Decorating paint.
“Decorating paint” is the everyday term for the emulsions, undercoats and top coats used on most interior and exterior jobs — as opposed to specialist products like masonry or heat resistant paint. Brands such as Johnstone's decorating ranges are a familiar sight on trade shelves, but knowing what each layer does, and which top coat to finish with, makes a bigger difference to the result than the brand on the tin.
What "decorating paint" covers.
It's a broad, practical category: matt and silk emulsions for walls and ceilings, undercoats for bare or previously-painted woodwork and metal, and top coats in gloss, satin or eggshell for doors, skirting and frames. It sits apart from specialist paints — heat resistant, masonry, floor or fire-rated products — which are formulated for a specific job rather than general redecorating. Most homes need decorating paint for the bulk of a job, with specialist products used only where the surface demands it.
Johnstone's decorating paint.
Johnstone's is a well-established trade brand whose decorating ranges cover everything from everyday emulsion to Aqua, a water-based alternative to traditional solvent gloss that dries faster and with far less odour. It's popular with decorators for reliable coverage and consistent sheen across a range of wall and woodwork finishes, and it's one of several quality trade brands — alongside others like Dulux Trade and Crown Trade — that we choose between depending on the surface and finish a job needs.
Understanding top coats.
The top coat is the final, visible layer applied over primer or undercoat, and its sheen level changes both the look and the durability of the finish. Gloss is the most hardwearing and traditional choice for doors, skirting and handrails; satin or eggshell gives a softer, more contemporary sheen that's still wipeable; fully matt woodwork is a newer trend but shows marks more easily. Whatever sheen you choose, the top coat needs to be compatible with the undercoat beneath it — mixing oil-based and water-based products in the wrong order is a common cause of poor adhesion and a patchy finish.
Choosing the right paint for the job.
The number of coats, the sheen you pick, and how consistently it's applied across a room matter far more to the final result than which brand of decorating paint is used. "One-coat" claims on some tins can be optimistic on a colour change or a patchy surface, and it's usually worth budgeting for two coats regardless. We work with quality trade decorating paint suited to the surface and finish you want, rather than defaulting to whatever's cheapest. Get a free quote and we'll recommend the right paint and finish for your rooms.
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