Original Dublin Painter paints and decorates homes and businesses across Ballsbridge and the rest of Dublin 4, including Sandymount, Donnybrook, Ringsend and Irishtown. Alex has more than 20 years in the trade, we’re rated 4.9★ from 159 Google reviews, and every job starts with a free on-site quote.

Painting period homes in Dublin 4

Much of Ballsbridge was laid out on the old Pembroke estate in the 1800s, and it shows. The roads around Herbert Park, Pembroke Road, Shelbourne Road and off the Merrion Road are lined with Victorian and Edwardian red-brick houses, some with Georgian-style proportions: tall front doors with fanlights, granite steps, high ceilings and big sash windows. Donnybrook and Sandymount have the same mix, along with smaller red-brick terraces on the side roads.

These houses don’t forgive a rushed job. Most have a century or more of paint on the woodwork, and the prep decides how the finish looks and how long it lasts.

  • Sash windows. Built-up paint has to be cut back from the meeting rails and runners so the sashes still slide when we’re finished. Painting them shut is the most common mistake we see on older houses.
  • Cornicing and ceiling roses. We clean these up so the detail stays crisp, rather than burying it under more emulsion.
  • High ceilings and stairwells. Tall stairwells need proper access towers or boards, not a ladder balanced on the stairs. We plan this at the quote.
  • Old plaster. Lime plaster and solid walls need to breathe. Sealing a damp-prone wall with a heavy modern paint leads to blistering, so we check the walls first. Where plaster has cracked or blown, our plastering repairs get it sound before any paint goes on.
  • Lead paint. Old gloss on doors, skirtings and windows in pre-1970s houses can contain lead. It should be wet-sanded or carefully stripped, never dry-sanded in your hallway.

Outside, we don’t recommend painting original red brick: once painted it needs repainting for good, and it can trap moisture. The work is on the windows, doors, railings, rendered returns and stucco detail.

Protected structures and conservation areas

A number of houses in Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount are protected structures, and parts of Dublin 4 fall within conservation areas. Repainting in the same colour is usually straightforward. If you want to change the colour or the materials on the front of the house, check with Dublin City Council before you commit. Inside, we’re happy to work with heritage colour ranges and bring sample cards to the house.

Sandymount, Ringsend and Irishtown

Sandymount houses along Strand Road and close to Sandymount Strand take salt and wind straight off the bay. Paint on the seaward side breaks down faster than it does a mile inland. Railings need wire-brushing back to sound metal and a rust-inhibiting primer before the gloss. Hairline cracks in render get filled and sealed before any topcoat. We schedule exterior painting for dry spells and wait for the morning damp to come off the walls before starting.

Ringsend and Irishtown have more compact terraced houses and cottages, plus newer apartment blocks towards the Dodder and the docks. A full interior repaint in a two-bed terrace is usually a few days’ work, done room by room so you can keep living there.

Apartments, embassies and offices

Dublin 4 has a lot of apartments, offices and embassy buildings, many in converted period houses. We repaint flats between tenancies and common areas for landlords and management companies. For offices and other business premises, our commercial painting team can work evenings, weekends or in phased sections so the building keeps running.

Our services in Ballsbridge and Dublin 4

FAQs

How much does it cost to paint a house in Ballsbridge?

Our Dublin house painting price guide puts a full interior and exterior repaint of a 3-bed semi at €2,500 to €4,500, and the exterior of a terraced house at €1,200 to €2,500. Period houses with sash windows, high ceilings and railings tend to sit at the upper end because the prep takes longer. We give a fixed price after a free visit.

How much does it cost to paint a hall, stairs and landing?

On its own, a hall, stairs and landing usually runs €500 to €700. Tall Victorian stairwells that need access towers can cost more.

Do I need permission to repaint the front of my house in Dublin 4?

Usually not if you’re keeping the same colour. If your house is a protected structure or in a conservation area and you want to change the colour or materials, check with Dublin City Council first.

Do you cover Sandymount, Donnybrook and Ringsend?

Yes, along with Irishtown, Merrion and the rest of Dublin 4. Further out, we also work in Blackrock and Booterstown and in Dún Laoghaire and Monkstown.

Get a free quote in Ballsbridge

Alex will call out, look at the job, talk through colours and give you a clear price with no pressure. Get your free quote, or call or WhatsApp us on 087 788 5040. You can also see every area we cover across Dublin.