Spray Painting & Airless Finishing

Why spray, and when

Spraying is not a faster way of doing the same job as a brush. It is a different finish. Atomised paint lays down as a single even film with no brush marks and no roller texture, which is why it is the right choice for anything the eye reads as a flat plane — kitchen cabinetry, fitted wardrobes, panelled doors, MDF joinery, and large uninterrupted wall and ceiling runs.

It is not always the right choice. On intricate mouldings, in a heavily furnished occupied room, or where masking would cost more time than brushing the element outright, traditional application is better, and we will say so. Modernus finishes interiors across Central and South West London by brush and by spray, and the decision is made per element rather than per job.

What we spray

• Kitchen cabinetry, cupboard doors and end panels
• Fitted and freestanding wardrobes
• Internal doors, frames and architraves
• Wall panelling and bespoke MDF joinery
• Skirting boards and larger runs of trim
• Large wall and ceiling areas in empty or stripped properties
• Radiators, staircases, metalwork and exterior elements on request

In practice, if it can be sprayed we will spray it — the list above is where it is most often worth doing, not a limit. All of it is done in the property. We do not take doors or cabinetry away to a workshop, so nothing leaves your home and there is no waiting on a delivery slot to get it back. It does mean the masking has to be thorough, which is the next section.

Preparation and masking

The surface has to be right first

Spray is unforgiving. It lays down so evenly that any imperfection underneath is highlighted rather than hidden, which is the opposite of what a textured roller finish does. Surfaces are filled, sanded flat, de-nibbed and primed before any paint is atomised. On previously finished cabinetry, existing coatings are degreased and keyed so the new film has something to hold on to.

Masking is most of the work

Overspray travels, so containment is the job. Adjacent surfaces, floors, glass, worktops, fittings and openings are fully masked and sheeted before anything is switched on. Realistically, masking a kitchen takes longer than spraying it — and that is what buys the clean line where the cabinetry meets the wall.

Coats and curing

Sprayed finishes are built in thin, even coats with proper flash-off between them, and lightly de-nibbed between coats where the specification calls for it. Cabinetry needs time to harden before it goes back into daily use; rushing that is what causes the finish to mark in the first week.

Living with a sprayed finish

Done properly, a sprayed cabinetry finish is harder-wearing and easier to wipe down than a brushed one, and it is repairable — a damaged door can be prepared and refinished rather than the whole run being replaced. We will tell you at quoting stage which elements genuinely benefit from spray and which are better brushed, rather than spraying everything because the equipment is on site.

Where we spray

We spray-finish across Central and South West London, including Chelsea, Kensington, Notting Hill and Fulham, along with Putney, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Richmond, Kingston and Sutton. It is often combined with a wider interior decoration programme. Have a look at everything else we do, or tell us what needs finishing.