Hallways, Stairs & Landings in Spencer

DH Painter & Decorator decorates hallways, staircases and landings in Spencer, NN5 7, a short drive of about a mile north-west from the town centre. That covers private semis on the estate streets and communal stairwells in flat and maisonette blocks for owners, housing providers and managing agents.

Two kinds of staircase in one estate

Hallway work in Spencer falls into two quite different jobs. The first is the private staircase in a two-storey semi or terraced house on streets such as Pembroke Road, Monmouth Road or Gladstone Road. The second is the shared stairwell in a block of flats or maisonettes, used by every resident, and that type is common in Cardigan Close, Newport Road and Streatfeild Road. Each needs different planning, different finishes and sometimes a different person signing off the work.

The general method, including stair platforms and how we keep the stairs usable while we work, is on our main hallway, stairs and landing decorating page. This page looks at how it applies to Spencer’s buildings.

Straight flights in mid-century semis

Most of the estate’s houses date from the late 1930s to the 1950s. Their stairs are usually a single straight flight, rising from a narrow front hall to a small landing. Because the stairwell is compact, it can be decorated in a few days, but the tall wall above the flight is still out of reach from a stepladder. We set up an adjustable stair platform so we can reach it safely.

In these houses the hallway carries most of the household’s traffic, from prams and bikes to school bags and shopping. In a family semi the lower walls take a battering. We normally suggest:

• a scrubbable matt or eggshell on the walls, rather than standard matt, up to at least dado height
• original banisters, newels and strings filled and sanded first, as decades of gloss tend to chip at the edges
• a slightly darker or mid-tone colour on the lower section, if the owner wants it, so marks show less

Spencer has no conservation area, so owners are free to choose colours, wallpaper or a two-tone scheme without any heritage restrictions.

Communal stairwells in the closes

The flats and maisonettes in Cardigan Close, Newport Road and Spencer Haven were mostly built around 1970, and many are social housing. Their communal stairs and landings take far more use than any private hallway, and they are also the escape route for every flat. That shapes the job:

• We work in sections so residents always have a clear, safe way up and down, with wet areas signed and coned.
• Finishes need to be hard-wearing and wipeable, especially on walls beside handrails and at door height outside each flat.
• Painted metal or timber handrails and balustrades are keyed and recoated in a tough finish that resists scuffing and rings.
• The colour scheme usually follows the landlord’s or housing provider’s specification, so we work to their schedule and colours.

Managed blocks on Countess Road and Lyttleton Road

Countess Road’s flats are mostly recent, with a median build year of 2019, and are largely privately rented. There the communal hallways belong to the freeholder and are run by a managing agent. Lyttleton Road, built between 1986 and 2009, is mostly social housing, so its shared areas go through the housing provider instead. Either way, access, working hours and any notice to residents go through that agent, so we agree all of that with the agent or provider before booking the work. In newer blocks the first repaint often coincides with fixing settlement cracks in the stairwell plaster, which we fill and spot-prime before applying the finish coats.

For an idea of budgets, see our Northampton decorating cost guide. More about our work across NN5 7 is on the Spencer area page, or call Dean on 07539 779 036 to book a visit.

Last updated 9 October 2026 by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.