Decorative Finishes

Decorative finishes

Decorative finishes cover the work that sits between ordinary painting and specialist plastering: textured and layered coatings, metallic and pearlescent effects, stencil and geometric overlays, and hand-applied finishes that are built up rather than rolled on.

The finish is only as good as what it goes over. Surfaces are filled, sanded and primed first, because a decorative coating tends to reveal substrate defects rather than hide them. Dust-free sanding equipment is used so the preparation stage does not spread through the rest of the house.

Most decorative work is specified from samples. Depth, sheen and the direction of the hand-working all change how a wall reads under the lighting in the actual room, which is why a sample board seen on site is more reliable than a photograph.

These finishes are usually applied to feature walls, hallways, stairwells and media walls, where one surface is doing the visual work and the surrounding decoration stays plain.

We carry out decorative finishes across London. Quotations are itemised following a site visit, since the preparation required varies more than the finish itself.

Common questions

What is the difference between a decorative finish and paint?

Paint is a coating applied to a prepared surface in even coats. A decorative finish is built up in layers and worked by hand, so the surface itself carries depth, texture or movement rather than a single flat colour. That also means it shows the substrate beneath more readily than paint does.

Can a decorative finish be applied to a ceiling?

It can, though it is slower work and the effect is different because a ceiling is rarely lit at the raking angle that shows texture. Metallic and subtly textured finishes tend to work better overhead than heavily modelled ones.

How durable are metallic and textured finishes?

It depends on where they are used and how they are protected. On a wall that is looked at rather than touched they hold up well. In circulation space where they get knocked, they need either a protective sealer specified for that use or a more robust finish such as panelling in the contact zone.