Get Your Living Room Painted Before Christmas in Edinburgh

The living room is where Christmas really happens: presents under the tree, family on the sofa, friends dropping in for a drink. If yours is looking tired, with scuffed walls, cracked ceilings and chipped skirtings, there's still time to get your living room painted before Christmas in Edinburgh, as long as you plan it properly and book early.

Why get your living room painted before Christmas in Edinburgh?

Guests spend more time in the living room than in any other room, and long winter evenings with the lamps on show up every mark on the walls. A fresh coat of paint transforms a room faster than almost anything else, and it's far less disruptive than any renovation. If the kitchen needs attention too, our companion post on getting your kitchen painted before Christmas covers steam, grease and wipeable finishes.

Walls, ceilings and cornicing in Edinburgh flats

Tenement flats and Georgian and Victorian homes

Many Edinburgh living rooms have high ceilings, deep cornicing and ceiling roses, from the tenements of Marchmont and Leith to the Georgian and Victorian homes of the New Town, Stockbridge and Morningside. These features are a big part of the room's character, and they need care. Old plaster often has hairline cracks, and decades of paint can clog the detail in a cornice.

Before painting, cracks are raked out and filled with Toupret fillers, loose material is removed, and any water stains are sealed with a Zinsser stain-blocking primer so they don't bleed through. The cornicing and ceiling rose are then painted carefully by brush to keep the detail crisp. Our interior painting and decorating service explains how we approach rooms like these, and our guide to painting and restoring historic Edinburgh homes goes into more depth.

Newer homes

In newer flats and houses, it may simply be a change of colour and a more durable finish. The preparation is the same: fill, sand and prime where needed, so the new paint goes on smoothly and lasts.

Skirtings, doors, shutters and window woodwork

Fresh woodwork makes a living room look finished. In older Edinburgh homes, that often means:

• Skirtings and architraves: deep, moulded skirtings collect knocks and scuffs, and look sharp again once they're filled, sanded and repainted.

• Panelled doors: each panel and moulding is painted in the right order, so the finish stays even without runs.

• Internal shutters: original folding shutters are common in Georgian and Victorian flats, and they need careful preparation so they still open and close freely after painting.

• Window boards and astragals: the boards and the slim glazing bars on sash and case windows take a lot of wear and condensation, so they benefit from proper preparation and a durable finish.

Feature walls and cosy colours for winter

Winter is a good time to think about colour. Deeper shades such as greens, blues, warm reds and earthy neutrals can make a large living room feel cosy and inviting under lamplight, while a single feature wall, such as a chimney breast or alcove, adds interest without overwhelming a smaller room. Lighter, warm whites keep a north-facing room from feeling gloomy on short December days.

It's worth looking at a sample on your own wall in both daylight and evening light before you decide. Our post on how room colour affects mood has more ideas, and we're happy to talk through options when we visit.

Finishes that stand up to family and guests

Living rooms get a lot of use over the festive season: children, pets, coats brushed against walls and the occasional spilled drink. We use Johnstone's Trade paints, chosen for each surface. A durable, washable matt on the walls keeps the soft, flat look most people want in a living room while still allowing marks to be wiped away. Ceilings usually suit a flat matt, and woodwork a hard-wearing satin or gloss. Our guide to paint finishes explains which works best where.

Quick-drying and low-odour paints

Nobody wants the living room to smell of paint when people are coming round. Modern water-based paints are low in odour and quick drying, so the room can be used again much sooner than with older solvent-based products.

Remember the difference between touch dry and fully cured. Paint can feel dry within hours, but it keeps hardening for some time after that. Go easy on new paintwork at first: no scrubbing, and be careful with sticky tape, hooks and Christmas decorations. If anyone in your household is sensitive to smells, or you have pets or a new baby, mention it when you book.

Protecting floors and furniture

A living room is full of things you don't want paint on. Before work starts, we:

• move furniture to the middle of the room, or out of it, and cover it fully

• protect floors, carpets and fireplaces with dust sheets and masking

• take down curtains and blinds where needed, and mask sockets and switches

• clean up at the end of each day, so the room is as usable as possible in the evenings.

Clearing ornaments, pictures and small items before we arrive helps the job run smoothly. And put the tree up afterwards, not before: it's much easier to decorate a freshly painted room than to paint around a Christmas tree.

How far ahead should you book?

December is one of the busiest months of the year for decorators, because so many people want their home finished before the holidays. The sooner you get in touch, the more choice you'll have over dates. Aim to have the work finished at least a few days before your first guests arrive, so the paint has time to harden and furniture can go back without a rush.

What's achievable in a few days?

Every room is different, and the only honest way to give a timescale is to see it. That's why we give a written quote after a visit rather than a guess over the phone. As a general guide, a typical living room's walls, ceiling and woodwork can often be done in a few days. High ceilings, detailed cornicing, shutters, wallpaper removal or plaster repairs can add time. If several rooms need doing, we'll plan the order so the living room is ready in time for Christmas.

We work Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:30, across Edinburgh and the Lothians. We're a family-run business with public liability insurance up to £5 million.

Book your December living room painting now

If you'd like your living room looking its best for the holidays, get your quote booked in now, while there's still a choice of dates. Call or text 07514 665726, or request a free quote online. We'll visit, talk through what you'd like done and give you a clear written quote and a realistic timescale.

Living room painting FAQs

Can you paint my living room before Christmas?

Often, yes, if you get in touch early enough. December fills up quickly, so the sooner we can visit and agree dates, the better your chances of it being finished well before the holidays.

Can you paint around cornicing and ceiling roses?

Yes. Cornicing and ceiling roses are painted carefully by brush, and cracks are filled and sanded first so the detail stays crisp.

Do I need to move my furniture?

Just clear small items and ornaments. We'll move and protect larger furniture ourselves.

Will the room smell of paint when guests arrive?

Not if the work is planned with a few days to spare. Low-odour, water-based paints and good ventilation mean the smell usually fades quickly.

How do I get a quote?

Call or text 07514 665726, or use our contact page. Quotes are free. You'll find more answers on our FAQ page.

Need a hand? Edinburgh Painting Specialists is a family-run painting and decorating business. Call or text us on 07514 665726 or get a free quote.