The restoration of a Regency house has reached a standstill because of a shortage of original features to copy.

The Regency Town House Trust has spent ten years returning a house in Brunswick Square, Hove, to its former glory so it can be opened as a museum.

Now the charity is appealing for householders to help find a ceiling rose for the dining room and fireplaces for the drawing room for artists to replicate.

Trust spokeswoman Jules Middleton said: "We really want to get two rooms finished for the tenth anniversary of the Brunswick Town Charitable Trust in June.

"But we have come across several stumbling blocks recently which are holding up the restoration. We are at a standstill and are not sure where to turn.

"Where features have been lost, we try to replicate original ones from other Regency houses throughout the city, in order to put the house back as near to possible to the original."

She is appealing for people who have houses or flats with original features to come forward.

Mrs Middleton said: "We would photograph the features and, if they were accurate, copy them for our house.

"I stress copy as we do not want people to think we would take the features from their houses."

The trust is looking for original fireplaces and cast iron centrepieces in drawing rooms and dining rooms, which are often the front rooms on the ground and first floors.

The ceiling roses in dining rooms are often in ground-floor front rooms.

The areas with suitable properties in Brighton and Hove include Brunswick Square and Terrace, Lewes Crescent, Sussex Square, Chichester Terrace, Arundel Terrace and Marine Parade (built between 1818 and 1840).

Anyone who can help should contact Mrs Middleton on 01273 206306 or email jules@rth.org.uk