Original Dublin Painter paints and decorates homes right across Dublin 6: Rathmines, Ranelagh, Rathgar, Harold’s Cross and Milltown, out to Terenure and Kimmage on the D6W side. Alex has more than 20 years in the trade, we’re rated 4.9★ from 159 Google reviews, and D6 is only a short drive for us, so fitting in a call-out to quote is rarely a problem.

Period houses need a different approach

Much of Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar was built in the Victorian and Edwardian years, and it shows. The long red-brick terraces off Rathmines Road, the bigger villas around Palmerston Park and Rathgar Road and Ranelagh’s Edwardian roads have tall ceilings, deep skirtings, panelled doors and, very often, original timber floors.

The things we pay most attention to in older D6 houses:

  • Cornicing and ceiling roses. After a hundred years of emulsion the detail is often half filled in. We clean it out, fill the cracks and paint it so the pattern reads again.
  • Sash windows. Old paint needs cutting back from the meeting rails and staff beads so the sashes still slide when we’ve finished. Painting sashes shut is one of the most common mistakes on older houses.
  • Tall stairwells and returns. A three-storey Victorian stairwell needs proper access equipment and a plan, not a ladder balanced on the stairs. That’s a big part of our interior painting work here.
  • Old gloss and lead. Doors, skirtings and windows in pre-1970s houses can carry lead-based paint underneath. We wet-sand or strip it, and never dry-sand it into dust in your hall.
  • Cracked plaster. Small cracks we fill as part of the prep. Where plaster has blown, our plastering service sorts it before any paint goes on.

Red brick, render and railings

The fronts of D6 houses need care too. Unpainted red brick should generally be left unpainted. Once painted, it needs repainting for good, and the wrong paint can trap moisture in a solid wall. Where brick or render has already been painted, we use breathable masonry paints so the wall can still dry out, and we deal with any flaking or failed coatings first.

Iron railings need rust taken back to sound metal and a proper metal primer before the topcoat. Old timber doors usually need stripping and filling before a good gloss (see front door painting), and the rest of the front is covered by our exterior painting service.

Protected structures: some houses in Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar are protected structures or sit in an Architectural Conservation Area. Repainting in the same colour is usually fine, but if you’re planning to change the colour or the type of finish on the front, check with Dublin City Council first. We can bring heritage colour cards to see against the brick.

Harold’s Cross cottages and Milltown

Harold’s Cross has rows of small cottage terraces as well as larger red-brick houses near the park. Cottages are smaller jobs, but their fronts sit right on the street and take the weather, so exterior prep matters just as much. Milltown and the Terenure edge have more mid-century and newer housing, where a full house painting job inside and out is more straightforward.

Flats, bedsits and rental properties

Many of the big houses around Rathmines and Portobello were divided into flats years ago. We paint individual flats, hallways and stairwells in these buildings,; a repaint between tenancies is a common job. If you’re living in the flat while we work, we go room by room and leave each room usable at the end of the day.

Other work in Dublin 6

We also take on residential decorating for full-house refreshes, kitchen cabinet respraying, and furniture spray painting for wardrobes and built-in alcove presses.

FAQs

How much does it cost to paint a house in Rathmines or Ranelagh?

Our Dublin house painting price guide puts a 2-bed terraced house at €1,800 to €3,200 inside and out, and a 3-bed semi at €2,500 to €4,500. A hall, stairs and landing on its own is €500 to €700. Tall Victorian houses with sashes and cornicing usually sit at the top of those ranges or above, because the prep takes longer. We give a fixed price after a free visit.

What does it cost to paint a single room or a flat?

A small bedroom is typically €250 to €350 with standard paint and a master bedroom €350 to €450, walls only. A one-bed apartment comes to roughly €1,300 to €1,800 for the walls. The bedroom painting cost guide has the details, including ceilings and woodwork.

Should I paint the red brick on the front of my house?

Usually not, if it’s still bare brick. If it has already been painted, it needs a breathable masonry paint and proper prep, and the colour may need checking with Dublin City Council if the house is protected.

Do you cover Rathgar, Harold’s Cross, Milltown and Terenure?

Yes, all of Dublin 6 and 6W, along with Portobello, Ranelagh and Rathmines.

Nearby areas

Heading towards the coast, we have pages for painters in Ballsbridge and painters in Blackrock, and you can see every area we cover across Dublin.

Get a free quote in Dublin 6

Alex will call out, look at the house properly and give you a clear price with no pressure. Get your free quote, or call or WhatsApp 087 788 5040.