Front doors
A freshly painted front door is one of the cheapest ways to lift the look of a house. Front doors get full sun, driving rain and constant handling, so I take the door back to a sound surface, fill any splits, prime bare wood, and finish with an exterior gloss or satin that resists weathering. Door furniture comes off rather than being painted around.
Staircases
Staircases have a lot of surface: treads, risers, strings, spindles, newel posts and handrails. Painting spindles neatly takes time and patience. Where the stairs are in daily use, I can paint alternate treads so you can still get up and down while it dries.
Internal doors
Internal doors and frames are often the most chipped woodwork in a house. I fill and sand the chips, deal with any paint that has built up on the hinges, and repaint in a durable eggshell, satin or gloss.
Painted wood grain on doors
If you want a door to look like oak, mahogany or walnut, or to match original timber elsewhere in the house, I can wood-grain it by hand. Graining was a standard finish on front doors for over a century, and it suits Victorian and Edwardian houses.
Choosing a front door colour
Dark colours such as navy, black, deep green and burgundy suit most period houses and hide fingermarks. Lighter colours show weathering sooner and need a well-sealed surface underneath. Very dark colours on a door in full afternoon sun get hot, so a good-quality exterior paint matters more there. If you're in a conservation area, check whether there are rules about door colours before you choose.
How long it takes
A front door usually takes a day or two, depending on how much old paint has to come off and the drying time between coats. A full staircase with spindles takes longer, often several days, because each part needs two finish coats and time to harden.