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?

5.0

43 Google reviews

9.92/10

531 reviews on Checkatrade

Since 2007

Checkatrade member

A hand-painted taupe glazed dresser with mugs hanging on hooks
A shaker kitchen hand-painted in warm grey
Hand-painted by RDS

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.

Wall cabinets hand-painted in soft sage green
A curved painted kitchen island end on a pine floor
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.”
David Bowden, Google review
White painted kitchen units built around a wall-mounted television

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.

A tall double wardrobe hand-painted in pale grey
A pine corner cabinet before, primed, and finished in pale green
A corner cabinet: before, primed, finished.
A taupe dresser and a blue painted kitchen
A kitchen before and after, with its matching dresser.

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 04

    Wallpapering

    Specialist or practical wallpapering, including traditional British papers from Farrow & Ball, Fired Earth and Little Greene.

  5. 05

    Hand-painted furniture

    We bring new colour and life to tired chairs, beds, wardrobes, dressers and pretty much anything else made of wood.

  6. 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
A stairwell decorated in deep burgundy with a white banister
A burgundy hallway under the stairs with crisp white woodwork

Free, no obligation quote.

07812 075482

Professional 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 consultation

Recent outside work

Cottages, townhouses and family homes.

See our latest projects on Instagram
Mock Tudor house with black and white gable and freshly painted leaded bay windows
White painted village cottage with grey window frames
Thatched cottage with freshly painted white walls
House exterior with dark brown timber cladding and cream render
Sage green painted timber windows and door frame
Sage green exterior timber windows looking onto a garden

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.

A listed townhouse under scaffolding, then finished in white
Grade 2 listed, Southampton: during and after.
A white period house with a columned porch after restoration

Recent Projects

Before and after, across Hampshire.

Some of our projects in the Southampton, Winchester, Hampshire and New Forest areas.

Scaffolding up, then the finished charcoal and white exterior of a Winchester house
We were called in to transform the aged exterior of this Winchester house.
A large white country house exterior after redecoration
Our finish made this country grange look new again.
A dated mock Tudor exterior before, and the updated grey exterior after
This Georgian-style home was being modernised to an ultra-high spec, and we were called in to update the dated exterior.
Before and after of a black and white gable
Before and after on an external decoration project in Southampton.
Two freshly decorated metal window frames
Just two of the very tricky metal window frames we decorated at this Southampton home.
A hall and stairs before and after redecoration
Full redecoration of a Southampton home's hall, stairs and landing.
Stairs and banisters before and after
Decoration in a poor state of repair throughout, transformed to give the interior a new lease of life.
A stripped, damaged wall before and the finished room after
Once the old wallpaper came off, the walls were in a very poor state. No problem for the team.
A deteriorated Victorian sash window and sill before, restored after
This Victorian sash window and stone sill was brought back to its former glory from a highly deteriorated state.
A white Georgian building exterior before and after restoration
We restored the exterior of this building, which was looking sorry for itself after years of age, weathering and traffic.

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.

A Southampton kitchen goes red.
A customer in Southampton on the room Richard decorated. The dresser at the end of the video was hand painted.

Customer feedback

Kind words from our customers.

9.92/10

531 Checkatrade reviews

5.0

43 Google reviews

Google
“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.”
David Bowden · 4 years ago
9.67/10Checkatrade

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.”
Gary W · September 2026
Google
“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.”
Maria Giovanna Pappa · 10 months ago
Google
“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.”
Peter Ince · 5 months ago
10/10Checkatrade

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!”
Verified reviewer, SO15 · May 2026
Google
“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!”
Leah Barlow · 3 years ago
10/10Checkatrade

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.”
Verified reviewer, SO15 · August 2026
Google
“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”
B & W · 5 months ago
10/10Checkatrade

Decorate three bedrooms incl ceilings and woodwork

“Reliable Efficient Great quality work”
Annie T · May 2026
The white painted brick rear of a house above a gravel garden
Quality Business Awards 2025 winner badge for RDS Painting & Decorating
Quality Business Awards certificate: The Best Painters, Southampton, UK, presented to RDS Painting & Decorating

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.

Address
14 Lacon Close
Bitterne Park
Southampton SO18 1JA
Hours
  • Monday to Saturday 8am-6pm
  • Sunday Closed

Sending opens your email app with the details filled in, addressed to info@paintinghampshire.co.uk.

Call RichardEmail