Dean decorates hallways, staircases and landings in Blackthorn, the mid-1970s NN3 estate about 3.8 miles north-east of Northampton town centre. Halls here are mostly in narrow terraced houses, so the work centres on safe staircase access, durable finishes and one light scheme from the front door to the landing.
Narrow terraced halls and setting up on the stairs
Terraced houses make up most of Blackthorn. In the 2021 Census they were 44.9% of homes in the area around Bridge Court and 64.1% in the neighbouring statistical area within the same ward. In a terrace of this period the stairs usually rise in a straight flight beside a party wall, with a small landing at the top and the bedroom doors opening off it. There is little floor space at the bottom and none to spare at the top.
The awkward part is the tall wall over the stairs. We work from a stair platform or a combination ladder set on the treads, adjusted so the feet sit on level steps and the top cannot slide. In a narrow hall that also means agreeing when the stairs will be out of use, which matters in a family house with one bathroom upstairs. We usually group the ceiling and high walls into one session so the stairs are clear again by the evening. Dust sheets are taped to the treads rather than laid loose, because a sliding sheet on a steep flight is a real hazard for anyone still using the house.
What a busy family hallway needs from its paint
A Blackthorn hall is where bikes, school bags and buggies come in. On footpath-fronted homes, shopping and kit is carried from a car parked in the court, so the walls take knocks at hip height and along the stair string. Standard matt emulsion marks easily in that position. We usually suggest:
- A scrubbable matt or durable eggshell on the walls, so handprints wipe off without leaving shiny patches.
- Satinwood on the spindles, handrail, newel post and stair string, which take daily handling.
- Filling and sanding the corner beads and the external corner at the foot of the stairs, which are the first edges to chip.
Painted stair treads with a runner effect are another option where carpet has been lifted, using a floor paint rated for foot traffic.
Lighting a compact 1970s landing with colour
Where a hall’s daylight comes only from the front door glazing and a landing window, dark colours close it in quickly. A warm light neutral carried through the hall, up the stairs and across the landing keeps the space reading as one. It also avoids a colour break at an awkward point on the stairwell where two shades would have to meet. If you want stronger colour, a split at dado height or a painted handrail usually works better here than a dark full-height wall. Our main hallway, stairs and landing page covers finishes and access equipment in more general detail.
Repairs to expect before the first coat
At around fifty years old, Blackthorn’s houses tend to show their age in the stairwell first. Hairline cracks where the ceiling meets the wall, gaps along the stair string and loose lining paper are all worth expecting, and the TCPA counts the eastern estates among those due for renewal. Rewiring or a new boiler can also leave chased plaster on the landing. We rake out and fill cracks, re-fix or strip failing paper, and spot-prime repairs so the finish coat goes on evenly.
Blackthorn is covered from our Northampton base, about 3.8 miles to the south-west. The Blackthorn area page lists the other work we cover on the estate, or call 07539 779 036 for a free quote.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
