Hand Painted vs. Spray Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Which is Best for Your Hampstead Home?

Kitchen replacement in London is expensive. A basic replacement costs from £15,000; a truly luxury kitchen by makers such as Plain English, Tom Howley, or bulthaup can exceed £100,000. Professional kitchen cabinet respraying or artisan hand painting transforms your existing units for £1,000–£4,000 — and in our experience, the results are remarkable. But which method is right for your Hampstead kitchen?

The Cost Comparison

Option	Typical Cost	Lead Time	Lifespan
Full kitchen replacement	£15,000–£100,000+	8–16 weeks	15–25 years
Professional HVLP respraying	£1,000–£2,500	2–5 days	8–12 years
Artisan hand painting	£2,000–£4,000	3–7 days	10–15 years

HVLP Spray Painting: Best for Modern Kitchens

High-Velocity Low-Pressure (HVLP) spray painting is the right choice for contemporary kitchens with flat-slab or simple shaker doors made from MDF or painted timber. The spray process produces a factory-flat finish with zero brush marks or roller stipple — the same quality you'd expect from a new kitchen door but applied to your existing carcass.

Our HVLP spray process:

• Remove all doors and drawer fronts (labelled for reinstallation)
• Comprehensive degreasing with specialist cleaner
• Machine sanding with P180 then P240 grit
• Application of specialist spray primer
• Two finish coats of furniture lacquer in your chosen colour
• Light flatting between coats with P400 wet-and-dry
• Reinstallation and hardware update

Best Colours for Modern Kitchens (2026): Farrow & Ball Railings (deep charcoal), Little Greene Juniper Ash (sophisticated sage-grey), Mylands Mint Imperiale (fresh sage), or Benjamin Moore Simply White (timeless and bright).

Artisan Hand Painting: Best for Heritage Cabinetry

Traditional in-frame kitchens — and in particular those by Plain English, Tom Howley, Mark Wilkinson, or bespoke Hampstead cabinet makers — deserve artisan hand painting. The subtle texture of fine brush-applied paint adds warmth and character that distinguishes a hand-crafted kitchen from an off-the-shelf product. Spray painting in-frame kitchens can be technically challenging around the frame joints and risks an overly uniform finish that reads as mass-produced.

Our artisan hand painting uses specialist furniture brushes and fine-filament rollers to apply two base coats and two topcoats, with light flatting between each coat for a beautifully smooth, hand-applied finish with just enough micro-texture to identify the craftsmanship.

Which Paint Do We Use?

For spraying: a two-component polyurethane furniture lacquer for maximum hardness and chemical resistance. For hand painting: Farrow & Ball's Hardwick White Full Gloss for heritage kitchens, or Little Greene Intelligent Gloss for a more environmentally conscious option. We can match any RAL or BS colour and all standard Farrow & Ball shades.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchen Respraying in Hampstead

Do I need to move out? No. The process is contained to your kitchen area. We seal and protect adjacent spaces.

How long before I can use my kitchen? Most projects are complete within 3–5 days. The lacquer is dry to touch within 2 hours and fully hardened within 7 days.

Can you change the colour from cream to dark navy? Absolutely — this is one of the most common transformations we make in NW3.

Do you respray worktops? We focus on painted surfaces. For worktops, we can recommend excellent stone and laminate restoration specialists in North London.

To discuss your kitchen transformation project in Hampstead, Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage, or anywhere in NW3, call us on 020 3874 2670 for a free quote.