Period Staircase Painting and Restoration in Hampstead NW3

The staircase in a Hampstead NW3 Victorian property is architectural theatre — sweeping up through the house, with turned balusters, carved newel posts, and panelled stringer boards. Painting and restoring this feature to the highest standard is one of the most complex — and most satisfying — jobs our NW3 decorators undertake.

The Complexity of Staircase Painting

A typical Victorian NW3 staircase contains many individual surfaces: treads, risers, string, handrail, balusters (sometimes 30–50 of them), newel post(s), and skirtings. Each surface requires correct preparation and the appropriate finish — typically gloss or satinwood on the timber elements, with a contrasting or complementary colour on each surface.

Stripping Old Staircase Paintwork

Victorian staircases often have 20+ coats of accumulated paint that have obscured the original turned detail of balusters and newel posts. We use Peelaway chemical stripper for stripping baluster detail, hot-air gun and carbide scrapers for risers and treads, and hand-sanding for handrails. The stripped staircase is then primed and refinished in the agreed colour scheme.

Exposed Wood Stair Treads

Many NW3 homeowners prefer the look of exposed natural timber stair treads — varnished or oiled — against painted white or grey risers. We sand, repair, and finish exposed stair treads in hard-wearing floor varnish (Bona Traffic HD or Osmo Hardwax Oil) for a durable, beautiful result.

Period staircase painting and restoration specialists in Hampstead NW3. Free surveys for staircase projects.