Chelsea Property R&M

Painter and Decorator Chelsea Period Property Specialists | Fixed Price | Free Site Visit

✓ Period Property Specialists | ✓ Oil Primer on Original Joinery | ✓ Lime-Compatible Primer on Lime Plaster | ✓ Flat Brush Finish | ✓ Fixed Price | ✓ Founded 2000

Painter and decorator Chelsea: the primer is the decision that determines the result. Not the colour. Not the finish. The primer.

We had just finished decorating a Victorian terrace on Draycott Avenue in Chelsea SW3. Four floors. Complete renovation: lime plaster repaired in hydraulic lime throughout, original cornicing cleaned back to its full profile, original fireplaces operational, new kitchen, two bathrooms, full rewire, new heating.

The last thing we did was the decoration.

We called on a decorator the owner had used before. He had done the previous flat. Good reviews. He attended the site visit, walked the floors, and quoted. Then he asked where we wanted him to start.

We asked what primer he intended to use on the lime plaster walls.

He said vinyl matt. The same primer he used on everything. We did not use him.

Lime plaster painted with vinyl primer and emulsion blisters within twelve to eighteen months. The lime cannot breathe through a vinyl barrier. The failure is not immediate. It is gradual and then sudden: small bubbles that become large bubbles, patches that lift, paint that separates from the wall in sheets eighteen months after it was applied.

A Chelsea Victorian terrace renovated correctly: lime plaster repaired in hydraulic lime, cornicing restored, original joinery requires a decorator who understands what they are painting on before they open a tin.

Lime-compatible primer on lime plaster walls. Mist coat on new plasterboard. Oil primer, undercoat, and two finish coats by brush on original timber joinery. Flat brush finish throughout, not spray, which produces a surface texture that is wrong in a period room regardless of the colour.

These are not optional refinements. They are the correct specification for a Chelsea period property. A decorator who does not know the difference is the decorator who produces the blistering at eighteen months.

Painter and decorator Chelsea period property specialists since 2000. Single rooms from £650 + VAT. Full Victorian terrace redecoration from £12,000 + VAT. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Benefits:

  • Painter and decorator Chelsea period property specialists since 2000
  • Lime-compatible primer on lime plaster, correct specification, no blistering
  • Oil primer on original Victorian joinery: correct preparation for solid timber
  • Flat brush finish throughout period-appropriate, not spray
  • Mist coat on new plasterboard: correct first coat, no sealing failure
  • Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, and all premium paint ranges supplied
  • Cornicing, ceiling roses, and original features specialist care throughout
  • Between-tenancy redecorating for Chelsea landlords from £1,200 + VAT
  • Pre-sale decoration from £2,500 + VAT
  • Commercial painting and decorating; landlord portfolios welcome
  • All decoration carried out in-house, no subcontracted decorators
  • Single room from £650 + VAT | Full Victorian terrace from £12,000 + VAT
  • Fixed price | Free site visit | Founded 2000
  • Founded 2000
  • Fixed Price
  • Period Specialists
  • Free Site Visit

 

📞 For Emergency Only

📞 Free Quote: 020 7129 7418

Standard Call Out Charge

£95.00 +vat  (additional hours @£75 p/h)

Electrician

£115.00 +vat  (additional hours @£95 p/h)

Heating / Gas Engineer

£115.00 +vat  (additional hours @£95 p/h)

EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)

£240-420.00 +vat  P.O.A

PAT (Portable Appliance Test *incl 12 items)

£105.00 +vat (additional £5.00 per item )

GSI (Gas Safety Inspection)

£110.00 +vat

Boiler Service

£120.00 +vat

Combined GSI & Boiler Service

£210.00 +vat

Every Chelsea Victorian and Edwardian terrace was built with lime plaster on lath. The plaster is breathable; it absorbs and releases moisture as the building moves through seasons and the internal humidity of the property changes. This is not a defect. It is how the material works and why it has survived 130 years in properties across Chelsea SW3, Knightsbridge SW1X, and Belgravia SW1.

Vinyl emulsion applied directly over lime plaster or with a vinyl primer beneath it creates a barrier. The lime cannot breathe. Moisture that would normally be absorbed and released by the plaster is instead trapped behind the paint film. The paint blisters. The cycle runs between six and eighteen months depending on the property, the aspect, and the humidity of the individual room.

Most Chelsea decorators use vinyl primer as standard because most properties they work on have modern plasterboard walls and ceilings. On a Victorian terrace with original lime plaster, this is the wrong specification.

The correct specification: Lime-compatible, breathable primer, compatible with the lime substrate, allows the moisture exchange to continue. Applied correctly to a clean, sound lime plaster surface, it provides a stable base for two coats of emulsion. Properly applied, the result is stable for seven to ten years before redecorating is needed.

We use lime-compatible primer on every lime plaster surface in every Chelsea period property we decorate. Not because it is more expensive. Because it is correct.

Original Victorian joinery six-panel doors, skirting boards, architraves, picture rails, dado rails, and window boards was made from solid timber. Solid timber behaves differently from MDF. It expands and contracts with seasonal humidity changes. It has a grain. It has a surface that needs specific preparation before paint will adhere correctly and hold long-term.

The correct specification for original Victorian joinery:

Oil primer: a slow-drying oil-based primer that penetrates the timber grain and creates a stable bond between the wood and the paint system above it. Water-based primer on solid timber does not penetrate the grain in the same way and is more prone to peeling on original timber with movement.

Undercoat oil-based, applied over the primer, building the film thickness that gives the final coat its depth and opacity.

Two finish coats by brush, not spray. A sprayed finish on original Victorian joinery in a period property produces a surface texture smooth, plastic, and uniform that is visually wrong regardless of the colour. A brushed finish applied correctly by a decorator who knows how to lay off paint has a subtle texture that is appropriate to the period and the material.

The complete system on original Victorian joinery: oil primer, undercoat, two finish coats by brush. The result, correctly applied on correctly prepared timber, holds for seven to ten years without peeling, cracking, or separating at the edges.

Where new plasterboard has been installed in renovations, extension works, or where original plaster has been replaced, the correct first coat is a mist coat, not a primer.

New plasterboard and new skim plaster are highly absorbent. A standard emulsion applied directly to new plaster is absorbed immediately and dries too fast, creating a patchy, uneven surface and a weak bond between the paint and the plaster. The result is visible in the final coat.

A mist coat emulsion diluted with water in approximately a 3:1 ratio is applied first to the new plaster surface. It is absorbed, it seals the surface partially without creating a barrier, and it provides a uniform base for the full-strength emulsion coats above it.

Decorators who apply standard emulsion directly to new plaster are taking a shortcut that is visible in the finished result. We apply a mist coat to every new plaster surface as standard before any finish coat is applied.

Complete redecoration of Victorian terraces, Edwardian properties, Georgian townhouses, mansion flats, and mews properties across Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, South Kensington, and Kensington.

The full property redecoration programme covers every surface: walls, ceilings, all joinery including doors, skirting, architraves, window boards, and picture rails. Cornicing and ceiling roses treated with care; paint accumulation removed where it has filled the detail; correct primer applied before finish coats. Original six-panel doors: oil primer, undercoat, two finish coats by brush. All sash window frames correct specification for timber windows with moving parts.

Colour consultation included. Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Papers and Paints, Mylands, and all premium paint ranges supplied. Standard trade paint at client’s option.

Full Victorian terrace redecoration, Chelsea, 3-4 floors: from £12,000 + VAT. Programme typically 10-14 working days with a two-person decorator team. Fixed price. Free site visit.

Single room decoration for Chelsea and Knightsbridge period properties: correct specification regardless of whether it is one room or an entire property.

The lime plaster question is asked in every room, not every property. The joinery question is asked about every door and every skirting board, not just the ones in the reception rooms.

A single room decorated correctly with lime-compatible primer, two coats of finish emulsion, oil primer and brush finish on the joinery costs more than a single room decorated with vinyl primer and spray finish. The difference is visible at six months. The correct specification lasts seven to ten years.

Single room decoration in Chelsea from £650 + VAT. Period property room with cornicing and original joinery from £850 + VAT. Fixed price. Free site visit.

Between-tenancy redecorating across Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, South Kensington, and Kensington. Same-week availability. Fixed price. Clean handover ready for the new tenancy.

Between-tenancy redecoration is a practical programme: patch and fill, same-colour refresh on walls and ceilings, clean joinery where required, clean handover. It is not a full specification redecoration. It is the programme that presents a Chelsea rental property at its best for new tenants and for rental photography.

Available as part of the annual landlord certification programme alongside EICR certificates, Gas Safety Inspections, and PAT testing, one contractor, everything managed.

Between-tenancy redecorating Chelsea: 1-bedroom flat from £1,200 + VAT; 2-bedroom flat from £1,800 + VAT; 3-bedroom flat or house from £2,500 + VAT. Same-week availability. Fixed price. Call 020 7129 7418.

Pre-sale decoration for Chelsea and Knightsbridge period properties: the decoration that presents a property correctly for estate agent photography, viewings, and sale.

Pre-sale decoration is not a between-tenancy refresh. It is a full specification programme. The walls, ceilings, and joinery need to present perfectly under the conditions of professional photography, which reveals every imperfection that casual viewing misses. Patches, shadows from filled areas where the sheen differs, brush marks in the joinery, and paint accumulation on cornicing detail are all visible in a wide-angle lens at high resolution.

We assess the property at the site visit and specify the programme correctly: what requires full preparation and repainting, what requires touching up only, and what requires colour change advice for the sale market.

Pre-sale decoration in Chelsea from £2,500 + VAT. Fixed price on site visit. Free site visit.

Commercial painting and decorating across Chelsea and surrounding areas: offices, retail, serviced apartments, managed properties.

Landlord portfolio painting and decorating managed as a programme. Multiple properties in the same postcode. Rolling programme across the year. Fixed price per property. One contractor, all certifications and all decoration, managed.

Commercial painting and decorating Chelsea fixed price on site visit. Portfolio pricing for three or more properties. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and Decorator Prices Chelsea

Single room decoration from £650 + VAT. Period property room with cornicing and original joinery from £850 + VAT. Full Victorian terrace 3-4 floors from £12,000 + VAT. Between-tenancy 1-bedroom from £1,200 + VAT. Between-tenancy 2-bedroom from £1,800 + VAT. Between-tenancy 3-bedroom from £2,500 + VAT. Pre-sale decoration from £2,500 + VAT. Commercial portfolio fixed price on site visit.

All prices exclude VAT. Parking and congestion charges additional. Materials included unless otherwise specified. Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, and premium paint ranges at cost plus margin.

Every price on the list above includes: Correct surface preparation; no shortcuts on preparation. Correct primer for the substrate: lime-compatible, mist coat, or oil primer as appropriate. Two finish coats minimum on all surfaces. Flat brush finish on all original timber joinery. Cornicing and ceiling rose care not rolled or cut in carelessly. Professional dust sheets and property protection throughout. Cleaning on completion. 12-month workmanship guarantee.

The following are additional and priced at the site visit: Wallpaper hanging from £20 per metre including supply. Wallpaper stripping from £150 per room. Specialist finishes: limewash, colour washing, textured finishes. External decoration priced separately on site visit.

Why Painter and Decorator Chelsea

Before instructing any decorator for a Chelsea period property, ask one question.

“What primer do you use on lime plaster walls?”

A decorator who says vinyl primer does not understand what they are painting on. A decorator who says lime-compatible primer understands the building.

The answer to that question tells you everything about the quality of the result at eighteen months. Not at the end of the first week. Not at the first viewing. At eighteen months, when the failure mode of the wrong specification begins to appear.

Spray finishing is faster than brush finishing. For a decorator working in a modern new-build with flush MDF surfaces and contemporary interiors, spray finishing produces an acceptable result quickly.

For a decorator working in a Chelsea Victorian terrace with original solid timber six-panel doors, original skirting at 250mm deep, original architrave with a stepped ovolo profile, and original cornicing throughout, spray finishing is the wrong tool.

The flat brush finish on period joinery is not nostalgia. It is the finish method that works with the material, solid timber with a grain, movement, and a profile that a spray gun cannot navigate without producing runs at the moulding edges.

We brush finish all original joinery on every Chelsea period property we decorate. The result is visible at ten years. The spray alternative is visible at two.

Decoration is the last stage of the renovation programme. It is also the stage where every preceding decision is either confirmed or exposed.

Lime plaster repaired correctly and painted with the correct specification looks right at ten years.

Lime plaster repaired in gypsum and painted with vinyl primer blisters at eighteen months.

Original joinery prepared in oil primer and finished by brush looks right at ten years.

Original joinery primed in water-based primer and sprayed looks wrong at two years.

The programme produces the guarantee. The correct specification at every stage from the lime plaster repair to the final brush coat on the door is what the twelve-month workmanship guarantee is based on.

Areas We Cover for Painting and Decorating

Painter and decorator across Chelsea SW3: Draycott Avenue, King’s Road, Cheyne Walk, Flood Street, Paultons Square, Oakley Street, and all SW3 addresses. Victorian terraces, mansion blocks, mews properties. Oil primer, lime-compatible primer, flat brush finish. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator across Knightsbridge SW1X Brompton Road, Pont Street, Hans Road, Lennox Gardens, Egerton Crescent. Period property and mansion block specialists. All premium paint ranges. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator across Belgravia SW1: Eaton Square, Chester Square, Belgrave Square, Elizabeth Street. Listed building decoration: appropriate primers and finishes for Georgian plasterwork. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator across South Kensington SW7: Onslow Square, Cranley Gardens, Wetherby Gardens. Edwardian terrace decoration specialists. All original fabric correctly primed. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator across Kensington W8, Campden Hill Road, Phillimore Gardens, Victoria Road. Victorian villa decoration specialists. Period joinery, oil primer, brush finish. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator across Fulham SW6: Rylston Road, Munster Road, Parsons Green. Victorian terrace redecoration. Between-tenancy specialist. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator across Battersea SW11: Cabul Road, Albert Bridge Road, Queenstown Road. Victorian terrace decoration. Between-tenancy. Period property specification. Fixed price. Free site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

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Painter and Decorator Chelsea – Free Site Visit

Call: 020 7129 7418

  • Painter and decorator Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, South Kensington, Kensington, Fulham, and Battersea. Period property specialists since 2000. Lime-compatible primer. Oil primer on original joinery. Flat brush finish. Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, all premium ranges.

    Single room from £650 + VAT. Full Victorian terrace from £12,000 + VAT. Between-tenancy from £1,200 + VAT. Pre-sale from £2,500 + VAT.

    Free site visit. Fixed price within 48 hours. 12-month workmanship guarantee.

    📞 020 7129 7418 

    Chelsea Property Renovation & Maintenance Ltd 289 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW3 2DY Company No: 16973999 | Founded 2000

Client Success Stories

What Our Chelsea Clients Say About Our Painter and Decorator

Read testimonials from satisfied homeowners across Chelsea, Knightsbridge, and Belgravia who trust us with their property renovation and maintenance needs.

“Chelsea Property Renovation decorated our four-floor Victorian terrace on Draycott Avenue following the renovation. Lime-compatible primer on all lime plaster walls; no blistering at twelve months, none at two years. Oil primer and flat brush finish on all original joinery. Farrow & Ball throughout. The quality of the preparation and the finish is exceptional. Fixed price quoted and fixed price charged. The only decorator we would use in a Chelsea period property.”

William Cavendish - Chelsea SW3

Victorian Terrace - Full Redecoration Four Floors

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

“Between-tenancy redecorating managed by Chelsea Property Renovation across three of my Knightsbridge furnished flats. Same-week availability on every occasion. Fixed price per flat. Clean handover before every new tenancy. They also manage the EICR certificates and Gas Safety Inspections one contractor, one call, everything arranged. The between-tenancy decoration is always completed correctly and within the programme. Outstanding service.”

Helena Forsythe - Knightsbridge SW1X

Between-Tenancy Redecoration - Landlord Portfolio

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

“Pre-sale decoration of our five-floor Belgravia Georgian townhouse by Chelsea Property Renovation. Complete programme walls, ceilings, all joinery, including the original six-panel doors on every floor. Oil primer, undercoat, two coats by brush throughout. The property was photographed the day after completion. Every agent who viewed it commented on the decoration. It sold above the asking price. The pre-sale decoration was the best money we spent on the property.”

James Ashworth - Belgravia SW1

Pre-Sale Decoration - Georgian Townhouse

Why Central London Homeowners Trust Us

25+ Years Central London Experience

We’ve completed home renovations in Central London since 2000. Over 150 projects across Chelsea, Belgravia, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia, and Westminster.

Fully Insured & Guaranteed

£10M public liability insurance, £10M employers' liability insurance, and professional indemnity coverage. All work is fully guaranteed. Building control certificates provided. Electrical and Gas Safe certificates where applicable. Written guarantees on all home renovation services Central London. Insurance certificates available on request.

Quality Materials & Expert Craftsmanship

We specify and source high-quality materials from established manufacturers ensuring reliability and longevity.

Conservation Area Specialists

95% planning approval rate in Central London conservation areas. We've successfully renovated listed buildings and strict conservation properties across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. We know what conservation officers want to see before we submit applications.

200+ Satisfied Customers

Proven track record across Central London with hundreds of completed renovations. Our reputation built on exceptional project management, quality workmanship, transparent pricing, and beautiful results that exceed expectations.

Our Team

Meet Our Trusted Team

John Michaels

Renovation Consultant

Dan Wright

Plumbing and Heating Engineer

Glenn Knowles

CEO

Harry Collins

Repair Technician

Get Started

Ready to transform your Central London property? Get your fast quote today. Contact Chelsea Property Renovation & Maintenance Ltd

FAQ: Have Questions?

Painter and Decorator Chelsea - Frequently Asked Questions

What does a painter and decorator cost in Chelsea?

Painter and decorator Chelsea prices: single room from £650 + VAT, period property room with cornicing and original joinery from £850 + VAT. Full Victorian terrace redecoration 3-4 floors from £12,000 + VAT. Between-tenancy 1-bed from £1,200 + VAT, 2-bed from £1,800 + VAT, 3-bed from £2,500 + VAT. Pre-sale decoration from £2,500 + VAT. All prices exclude VAT. Materials included. Fixed price on site visit. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator Chelsea lime plaster lime-compatible primer. Not vinyl primer. Vinyl primer on lime plaster creates a moisture barrier that causes the paint to blister within twelve to eighteen months because the lime cannot breathe. Lime-compatible primer allows the moisture exchange to continue, creating a stable paint surface that lasts seven to ten years before redecorating is needed. We use lime-compatible primer on every lime plaster surface as standard. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator Chelsea full Victorian terrace typically 10-14 working days with a two-person decorator team. Single room 2-3 days. Between-tenancy flat 3-5 days depending on size and specification. Period property joinery takes longer than modern properties; oil primer drying time between coats must be respected. Timeline confirmed in the fixed price quotation with a week-by-week schedule. Call 020 7129 7418.

As a painter and decorator in Chelsea, we supply all paint and materials unless otherwise agreed. Standard trade paint (Dulux Trade equivalent) is included in the fixed price. Premium paint ranges Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Papers and Paints, and Mylands are supplied at cost plus margin. Client-supplied paint accepted, but we cannot guarantee the same result from paint we have not specified. All prices exclude VAT. Call 020 7129 7418.

Yes. Painter and decorator Chelsea landlord services between-tenancy redecorating same week as the tenancy ends in most cases. 1-bedroom from £1,200 + VAT, 2-bedroom from £1,800 + VAT, 3-bedroom from £2,500 + VAT. Available alongside EICR certificates, Gas Safety Inspections, and PAT testing: one contractor, one call, all managed. Portfolio pricing for three or more properties. Fixed price. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator Chelsea joinery brush finish only on all original Victorian and Edwardian timber joinery. Oil primer, undercoat, two finish coats by brush. Flat brush finish. Spray finish on original period joinery produces a surface texture that is visually wrong in a period room and more prone to peeling at moulding edges. We brush finish all joinery as standard. No exceptions for speed or convenience. Call 020 7129 7418.

Yes. Painter and decorator Chelsea listed buildings period colour matching for Grade I, Grade II*, and Grade II listed properties across Chelsea, Belgravia, and Knightsbridge. Papers and Paints historic colours, Farrow & Ball heritage ranges, Little Greene period colours. Conservation area and listed building specification throughout. Correct primers for Georgian and Victorian plasterwork. RBKC requirements understood. Call 020 7129 7418.

Painter and decorator Chelsea SW3, Knightsbridge SW1X, Belgravia SW1, South Kensington SW7, Kensington W8, Fulham SW6, Battersea SW11, and surrounding Central London areas. Victorian terraces, Edwardian properties, Georgian townhouses, mansion blocks, mews properties, and listed buildings across all areas. Fixed price. Free site visit. 12-month workmanship guarantee. All prices exclude VAT. Call 020 7129 7418.

Central London

Your local team for fast, reliable electrical service throughout Central London.

Address:

289 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 2DY

Email:

info@chelseapropertyrenovation.co.uk

Phone number:

020 7129 7418

Office Hours:

Monday-Friday 8:30 am-6 pm
Saturday -Sunday - Emergency only

Areas We Serve:

We Are Accredited

All our tradesmen, plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, and builders are fully accredited by leading industry bodies, ensuring the highest standards of quality and professionalism on every job.

SafeContractor
Gas Safe
Niceic
NFRC
Federation Master Builders