Interior Painting of Church Café in Newington, Edinburgh

The Challenge

The church cafe at the Church of St. Margaret in Newington needed to feel clean, fresh and welcoming before Christmas. The existing walls and ceilings showed peeling paint, water-damaged areas and worn surfaces, while old lining paper and woodchip wallpaper had to be removed before decoration could begin. High ceilings of around four metres also meant the access and preparation needed careful planning.

Our Approach

1. Protected the floors, furniture and cafe fittings before work began.
2. Removed the existing lining paper and woodchip wallpaper to expose the surfaces underneath.
3. Repaired and prepared the walls and ceilings, including water-damaged areas and uneven sections.
4. Applied lining paper to create a cleaner base for the finished paintwork.
5. Prepared the woodwork by sanding, filling and priming before applying the final finish.
6. Worked carefully at height to reach the ceiling, cornice and upper wall areas safely.
7. Finished the porch, walls, ceiling details and woodwork in the agreed colour scheme.

The Result

The finished cafe is brighter, cleaner and more welcoming. Cold Iron on the upper walls, cornice and ceiling areas gives the room a fresh base, Gotta Have It adds warmth to the lower walls, and Hague Blue on the woodwork gives the space a stronger, more considered finish. The careful preparation and durable paint choices leave the cafe ready for regular community use.