Painting After a Kitchen Refit in London: New Plaster, Splash-Back Prep and Finishing Touches

The Gap Between Kitchen Installation and a Finished Room

A new kitchen installation in a London property is a significant project — weeks of disruption, a substantial financial investment, and the promise of a transformed space. But when the fitters leave, the room is rarely finished. Behind the new units, above the worktops, around the extractor hood, and on the ceiling, there is painting to be done. In many cases, there is also new plaster to deal with, damaged surfaces to repair, and a coordination challenge between the kitchen installer, the electrician, the plumber, and the decorator.

This transitional phase — between installation and completion — is where the quality of the final result is determined. Rushing the decoration to match the excitement of the new kitchen almost always leads to problems.

New Plaster Behind Units and on Patched Walls

Kitchen refits routinely involve replastering. Old tiles are removed, revealing damaged substrate beneath. Walls are repositioned or services rerouted, leaving patches of fresh plaster alongside the existing. In older London properties — the Victorian terraces of Wandsworth, the Edwardian semis of Chiswick, the Georgian houses of Pimlico — the existing plaster may be lime-based, and the new patches will be gypsum. The two behave differently as they dry and must be treated accordingly.

Drying time is the critical factor. Fresh gypsum plaster must dry thoroughly before any paint is applied — a process that takes a minimum of two to four weeks, depending on the thickness of the skim, the ventilation in the room, and the season. In a London winter, with reduced heating (the boiler may have been disconnected during the refit) and limited ventilation, drying can take considerably longer.

Testing is simple: a dry plaster surface is uniformly pale pink or off-white with no dark patches. A moisture meter reading below 1% on the Protimeter scale confirms readiness. Painting over damp plaster traps moisture, causing the paint to bubble, peel, or develop mould beneath the surface.

Mist coat — the first application to new plaster should be a mist coat: emulsion thinned with water (typically 70% paint, 30% water) that soaks into the porous surface and provides a key for subsequent coats. A mist coat should never be skipped. Applying undiluted emulsion to bare plaster creates a surface film that can lift as moisture continues to migrate outward.

Preparing Splash-Back Areas

The area between the worktop and the wall units — the splash-back zone — is the most demanding surface in any kitchen. It is exposed to steam, grease, cooking splashes, and regular cleaning. If this area is not being tiled or clad, it must be painted with a product that can withstand these conditions.

Surface preparation in the splash-back zone involves:

• Degreasing any existing painted surface thoroughly — sugar soap or a dedicated kitchen degreaser
• Sanding to provide a key for the new paint
• Priming any bare plaster or filler with a suitable undercoat
• Ensuring all sealant lines between worktop and wall are complete and cured before painting begins

Product choice matters here more than anywhere else in the kitchen. A standard matt emulsion will stain, absorb grease, and deteriorate rapidly. The correct specification is a kitchen-grade paint with moisture and grease resistance — products like Dulux Trade Kitchen & Bathroom, Johnstone's Kitchen & Bathroom Emulsion, or Little Greene's Intelligent Eggshell provide a wipeable surface that resists steam and cooking residue.

Ceiling Painting After a Refit

Kitchen ceilings accumulate years of cooking grease and steam damage, and a refit is the natural moment to repaint them. The challenges are specific:

• Grease contamination — the existing ceiling surface is likely coated with an invisible film of cooking grease that must be washed off before painting. Failure to degrease the ceiling will prevent the new paint from adhering properly.
• Staining — water stains from condensation, nicotine stains in older properties, and heat marks above the hob all need to be sealed with a stain-blocking primer before the finish coats.
• New lighting — recessed spotlights, often installed as part of the kitchen refit, leave cut-outs in the ceiling that may need patching or neatening where the fit is not flush.

A dedicated ceiling paint in a dead flat finish is the standard specification. Two coats over a stain-blocking primer will provide a clean, uniform surface.

Coordinating with Other Trades

The sequencing of decoration within a kitchen refit is important. Paint should be the last wet trade in the room — applied after plumbing, electrics, tiling, worktop installation, and unit fitting are complete. This avoids the inevitable damage to freshly painted surfaces that results from ongoing trade work.

However, some painting must happen before the kitchen is fully installed:

• Behind units — wall surfaces that will be concealed behind base and wall units should be sealed with a mist coat or a basic emulsion before the units are fitted. This prevents bare plaster from becoming a moisture reservoir behind the cabinetry.
• Above wall units — the gap between the top of the wall units and the ceiling is easier to paint before the units are installed. Reaching into this gap after installation requires awkward angling and often produces a compromised finish.

Good communication between the kitchen installer and the decorator is essential. A brief coordination meeting before the project begins — agreeing on sequencing, access, and responsibilities — saves time and avoids conflicts.

Colour Choices for London Kitchens

London kitchens tend towards clean, fresh colour schemes that maximise the sense of light and space. White and near-white walls remain the dominant choice, particularly in smaller kitchens where every surface contributes to the room's brightness.

Where colour is used, it is typically on a single feature wall or in the splash-back zone, complementing the cabinetry. Dark-fronted kitchens — currently popular in London — work well with pale, warm walls that provide contrast. Light-fronted kitchens can carry a bolder wall colour without the room feeling oppressive.

The finish should be consistent: a mid-sheen emulsion or eggshell on walls, a flat or dead matt on the ceiling, and a satinwood on any visible woodwork. The slight sheen on the walls is practical — it allows regular wiping — and visually cohesive with the smooth surfaces of modern kitchen cabinetry.