Georgian townhouses, Cadogan Estate properties, stucco terraces, Cheyne Walk riverside homes. Chelsea's architecture is not uniform. A standard repaint and a conservation-grade finish are different jobs — different products, different approvals, different lead times.
Painters & Decorators Chelsea
Chelsea covers a lot of ground, architecturally and legally. The Georgian houses on Cheyne Walk, the Cadogan Estate stucco terraces around Sloane Square, and the Victorian townhouses off King's Road all have different structural requirements. Different paint systems. Different rules about what needs approval.
Most of Chelsea falls within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's conservation areas. Exterior colour changes may require formal consent. So does painting previously unpainted surfaces. Work on listed buildings almost certainly will — from RBKC, and in many cases also from the Cadogan Estate, which owns the freehold of a large portion of SW3 properties and has its own approval process entirely separate from planning.
Interior work in Chelsea is similarly specific. Georgian and Victorian properties have high ceilings, often 3.5 metres or more. Original plaster cornicing, period joinery, and rooms large enough that paint coverage and sheen levels become decisions that matter. The choice between an oil-based and water-based finish on original joinery in a listed building isn't purely aesthetic.
Prima Decor's office is in Twickenham TW2. Roman visits Chelsea properties personally, checks the relevant planning and estate requirements, and produces a quote that reflects the actual scope. Not a phone estimate that gets revised once work starts.
Get in touch
Every Chelsea enquiry is handled personally. Roman visits, checks estate and planning requirements, and sends a fixed written quote.
☎ 020 8226 5125 ✉ info@primadecor.co.uk11A Ash House Business Centre
Second Cross Road
Twickenham TW2 5RF
Mon–Fri 8am–5pm · Sat 9am–1pm
Where we work in Chelsea
Chelsea isn't uniform. Each part of SW3 and SW10 has different property types, different planning contexts, and different specific requirements.
Riverside
Georgian listed houses, Grade I and II*. Riverside location means salt air, high humidity, and intense south-facing UV. Exterior finishes degrade faster here than inland Chelsea.
SW3Estate properties
Cadogan Estate leasehold. Any exterior work, including repainting, requires formal estate approval. This is separate from RBKC planning. Estate has its own approved colour specifications.
SW1W/SW3Artists' quarter
Arts and Crafts studio houses, previously homes to Whistler and Wilde. Individually listed. Each property has its own heritage assessment. No two jobs follow the same specification.
SW3Garden squares
Victorian stucco terraces arranged around private gardens. Grouped façades mean exterior colours are coordinated across the whole terrace, not decided per-house.
SW3/SW10King's Road corridor
Mixed residential above retail. Victorian conversion flats, mews houses behind shops, and period commercial premises requiring out-of-hours scheduling.
SW3/SW10West Chelsea
Large Victorian and Edwardian detached and semi-detached houses. The Boltons is one of the most valuable streets in London. Properties here require exceptional preparation and finish.
SW10Our commitment
No dispatching to subcontractors. No phone quotes. No surprises on the invoice. One person responsible from first visit to sign-off.
What others skip
Every decorator page for Chelsea SW3 mentions conservation areas and period properties. None explain the Cadogan Estate approval process, the riverside paint degradation issue, or why grouped stucco terraces have colour restrictions that don't apply to freehold houses on the same street.
These four points come up on nearly every Chelsea job we price.
Sources: Cadogan Estate implications guide · Historic England: Redecorating · Painting & Decorating Association · RBKC planning guidance
Cadogan Estate
The Cadogan Estate owns the freehold of a large portion of Chelsea properties. For leasehold properties, formal estate approval is required for any external works, including repainting. This is separate from RBKC planning consent. The estate has its own design criteria and approved colour ranges. We're familiar with the approval process and can assist with colour specification that meets estate requirements.
Cheyne Walk & riverside
Properties on Cheyne Walk and Chelsea Embankment face conditions that don't apply to inland Chelsea. The Thames increases ambient humidity. It also deposits salt. South-facing facades get intense UV. Standard exterior systems that last 8–10 years inland will need attention in 5–7 years on riverside elevations. We specify accordingly and advise on realistic maintenance cycles.
Conservation colours
For grouped stucco façades in the Chelsea Conservation Area, RBKC guidance recommends BS10B15, BS08B17, or BS08B15 off-white tones to maintain street harmony. Using brilliant white on a terrace where every other house is an off-white creates a visually jarring break that planning officers have required remediation for. We check the specific conservation area character appraisal for your street before advising on colour.
Listed buildings
Original lime plaster on Georgian properties breathes. Modern vinyl emulsions can seal the surface, trap moisture, and accelerate plaster failure, particularly on north-facing walls and in rooms with limited ventilation. For period properties, we use breathable, vapour-permeable paints on walls and cornicing where appropriate. On Grade I and II* buildings, conservation officers may specify distemper or limewash for certain surfaces.
Free site visit · Estate & planning checks included · Fixed written quote
Credentials
The highest vocational qualification in the trade. Not a short course. A full occupational certificate covering surface preparation, specialist finishes, colour theory, and project management.
PDA members are vetted, must hold public liability insurance, and agree to a code of practice. Membership is verifiable directly on the PDA website.
Every job covered to £2 million. That is the level most Chelsea managing agents, freeholders, and the Cadogan Estate for contractors working on their properties.
Every Chelsea job is visited and managed by Roman Pelykh. No subcontracting. The person responsible for the quote is the person responsible for the finish.
Instant estimate
A rough figure in under a minute. Based on Chelsea premium rates. Estate approval, scaffold, and render repairs are quoted separately on-site.
Note on Chelsea pricing: Cadogan Estate properties and listed buildings often require additional preparation time, specialist materials, and sometimes estate approval before work starts. These costs are assessed and quoted separately after the site visit. The calculator below covers standard labour and materials only.
Step 1 of 4
What type of work?
Step 2 of 4
About the property
Property type
Paint quality
Step 3 of 4
Surface condition & extras
Surface condition
Additional items
Your estimate
Chelsea project
Estimated range · Chelsea SW3/SW10 · Premium rates
Indicative · Labour & materials · VAT may apply · Estate approval & scaffold quoted separately
Client reviews
"We used Prima Decor for our house which has a lot of wall panelling and crown moulding details. They did a fantastic job. Roman manages his team really well — professional, prompt and very efficient. I had peace of mind which is rarely the case when dealing with other tradespeople."
"Roman and his team are efficient, hardworking, professional and tidy up at the end of each day. They have painted and wallpapered most of my home. I would recommend them every time."
"Professional, exact, efficient and reliable after our complex Edwardian home extension. Impressed how the squad went about their business in unison. Looking for some wow factor — they delivered."
People also ask
The questions Google shows as featured snippets for Chelsea decorating searches. Answered properly, not with stock phrases.
Cadogan Estate approval
Answer
If your Chelsea property is leasehold and Cadogan are the freeholder (most properties around Sloane Square, Cadogan Square, and Cadogan Gardens): formal estate approval is required for any external works, including repainting. This sits alongside RBKC planning consent. You need both, not one or the other. Freehold properties under the Cadogan Estate Management Plan need it too. The process requires a detailed application from your design team. We're familiar with the specifications and can assist with colour matching to estate-approved palettes.
Conservation area colours
Answer
RBKC publishes guidance for each conservation area. For grouped stucco terraces in the Chelsea Conservation Area, the borough recommends off-white tones. BS10B15, BS08B17, and BS08B15 are commonly referenced. It discourages brilliant white, which creates visual inconsistency in historic streetscapes. Your specific street may have additional character appraisal guidance. We check the relevant RBKC documents before advising on any exterior colour in SW3 or SW10.
Riverside properties
Answer
Riverside properties face conditions that inland Chelsea doesn't. Higher humidity from the Thames, occasional salt content in the air, and intense UV on south-facing facades mean exterior paint degrades noticeably faster. Standard systems that last 8–10 years on sheltered elevations typically need attention in 5–7 years on riverside properties. We specify more durable exterior systems for Cheyne Walk and Chelsea Embankment properties and give realistic maintenance advice up front.
Period properties
Answer
For Georgian interiors, paint choice depends on the substrate. On original lime plaster, breathable paints are correct: limewash, distemper, or vapour-permeable emulsions. Vinyl emulsions can seal lime plaster, trap moisture, and cause plaster failure over time. On cornicing and decorative plasterwork, we use products that won't build up and obscure fine detail. Both Farrow & Ball and Little Greene publish Georgian archive colour ranges; we can match to either or to original samples.
Pricing
Answer
Interior decoration of a five-room Chelsea townhouse (walls, ceilings, woodwork, and premium paint) typically ranges from £7,000 to £18,000 depending on ceiling heights, condition, and period feature complexity. This is a general range; the actual cost for your specific property depends on factors only visible on a site visit. Use the calculator below for an indicative figure, or book a free on-site visit for a fixed written quote.
Commercial work
Answer
Yes. Retail, office, and hospitality properties on King's Road, Fulham Road, and surrounding commercial streets. We We schedule around trading hours. Evening and weekend starts with no premium rate. For shopfronts in the conservation area, we check RBKC planning guidance on approved materials and colours before quoting exterior facade work.
Get in touch
Every Chelsea enquiry is handled personally. Roman visits, checks Cadogan Estate and RBKC requirements, and produces a fixed written quote.
Chelsea SW3 & SW10
Site visit · Estate & planning checks included · Fixed written quote
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