Dean decorates hallways, stairs and landings across Earls Barton in NN6, 6.4 miles east of Northampton's centre. The work covers the narrow, low-ceilinged stairs of the old lias cottages in the conservation area and the conventional halls and landings of the later houses, with proper stairwell access in both.
Steep cottage stairs and low landings
In 17th and 18th century cottages like those on West Street, London End and Park Street, there is often no hallway to speak of: the front door may open straight into a room, and the stair climbs steeply between solid walls, sometimes behind a door of its own. Ceilings at the top are low, landings are short, and in some houses a beam or the slope of the roof cuts across the head of the stairs. Decorating these is less about a big wall and more about working in a tight space without marking everything around it.
The walls either side of a cottage stair take a lot of hands, shoulders and furniture going up and down. On old lime plaster that means scuffs, small knocks and patches where earlier repairs in gypsum have been bodged into the lime. Dean repairs these with materials that suit the wall, then uses a breathable but washable finish so the stair can be wiped without sealing in damp. String boards, handrails, balusters and any door at the foot of the stairs get their own preparation and are cut in by hand.
Where the stair wall runs to two storeys
Some of the larger old houses, and plenty of the later brick homes, have a stairwell with a full two-storey wall above the flight. That wall is where most people give up on doing the job themselves, and it is where safe access matters. We use a stair ladder or adjustable stair platform with staging boards set across it, so there is a firm working surface over the drop. A ladder resting on a stair tread is never part of the plan.
Brick rear extensions are common on the listed stone houses, and where one meets the stairwell it can leave fresh plaster beside old on the same run. The new section needs a mist coat while the original wall may need a breathable product. We plan the stairwell so both dry evenly and finish in a matching colour and sheen.
Family hallways in the larger part of the village
Beyond the conservation area, most Earls Barton families live in later brick houses. Here the hall, stairs and landing are usually one connected space: a front door, a straight or dog-leg flight, a landing with four or five doors off it. With children, dogs and shopping coming through every day, the priority is a surface that cleans well and woodwork that does not chip at the first knock.
We usually suggest a durable, washable matt or eggshell on the walls and a hard-wearing water-based finish on spindles, handrails and skirtings. Painting all the doors that open onto the landing in the same session is often worth it, as the old gloss tends to look yellow once the walls are fresh.
One narrow stair, no second route
A cottage near The Square usually has a single tight stair and no other way up, so it cannot be closed while we work. We paint one side of the flight at a time where we can, keep a clear route up and down, and before leaving each day point out which surfaces are still wet. Dust sheets cover every tread and the floor at the foot, and the access kit is left stable overnight. In the larger later houses the same rules apply, with more room to stage the equipment.
For more on access and finishes, see our main hallway, stairs and landing decorating page. Our guide on how to choose a painter and decorator lists the questions worth asking before you book, and our Earls Barton page covers the rest of the work we do in the village.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
