Richmond asks a fair question of any decorator's quote: the same brief can land on a Georgian terrace off the Green, a mansion flat above the Quadrant shops, or a detached house climbing toward the protected view from Richmond Hill — and each of those answers the price question differently. The postcode is premium, but the cost is set by the building, not the address.
What sets the price here
Preparation, not paint. In a period Richmond property the walls have usually been painted many times, sometimes over old lining paper or filler patches. Getting those surfaces flat enough for a modern low-sheen finish is labour, and labour is most of the quote. A room that looks like "two coats of emulsion" is often a day of rubbing down, filling, and sealing before a brush goes near a tin.
Sash windows and original joinery. Double-glazed replacements are rare in the conservation streets, so windows get painted rather than replaced. Sashes need easing, cleaning out, and painting in the right order so they still open — that is slower than a casement, and priced accordingly.
Height and access. Stairwells in Victorian villas and stair voids in mansion blocks mean towers or scaffolding. On riverside streets, parking and access windows shape how many productive hours a day actually yields, which flows into the day rate maths.
Finish specification. A standard emulsion and acrylic eggshell brief prices very differently from limewash on original plaster, or a hand-painted kitchen, or wallpaper in a drawing room. The premium finishes cost more because each needs more coats, more control, and longer drying windows.
Honest ranges
As a planning frame for London day rates: expect a experienced decorator to charge in the region of £200–£400 a day in this part of south-west London, with multi-trade teams higher. Per room, a straightforward bedroom refresh typically lands in the hundreds, while a full period room — ceiling, walls, woodwork, sashes — is comfortably a four-figure item. A whole Richmond house programme is quoted room by room after a site visit, not from a price list.
Be wary of any quote for a period property given without seeing it. The honest answer to "how much to paint this room" is always "let me look at what the walls are doing", because a ceiling with old calcimine or walls with historic repairs carries hidden preparation the eye can't price from a photo.
What our quotes include
Every Richmond quote comes from a site visit and itemises rooms, preparation stages, the paint system for each surface, and the number of visits. You see where the money goes: how much is preparation, how much is materials, how much is finishing coats. If a cheaper quote is vague about preparation, it is usually a quote for less preparation — and that is the difference that shows in two years.
Bring us the rooms and the finishes you are considering, and we will price the actual work, not a guess.