Hand painted kitchens in Essex and London E & SE N, NW

Specialist kitchen and furniture painting.

Barrie Thompson has worked in the decorating trade across London for over 40 years and remains just as passionate about his craft today as when he first started.

“I always wanted to be a decorator. When the council came to paint my parents’ house in the mid-1970s, I watched the painter in his flat cap, trousers and roll-up cigarette working away and thought, ‘I’d love to do that.’ Thankfully, I achieved that dream—minus the flat cap and the roll-up.”

Barrie learnt the trade the traditional way, beginning an apprenticeship with Rodwell and Sons in Camden Town in 1978. He went on to manage the decorating section for the London Borough of Barnet before taking the step into self-employment in 2006.

Today, Barrie specialises in hand-painted kitchens and furniture. He enjoys every stage of the process, from the first conversation with a client through to delivering a beautifully finished result, always aiming to exceed expectations.

Barrie is a member of the London Association of Master Decorators (LAMD) and the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA). In 2017, he won the inaugural Dulux Select Design and Decorate Challenge.

Barrie was invited to join Traditional Painter in 2019 and now undertakes hand-painted kitchen and furniture projects throughout Essex and North, North West, East and South East London.

“Even after more than 40 years, I still feel fortunate to do a job I genuinely love. As I always tell my children, ‘Live your dream.’ And as a lifelong Arsenal supporter, I’ve learnt that a little dreaming is never a bad thing.”