For this Smallbone kitchen painter project, I was contacted by long-term client of mine in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Having undertaken various painting projects for her in the past, she now wanted me to hand paint the Smallbone kitchen in her new home.

Knowing that I am always busy and that the painting of the kitchen would be the final part of project, I was the first person she called when organising her house renovation team. Being an interior designer herself, Janine had large scale plans to totally change the layout and décor of her new home and create a open plan area comprising of the kitchen, dining room and a snug lounge area. 

Consultation & Colour –

During the consultation I had a good look over every aspect of the kitchen and pointed out that some initial joinery work would need to be done prior to the painting. This was nothing major but in order for the doors and drawers to close without rubbing once the paint was applied, 1-2mm would need to be planed off certain edges. Pre-joinery work is very common with kitchen projects and as a result I work closely with Colin Foggin, (CF Joinery Harrogate – 07931 430849) who takes care of all things joinery before I begin painting.

Once the logistical side of things had been covered, we then looked at various colours that would compliment the tiles and flooring. I suggested I did some larger samples of the two main colours we looked at so Janine could see them in different lights and at different times of day. This proved to be invaluable, as, due to the different lighting in the room, no stock colour really worked. Janine had a specific shade in mind so I actually ended up hand tinted a base colour (Little Greene Company’s ‘French Grey’) with small amounts of black, brown and red, to get the exact colour she wanted. 

Preparation – 

‘Smallbone of Devizes’ have a reputation for high end quality kitchens, and with its simple, elegant design, this one was no exception. For kitchens like this; with no grain and no detailing, the painting work needs to be smooth and flawless because any imperfections are very noticeable.

Over the years I have seen many beautifully handmade kitchens with poor paint finishes. Painting a kitchen is not really like any other type of painting because the painted surface is being continually viewed up close and gets heavily used on a daily basis. To get a durable, top end finish you need a painter with a with a lot of experience and a keen eye for detail. No corners can be cut, and every stage needs to be done thoroughly and methodically. Using the wrong painter on a project like this is a no no and could end up ruing your expensive bespoke kitchen. The paints, materials and practices I use are all tried and tested and specifically designed for painting kitchens and furniture. 

The first stage preparation stage was to take off as many of the doors as possible, these would be painted in my workshop so as to reduce the time required on-site. I then removed all the handles and cabinetry hardware.

Next, came the pivotal cleaning stage, with all areas being thoroughly cleaned using industrial cleaner/degreaser to remove all traces of dirt and grease. I then applied protection to all the areas that were not being painted, a very important process that completely protects everything and allows me to keep the area dust free. I don’t use dust sheets as they easily release dust into the air and this sticks to the paint.

Once cleaned and masked off, I moved on to the main sanding stage. When sanding I use a dust free sanding system whenever possible which keeps dust down to a minimum and allows me to work quickly and efficiently in a clean environment. 

The Painting –

With the initial prep work done, I applied my first coat of high adhesion oil-based primer. I then lightly sanded everything back so it was silky smooth, filled or caulked any areas that needed attention and applied a second coat of the same primer.

After another light sand (each layer is sanded to ensure maximum adhesion and an ultra smooth finish) I applied two coats of my specialist waterborne kitchen paint. Each coat being applied using the finest brushes and roller sleeves to produce a flawless finish.

After removing all the tape, tidying up and tickety booing the shell was complete. Now it was time to work on the rest of the doors in my workshop.

Each of the doors underwent exactly the same process as outlined above and took a week and a half to complete. I then packaged them up in bubble wrap, re-hung them, re-fitted the handles and other hardware and tidied up. All in all the project took three weeks, with 1.5 weeks on-site and 1.5 weeks in my workshop. Janine were thrilled with the results and wrote this glowing testimonial to show her appreciation –

‘Lee has previously hand painted some small pieces of furniture for me so when I bought a second hand Smallbone wood kitchen, which needed an upgrade, Lee was my first port of call. I had to wait a while but it was certainly worth the wait. Lee’s attention to detail and meticulous work is undeniable and an art in itself! He is certainly a master at his craft and has turned my kitchen into a beautiful place to be. I have had so many compliments on the painted finish and also the colour, which Lee was able to specially tint and make bespoke for me. I am extremely pleased and I would have no hesitation in doing it all again… a pleasure to work with and outstanding results.’

Mrs J Eastwood, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

If you are interested in having your kitchen or furniture painted then please contact Lee on 07808 989 856 or by e-mail lee@imaginativeinteriors.co.uk

Lee works throughout Yorkshire painting top end kitchens and is within easy reach for kitchen painting in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Leeds, York, Wetherby, Otley, Ripon, Thirsk, Halifax, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Doncaster and all the surrounding areas.

 

Please use the following links to see more Hand Painted Kitchens or to view the main Hand Painted Kitchens Case Studies