In a nutshell, knots are absolutely no problem, and can be permanently sealed, guaranteed.

What is the problem with knots?
Knots are the dark rings that are left in timber when a branch has been cut off. A knot contains resin, which, if left untreated, can bleed through and react with the pigment in oil-based and water-based coatings.

What is the best way to seal knots?
In my experience, Zinsser BIN is the most effective way to deal with knots on bare or painted wood. It is a shellac-based white-pigmented primer-sealer stain-killer that has been in use in the USA since 1946. One coat completely seals knots AND primes bare wood at the same time.

What other options are there for dealing with knots?
1 – The conventional way to stop unsightly knot marks appearing on your finished paintwork is to brush 2 coats of brown or white shellac knotting solution on to the knot before you prime the bare wood.

2 – In extreme cases, 2 coats of Zinsser BIN may be necessary. To be fair, I have never seen a knot bad enough to bleed through one coat of BIN.

3 – In rare cases where a knot is weeping uncontrollably, the answer is to either knock it out or drill the knot out and fill the hole.

Oil based eggshell is traditionally specified for hand-painted kitchen cupboards and furniture. It has the right level of sheen to deal with wear and tear but isn’t so glossy that it shows all the marks.

I wouldn’t say that eggshell, or any paint for that matter, is resistant to chips when hit really hard with a vacuum cleaner. With vulnerable areas such as the external corners of plinths and kick boards, instead of paint alone, they could be tastefully reinforced with a metal or clear plastic edging piece, or replaced with stainless, or stone.

If you are concerned that painted units and furniture may not stand up to the rigours of your household, a natural wood finish or a factory lacquered finish may be more appropriate.

Eggshell is the term for a satin, mid-gloss, not too shiny/not matt finish.

When asked how tough it is compared to gloss, my answer is, eggshell is an interior finish that you can wipe down for many years. Eggshell paint is also used successfully and extensively on door frames, doors, skirtings and other high traffic areas around the home.

In the course of general interior decorating work, I find that many customers who have always had gloss around the home, are pleasantly surprised by the understated eggshell / satin finish.

I use oil paint because it is the best material to achieve a high class hand-painted finish. Oil-based paint can be sanded down between coats, it is durable and with the reduced amounts of solvents now permissible in the paint, it has very little odour.

Acrylic / water-based paint is being introduced onto the market as a viable alternative to oil, (Fired Earth et al) but in my experience, it is best suited for spray painting on a surface that is near perfect to start with. I say this, having used hi-tech acrylics extensively in America.

There are about 130 Farrow and Ball colours, but generally, customers have chosen from the off-whites, and creams department. There are no rules for colours – the kitchen featured at the top of the page was a purple-lilac mixed by Dulux and looks fabulous within the overall colour scheme.

I have known many people who almost worried themselves to death over colour choices, so I am happy to announce that I have teamed up with Ingrid of Lilou Interiors. My customers can now benefit from her amazing talent for pinpointing colours that suit both the room and the customer’s taste.

I have come across this a couple of times. Either make a point of turning the kettle round, so the steam billows out into the room rather than up under the wall unit, or plug the kettle in somewhere else – or use a microwave to heat your tea and coffee!

It is no problem as long as you have the replacement handles (or an example) available BEFORE I start work. ie I need to see one so I know before I put on the first coat of paint if I have to fill the existing holes in the drawers and cupboards.

I do not fit new handles, but I can give you the number of Steve Evans, who can – along with any other modifications you want doing to your kitchen.

From a practical point of view, it works out fine if you finish breakfast before I arrive at 8.30, and have your dinner after I leave around 4 or 5pm,. We can all have a cup of tea or coffee any time during the day!

I assume the customer wants me in and out as quickly as possible, so I give a fixed price based on the assumption that the cupboards and drawers and worktops are cleared before I start work, and I assume I will not be working round the family.

By definition, a traditional hand-painted finish is applied by brush, so yes, if you look up close, you will see brush marks. However, there are a couple of tricks that enable me to improve the quality of my finish way beyond the normal standard.

1 – Sanding down between coats builds up a smooth base for the top coats.

2 – Using high quality bristle brushes reduces the ridge effect that you tend to see on every day paint finishes.

3 – In some cases, I would add a paint conditioner that increases the flow and “levelability” of the paint.

However, the bottom line is, I cannot apologise for the look of a hand-painted finish. It is a traditional technique, and its charm, if you like, is that it does not look like a blemish-free spray finish. It is my speciality, however, so I do achieve an above average finish!