interior
Woodwork & Joinery Painting
Precision painting for skirting, architraves, and bespoke joinery
From £30 per linear metre
For skirting boards and architraves. Panelling, fitted joinery, and spindle-rich banisters quoted based on complexity and area.
Typical Duration
2-5 days depending on extent of woodwork
Free Consultation
No-obligation quote and colour advice
The quality of woodwork painting separates good decoration from exceptional decoration. Skirting boards, architraves, window frames, door casings, dado rails, and bespoke joinery all demand careful preparation and skilled brush application to achieve a smooth, durable finish. Our painters take pride in delivering crisp lines, even sheen, and a surface free from brush marks, drips, or sags on every piece of timber in your home.
About Our Woodwork Service
Woodwork is the framework that defines the character of an interior. Skirting boards ground the walls, architraves frame doorways and windows, dado rails divide wall planes, and panelling adds warmth and architectural rhythm. When these elements are well-painted, they sharpen the entire room, creating clean lines that make wall colours sing and architectural proportions read clearly. When they are poorly painted, with visible brush marks, drips on corners, and paint that has sagged on vertical surfaces, they drag the whole room down regardless of how well the walls have been finished. At Belgravia Painters, our woodwork painters are specialists who have spent years perfecting the techniques required for flawless timber finishing. They understand how different paint types behave on vertical and horizontal surfaces, how to load a brush to avoid drips without creating dry edges, and how to maintain a wet edge on long runs of skirting or panelling. They prepare every piece of woodwork by hand, filling nail holes, sanding smooth, and priming bare timber before applying undercoat and topcoat in a systematic sequence that builds durability and depth of finish.
What We Deliver
- Full preparation of all internal woodwork including filling, sanding, and priming
- Eggshell and satinwood finishing on skirting boards, architraves, and door casings
- Painting of bespoke joinery including bookcases, window seats, and fitted wardrobes
- Dado rail, picture rail, and panel moulding painting
- Radiator painting with heat-resistant, non-yellowing enamel
- Staining and lacquering of hardwood joinery where a natural finish is preferred
- Precise cutting-in between woodwork and wall colours for clean, sharp lines
- Banister and handrail painting including spindle work
Our Approach
Woodwork painting follows a strict sequence. First, all surfaces are washed with sugar soap to remove grease and grime that would prevent adhesion. Existing paint in poor condition is scraped and sanded smooth. Nail holes, dents, and open grain are filled with fine surface filler, sanded level when dry, and spot-primed. Any bare timber is treated with an appropriate primer: acrylic for softwoods, aluminium for resinous or knotty sections. Once preparation is complete, a full undercoat is applied to provide opacity and a smooth base for the topcoat. We use high-quality synthetic brushes designed for water-based eggshell and natural bristle brushes for oil-based satinwood, as each paint type flows differently and demands the right tool. Topcoats are applied in long, even strokes with careful attention to corners, moulding profiles, and junctions with walls. Cutting-in between woodwork and adjacent wall colours is done freehand by our most experienced painters, producing lines that are straighter than masking tape can achieve. For large areas of panelling or fitted furniture, we may recommend spray application for an even smoother result.
Materials & Brands
Our standard woodwork finish is Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell, a water-based product that combines easy application with outstanding durability and a beautiful subtle sheen. For clients who prefer the traditional depth of an oil-based finish, we use Mylands Oil Based Eggshell or Dulux Trade Satinwood. Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell and Estate Eggshell are available for clients committed to the Farrow & Ball colour range. All primers and undercoats are system-matched to the topcoat for optimal performance. For natural timber finishes, we use Osmo Polyx-Oil and Fiddes Hard Wax Oil.
Property Considerations
Period properties in Mayfair and Belgravia often feature extensive woodwork including deep skirting boards, ornate architraves, panelled walls, and window shutters. The quantity of woodwork in a Georgian or Victorian townhouse can be substantial, and we schedule accordingly. In some cases, woodwork carries decades of accumulated paint that has softened original profiles and obscured carved details. We can strip this build-up where appropriate to restore the original crispness of the joinery. Modern properties tend to have simpler woodwork profiles but still benefit from the same systematic preparation and multi-coat approach.
Why Choose Our Woodwork Service
Systematic Preparation
Every piece of woodwork is washed, filled, sanded, and primed in sequence to create the smooth, sound foundation a quality finish demands.
Expert Cutting-In
Freehand cutting-in by experienced painters produces cleaner, straighter lines between woodwork and walls than masking tape allows.
Durable Finishes
Multi-coat eggshell and satinwood systems build a hard, wipeable surface that resists scuffing, chipping, and everyday wear.
Profile Preservation
We sand and prepare moulding profiles by hand to maintain the crispness of architectural details rather than rounding them with excessive paint build-up.
Our Woodwork Process
Survey & Specification
We assess the condition of all woodwork, note areas needing repair, and agree the paint finish and colour scheme with you.
Preparation
Surfaces are washed, scraped, filled, sanded, and primed systematically, ensuring every section is ready for the finishing coats.
Undercoat
A full undercoat provides opacity, adhesion, and a smooth base, and allows us to check preparation quality before topcoating.
Topcoat & Finishing
The final coat is applied with care, maintaining consistent sheen, smooth brushwork, and clean lines throughout.
Brands We Use for Woodwork
Available Across London
We offer woodwork & joinery painting across all 20 of our service areas in prime London.
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Learn moreFrequently Asked Questions
We paint all interior and exterior woodwork including skirting boards, architraves, door frames, window frames, built-in shelving, radiator covers, picture rails, dado rails and panelling. Every element receives the same meticulous preparation and finish.
Eggshell is our most popular recommendation — it provides a subtle sheen that highlights the profile of mouldings while being durable and easy to clean. Satin offers a slightly higher sheen, and full gloss is available for a traditional look.
We use premium synthetic brushes suited to water-based paints and lay off each stroke in the direction of the grain. For perfectly smooth results on flat surfaces like panelling, we apply paint with high-density foam rollers and tip off with a fine brush.
Yes. A light sand with 240-grit paper between every coat is standard practice. This removes any nibs or dust particles and provides a mechanical key for the next coat to grip, resulting in a noticeably smoother and more durable finish.
Yes. We thoroughly sand the varnish to provide a key, degrease the surface, and apply a high-adhesion primer before topcoating. With the correct preparation, painted finishes bond excellently to previously varnished timber.
In a typical three-bedroom London property, full woodwork repainting — skirting, architraves, doors and window frames — takes four to six days. Properties with extensive panelling or detailed mouldings may take longer.
Ready for Expert Woodwork?
Get a free, no-obligation quote from our specialist team. We respond within 24 hours.