This account of a Hand Painted laminate Kitchen in Silsden, Yorkshire is from Traditional Painter, Lee Simone. With the correct primers and preparation, almost any kitchen can be refurbished with a durable painted finish.

For this kitchen transformation the clients wanted their old laminate kitchen painted to make the room feel lighter, brighter and more modern. They had already painted the walls and replaced the worktops before I arrived, and would be re-tiling and fitting new handles once I’d finished.

Laminate kitchen before painting

Laminate kitchen after painting

Preparation -

I began the project by first thoroughly cleaning all units with the citrus-based cleaner Krudcutter Original.

Once cleaned I then sanded every inch of the doors thoroughly to create the perfect key for painting. I then masked off the worktops, the appliances, wall edges, floor etc with 1200 lining paper and a mixture of low tack masking tape, Sen’yo Painters Tape and 3M’s wonderful Edge Lock 2080EL. (Reviews on the 3M site)

Everything cleaned, sanded and masked off

Priming -

The next stage is the all important priming. I used Otex by Tikkurila bought from Holman Paints. This is a brilliant product, lovely to use and creates a really good base for the top coats. Once primed I then filled any gaps or holes, gave it a light sand, hoovered again ready for the next stage.

Priming stage complete

Top Coats -

For this project I applied three coats of Dulux oil eggshell in an off white (Dulux’s version of F&B’s Dimity), lightly sanding between coats. The eggshell was applied using a mixture of artist brushes, a high density foam roller and a Purdy Pro-Extra for the tipping off.

The finished result is a beautifully even, brush mark free finish that transformed the room. The clients were over the moon and said it was worth every penny and then some

Based nr. Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Lee Simone began Imaginative Interiors in 1999 and now travels throughout Yorkshire transforming and rejuvenating furniture and kitchens to the highest level.

Alongside beautifully hand painted kitchens and furniture, Lee can also offer you outstanding specialist paint effects, faux finishes, murals and trompe l’oeil.

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Hand Painted laminate Kitchen in Silsden

I asked Tony Pearson-Young Traditional Painter Surrey / Kent a few questions, to provide some background to how he arrived at this point in his career.

What part of the UK do you cover for Traditional Painter?

Surrey / Kent

At what age did you first wield a paint brush for money? And for how much?

16, £27.30

Can you briefly outline your formal training?

YTS, C&G Advanced Craft

Who do you consider your “mentor” in your early years, and why? (Name names!)

Not really a mentor but I have to say my Grandfather, he gave me the belief and encouragement to start my own business.

What brand paint were you predominantly using on woodwork when you started out?

When employed, Crown / Self employed, Dulux

And now, what would you use as your best shot on a front door?

Sikkens AZ / XD

What was the most unpleasant decorating job you ever did? (Don’t name names!)

Spraying railings on a municipal tip with an airless unit with the wind blowing the overspray of black gloss back in your face with no onsite facilities to wash.

Name one aspect of the decorating trade today that makes you cringe?

Just how many ‘decorators’ get simple things wrong by not reading instructions.

Name one aspect of decorating that is infinitely better than when you first started out.

Choice & quality of tools & brushes

If a young person said they wanted to be a painter, what would your advice be?

Don’t do it because you think its going to be easy, it’s not! you have to ‘want’ to do it

What decorating trend do you hope never makes a comeback?

Combed Artex ceilings

Based on your experience, is there a “most popular colour” for hand-painted kitchen cabinets?

Not 1 colour but a colour card, F&B

Is your own home decorated to the nth degree, or is it a case of cobbler’s shoes?

It is well decorated but just takes a long time to finish each project

Outside of work, what are you working on at the moment?

Working out how to finance a lifestyle that my wife and children would like to become accustomed.

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Tony Pearson-Young Traditional Painter Surrey / Kent Q&A

They say a good workman never blames their tools, which is fine up to a point. But some tools make us better craftsmen, and leave us with happier clients – one such tool, the Mirka sanding system, is raising interior decorating standards for the benefit of all concerned.

Here are a couple of examples of the power of “dust-free” and Mirka Abranet.

Sanding ceilings

Jason Walker was painting bedroom furniture in the Wirral and when they saw his work, the homeowner insisted he sort out their ceiling too. As Jason told me, without the CEROS and dust extraction kit, he might have shied away from promising to lose all the surface imperfections without re-plastering.

The problem was a rather large crack, the full width of the ceiling. It looked a little unsightly. In addition the frieze had some steps in the plaster, not good.

Getting cracks sanded out flat used to be a laborious task, but not any more, with Mirka CEROS, my preferred machine. This sander coupled with the Abranet provides effortless sanding, and dust free to boot. It is the power of the sander and the ability of Abranet not to clog that gives this Mirka system a voracious appetite for sanding.

To prevent the cracks from returning I chose to use wall rock fibre liner which has inter woven fibres. The end result was a dead flat surface, no imperfections, no tell-tale joint lines in the ceiling. And it did not cost a king’s ransom and there was minimal upheaval compared to calling in the plasterers.

Mirka Mirlon

And earlier this week, Jason noted on Twitter that he was rubbing down wooden kitchen cabinets with more Mirka kit:

I have been using Mirka Mirlon scratch pads today very impressed to prep

Per the Mirka specs:

Mirka Mirlon for restoring Lincrusta / Cameoid

Martin Guest turns to Mirlon scratch pads to assist with the restoration of relief wallcoverings.

Dustless sanding is a win-win

For those in the decorating trade who have adopted dustless sanding and Abranet abrasives, the feedback I hear is that they seem to whizz through the main preparation work quicker than ever, and can spend more time attending to the details.

Those who have always been picky and “slow” are able to maintain their high standards, whilst speeding up their workflow.

And at the end of the day, the biggest winners are homeowners, who don’t have to trade high class finishes for a house full of dust. Tradesmen’s lungs are in better condition too. Win-win.

Still a long way to go

There are many iterations of Mirka abrasives – Abranet, Abralon, Mirlon are just the tip of the abrasives iceberg. And Mirka, an abrasives company, make an impressive range of tools for sanding too, which Wayne de Wet and Russ Pike have had a good long look at – newer versions here and here and where it all kicked off, the CEROS here.

Drawing on a culture of excellence in the automotive industry, Mirka offer good times ahead for decorators willing to adopt and adapt to the methods of master craftsmen working in the car world. Mirka are on the TP Trade Corner, talk to them direct.

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Mirka sanding system is raising interior decorating standards

In a newly installed kitchen, the considerate fitter will often leave the kick boards loose for the painter. And if they are on, and don’t just pop off with a screwdriver as expected? How to remove kitchen kickboards the easy way, by Mark Nash.

Removing kickboards is one of those silly little jobs that shouldn’t, but can take time. So why not have the right tool on the van, for the “just in case” occasions.

This is the natty yellow and black item in question, and another example of Mark’s attention to detail, and indicative of the constant drive for efficiency and tweaking to our service, going on behind the scenes at Traditional Painter.

Just to complete the full picture, if you order 1000 suction lifters, you can have your logo on the side.

I think Traditional Painters will have to paint on their own!

How to signwrite a suction lifter will no doubt be the subject of a future video, when we have run out of things to do.

Mark Nash is a leading participant in the Traditional Painter network of specialist kitchen painters.

If you are in the market for refurbishing a hand-painted kitchen in Oxford or London / M4 corridor, check out his profile page. It is a testament to the skill and level of service from a 3rd generation master painter

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How to remove kitchen kickboards

I asked Lee Simone Traditional Painter Yorkshire a few questions, to provide some background to how he arrived at this point in his career.

What part of the UK do you cover for Traditional Painter?

Yorkshire. I’m based in Harrogate and cover the whole county.

At what age did you first wield a paint brush for money? And for how much?

14, original paintings sold in Galleries for around £125

Can you briefly outline your formal training?

A year’s apprenticeship in decorative painting from Nicola Creasy, ‘The House Doctor’

Who do you consider your “mentor” in your early years, and why? (Name names!)

Nicola Creasy – taught me all the basics, introduced me to the possibilities and started my real love affair with paint.

What brand paint were you predominantly using on woodwork when you started out?

Dulux

What was the most unpleasant decorating job you ever did? (Don’t name names!)

Faux wood graining the inside of a lift, the doors had to be closed, it was in summer and it was – shall we say – a little heady!

Tell us briefly about a job that you think encapsulates your craft skills?

Sos but that’s a toughie, I can’t really pinpoint one as I do different things, each using different skills

Name one aspect of the decorating trade today that makes you cringe?

Lack of attention to detail

Name one aspect of decorating that is infinitely better than when you first started out.

Primers

If a young person said they wanted to be a painter, what would your advice be?

Take pride in your work, aim to be a master, not just ordinary.

What decorating trend do you hope never makes a comeback?

Ragrolling

Based on your experience, is there a “most popular colour” for hand-painted kitchen cabinets?

F&B’s Tallow

Is your own home decorated to the nth degree, or is it a case of cobbler’s shoes?

Rented and not decorated to the nth degree at all

Outside of work, what are you working on at the moment?

An original painting based on ‘The Big Bang’

Further articles by Lee

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Based nr. Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Lee Simone began Imaginative Interiors in 1999 and now travels throughout Yorkshire transforming and rejuvenating furniture and kitchens to the highest level.

Alongside beautifully hand painted kitchens and furniture, Lee can also offer you outstanding specialist paint effects, faux finishes, murals and trompe l’oeil.

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Lee Simone Traditional Painter Yorkshire Q&A