Southampton painters and decorators since 2003
Hand-painted kitchens and beautifully finished homes.
RDS Painting & Decorating Specialists. Interior and exterior decorating, wallpapering, woodwork and listed building restoration across Southampton, Winchester, Hampshire and the New Forest. Why buy a whole new kitchen when we can give your old one a new lease of life?
43 Google reviews
9.92/10
531 reviews on Checkatrade
Since 2007
Checkatrade member


- Established 2003
- Checkatrade member since May 2007
- Trading Standards Buy With Confidence approved
- Fully insured
- DBS / CRB checked
- Quality Business Awards 2025 winner
Hand-Painted Kitchens
Get that new-kitchen feeling at a fraction of the cost of replacing your kitchen.
Thinking about buying a new kitchen? Stop! Many people look at their kitchen and think it needs replacing, when all it really needs is a professional kitchen specialist to bring it back to its former glory. We are Southampton, Winchester and the New Forest's specialists in traditional hand-painted kitchens, whether it's a brand new bespoke kitchen or a well-loved family space.


- 01
Preparation
At the start of every hand-painted kitchen, we remove and clean all of your handles, sanitise and de-grease your doors and drawers, and mask your worktops with lining paper and tape. Then we lay a protective spill-proof, impact-resistant board so your worktops stay safe while we work.
- 02
Sanding
With your kitchen cleaned and protected, we use our Festool dust-free sanding equipment to thoroughly sand every part of it, ready to take the primer and top coats. This is what stops chipping and peeling later, so we spend extra time here to get the cleaning and sanding right.
- 03
Priming
Next comes a high-adhesion primer. We use Benjamin Moore Stix or Caparol Haft, tinted to match your chosen top coat for better coverage and depth of colour.
- 04
Top Coats
To finish, at least two top coats of the colour you have chosen. We recommend the Benjamin Moore range for its durability: Benjamin Moore Advance comes in matt, satin and gloss finishes. This is where your old kitchen gets its new lease of life.
“We could not bear to see these lovely wooden units pulled out and be replaced by modern chipboard.”

We also hand-paint furniture
Wardrobes, dressers, larders, chairs and beds. All of our hand-painted kitchens and furniture are prepared using Festool dust-free sanding and dust extraction, for the best possible finish and the safest possible working environment.



Your Home
Indoors or out, paint or wallpaper, we've got you covered.
For most people, their property is their most valuable asset. Whether it's interior or exterior painting, it should be done to the highest standard, using the best materials and tradesmen available.
- 01
Interior decorating
From a single room to a whole house: walls, ceilings, doors and woodwork, prepared properly and finished cleanly. We can also help you choose a colour scheme to suit your home.
- 02
Exterior painting and restoration
Expertly sanding and repainting timber windows, doors and fascias, and applying high-performance, weatherproof coatings to external walls, for kerb appeal and protection that lasts.
- 03
Woodwork restoration
Tired banisters, marked doors and worn skirting boards restored to their former glory, finished in Benjamin Moore paints for a durable, flawless finish.
- 04
Wallpapering
Specialist or practical wallpapering, including traditional British papers from Farrow & Ball, Fired Earth and Little Greene.
- 05
Hand-painted furniture
We bring new colour and life to tired chairs, beds, wardrobes, dressers and pretty much anything else made of wood.
- 06
Dust Free Sanding
The best finishes start with the best preparation. We use Festool dust-free sanding and dust extraction for a better finish and a safer, cleaner home while we work.
Also on our list of skills
- Anti Vandal Coatings
- Door Stripping
- Exterior Painting
- Paint Sprayer
- Specialist Paint Effects
- Timber Resin Repairs
- Timber Restoration
- Wall Murals
- Wallpapering
- Wooden Windows Stripped / Painted


Free, no obligation quote.
07812 075482Professional Exterior Painting & Restoration
Kerb appeal, with the protection to match.
We take pride in transforming the outside of your property with precision and care. Timber windows sanded and repainted, fascias, doors and pipework renewed, and high-performance, weatherproof coatings applied to external walls, all for a flawless, long-lasting finish.
Arrange a free consultationRecent outside work
Cottages, townhouses and family homes.






English Heritage and listed buildings
Your listed building, sensitively restored.
We specialise in servicing and restoring English Heritage and listed buildings to their former glory in Southampton and throughout Hampshire. With a full understanding of the materials and the strict guidelines of the restoration process, you can feel secure knowing the job will be completed as stress free as possible, on time and on budget.
A stress-free restoration
This was a large scale exterior job on a grade 2 listed building in Southampton. Before we arrived the paint was flaking and discoloured and the render was badly defective. The results speak for themselves.


Recent Projects
Before and after, across Hampshire.
Some of our projects in the Southampton, Winchester, Hampshire and New Forest areas.










Specialist Paints
Southampton's eco paints specialist.
We proudly recommend Benjamin Moore paints for their exceptional quality and commitment to sustainability: eco-conscious manufacturing and finishes that look beautiful and stand up to time, wear and weather. We also use Tikkurila and high-quality clay-based and low-VOC finishes, each chosen for the surface and the environment.
Premium
- Benjamin Moore
- Little Greene
- Tikkurila
Traditional British paint & wallpaper
- Farrow & Ball
- Mylands of London
- Fired Earth
Everyday quality
- Dulux
- Armstead
- Crown
- Johnstone's
Your Business
Business premises, reinvigorated.
The key is a cost-effective, timely and efficient service with the minimum possible disruption to your own business. We deliver the highest quality finish even under tight deadlines, and with access to other vetted and professional decorators we are able to start larger projects at very short notice if required.
- Local businesses
- Schools
- Colleges
- Nursing homes
- Home builders
- Estate Agents
- Supermarkets
Clients have included
- Sainsbury's
- Little Brook Retirement Home
- Whitewoods Letting Agencies
- Leaders Letting Agencies
- Pearsons Estate Agencies
See RDS at work
Two short films.
Customer feedback
Kind words from our customers.
9.92/10
531 Checkatrade reviews
5.0
43 Google reviews
“Richard transformed our kitchen into a bright contemporary space. The units had been hand made and installed in 1993. Over the years the look had become tired and dated, however, we could not bear to see these lovely wooden units pulled out and be replaced by modern chipboard. Specialist contractors installed lovely new worktops, some trim on the cabinet doors was removed to give a more modern appearance and then Richard was tasked with applying the modern paint colour. We are delighted with the finish and ‘cottage’ feel has been retained… all at a very reasonable cost.”
Redecoration of all exterior paintwork (pebble dash, window sills, front door, soil pipe, lead work)
“This is the 3rd time I've used Richard. He consistently produces high quality work, his attention to detail is excellent and he is reliable, friendly and professional. Richard's communication is very good throughout the duration of the work, from producing a comprehensive quote, regular updates by phone and WhatsApp and promptly sending an accurate invoice. I would strongly recommend Richard.”
“I had my bedroom painted by Richard, and I couldn't ne happier with the result. Very professional, clean and always respectful of the space. Not a single drop pf paint where it shouldn't be. The only "downside"? Quality like this doesn't come cheap! But it was worth it. Highly recommend.”
“Richard recently decorated a bedroom. Excellent attention to detail in preparing the walls prior to painting. Have used Richard for several years for external and internal decoration. Excellent finish. Good rapport. Would highly recommend.”
Excellent painter and decorator.
“Richard was super. Very knowledgeable and gave excellent advice about the decorating. He was efficient, on time and worked hard with the minimum of disruption. The results were superb in this very old cottage, making walls and frames look like new!”
“Richard was always on time, very easy and professional to speak with, and did a great job painting the entire interior of my flat - including ceilings, all doors and woodwork, and all prep work. Clean and great result, thanks Richard!”
Exterior painting
“I highly recommend RDS Painting and Decorating. The work involved exterior painting of facia boards, pipes and windowsills. Richard visited and provided a quote within a couple of days of sending the request. The work itself took four days and was carried out to a very high standard. Richard is courteous, punctual and very clean and tidy. Overall, an excellent job and I would use RDS Painting and Decorating again.”
“We had RDS decorate our whole house , we found Richard to be very professional and reliable, all the works were completed to a high standard and we are very happy with the service provided”
Decorate three bedrooms incl ceilings and woodwork
“Reliable Efficient Great quality work”



About RDS
Southampton's first choice for painters and decorators.
RDS Painting and Decorating Specialists, Established 2003. Run by Richard Scott, we have spent more than 20 years decorating homes and businesses across Southampton, Winchester, Hampshire and the New Forest, and we are particularly well known for our hand-painted kitchens and bespoke furniture finishes.
We are professional and versatile in all aspects of decorating: interior and exterior painting, specialist or practical wallpapering, or recommending a great colour scheme to suit your needs. And we understand the importance of completing work as quickly and efficiently as possible, to minimise inconvenience and disruption to your day.
- Fully qualified
- Fully insured
- DBS / CRB checked
- Up to date references supplied
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- The highest quality materials available
Checkatrade
Member since May 2007
Buy With Confidence
Trading Standards approved
Quality Business Awards
2025 winner, The Best Painters in Southampton
Where we work
From our base in Bitterne Park.
From our base in Southampton we decorate across Hampshire and the New Forest, including:
- Southampton
- Winchester
- Chandler's Ford
- Eastleigh
- Romsey
- Hedge End
- Hamble
- Warsash
- Bishop's Waltham
- Lymington
- The New Forest
and many more surrounding areas.
Contact
Looking for a quote?
Arrange your free, no-obligation site visit and quote. Give Richard a call, or send a few details and we will get back to you.
- Mobile
- 07812 075482
- Address
- 14 Lacon Close
Bitterne Park
Southampton SO18 1JA - Hours
- Monday to Saturday 8am-6pm
- Sunday Closed
