Traditional Painter Story, Northamptonshire

June 8, 2015 · by Paul Barber · in blog, hand painted kitchen

Behind the Brush Strokes – a Traditional Painter Story
Specialist kitchen painting is much more than a fresh coat of paint.
From his 40 years in the trade, Paul Barber has learnt that the coating is just the tip of the iceberg. To achieve the perfect finish, high quality products, skilled application, and thorough preparation are vital.
The Traditional Painter for Northampton was commissioned to refurbish a 15 year old oak kitchen. The clients were happy with the kitchen’s layout and build quality but not with it’s appearance.
After meeting with the clients and viewing the kitchen, Paul knew this job would entail much more than just a new coat of paint. Before applying the final coating, he would need to repair, sand, and prime the oak furniture. After a price, date and colour scheme were agreed, the work began.
Repairing the oak cabinets
Paul’s first priority was to carry out any repairs; he removed all the doors and eased each one. The oak doors were all in good condition except the fridge door which had a small split in the top panel. Paul expertly repaired the split. He attached two metal straps to the back of the panel to brace the crack and then filled with glue and a two-pack wood filler.
Once the repairs had been made, the furniture was sanded down until the old varnish was removed and the sheen was no longer visible. Paul then cleaned and de-greased the surfaces to ensure good adhesion.
Priming kitchen furniture
Paul then applied one coat of Zinsser BIN shellac primer. The BIN primer is extremely popular for kitchen cabinet painting due to it’s quick drying time. The shellac primer cures as it dries and can be re-coated or sanded just 45 minutes after application. Next, Paul filled in any surface damage with a wood filler and used finishing paper to sand the perfectly prepped surface.
Paul then applied two coats of water-borne Tikkurila Feelings Furniture primer. “Feelings primer is a pleasure to use and is a marked change to the shellac based BIN which makes you work really hard” explains Paul. To ensure good coverage, the Feelings primer was tinted by Holman Specialist Paints to match the colour of the topcoat.
Painting wooden cabinets
When the Tikkurila primer had dried, Paul applied two coats of Tikkurila Feelings Furniture paint in a semi-matt finish. The client had chosen a sage green colour from a colour card in their local DIY store. Paul sent the colour card to Holman Paints’ mixing department who tinted the Tikkurila bases to match the colour card.
Paul and many other specialist painters prefer Tikkurila products over other branded trade paints. When applied properly, these paints produce a perfect finish. They are also highly durable and resistant to scratches and abrasions.
When the final coat was dry and the clients saw the finished kitchen, they were over the moon. The kitchen had been completely renovated and the tired oak cabinets looked brand new!
Paul goes above and beyond what is expected of a normal decorator. He provides a specialist service delivering high quality, cost-effective kitchen coating solutions.
To arrange for your local Traditional Painter to renovate and revive your kitchen email