Internal common areas of the residential buildings frequently retain original lime-plaster walls that must be decorated with breathable limewash or casein-based paints rather than modern vinyl emulsions.