French Riviera

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France: Having worked on the French Riviera on numerous occasions, we were particularly looking forward to this project as it was out of season (December). Anyone who has tried to travel around St. Tropez in season would know what a nightmare the traffic can be, let alone trying to park anywhere. Hand painted kitchen St. Tropez France Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

Night Life in St. Tropez

St Tropez is a provencal town located in Provence-Alpes-Côte- d’Azur region of south eastern France with an array of restaurants and bars along the coast, so for us, eating out in St. Tropez, Saint Maxime and Port Grimed was a pleasure, and not too heavy on the pocket, another advantage of being out of season. Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France
So for the next few weeks, the South of France was to be our home again.

First day on site

Arriving at a very Grand house, belonging to a high profile client, we could see that all the work being done was of the highest of standards and the attention to detail second to none.
As with all kitchens we started off by stripping down all the furniture from the units, taping up all the interiors, protecting all work surfaces and floor areas with 1000 grade lining paper. We label all drawers and components that we remove, so it makes it a lot easier when replacing everything.

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

Filling & Preparation

Using two pack filler we proceed to fill up all large holes and dents. We gun in all joints using acrylic caulk and a small filling knife to keep the profile. Using our Festool dust extraction units, we proceeded to sand smooth all areas to be painted. After vacuuming the units, we use a tack rag to remove any last traces of dust, leaving every surface ready for painting. Hand painted kitchen St. Tropez France

Tradesmen on site

One of the nicest things about working abroad is working alongside and meeting the local tradesmen who are as interested in our working practises as we are in theirs. This is a photo of Pierre who comes from Paris and had been working on the house for quite a few months, producing all the polished plaster finish on all the walls.

Hand painted kitchen in St Tropez France

Painting

In this case the specification was to use oil eggshell – not my first choice of paint, due to its drying time, which can cause problems if other trades are working in the area and dust is in the atmosphere.
For the first coat we thinned down the oil eggshell with white spirits about 5% and proceeded to coat up all the units. Hand painted kitchen St. Tropez France
When it was dry, we used a lead lamp to highlight any imperfections on the units, and used Ready Patch fine surface filler to make good. Once dry and rubbed back, we dabbed out all the filler with a coat of oil eggshell.

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

Once dry, we used foam sanding pads to nib down all the paint work. Then vacuumed and tack ragged ready for the topcoat.
With the oil based topcoat we added some Owatrol oil, which improved paint flow and workability and once laid off gives an almost brush free finish. Hand painted kitchen St. Tropez France

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

Once dry, everything is cleaned up and replaced,and with a final inspection, the job is finished.

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

After all the kit had been loaded in the van, including a couple of bottles of local wine, we said goodbye to our new friends and headed home ready for our next commission! Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

The Kevin Mapstone Difference

You may be able to find a kitchen painter anywhere in St. Tropez or France, so why should you consider us? We have decades of experience and will help you with the difficult decisions involving paint colours and decorative choices. Our aim is to transform the appearance of your kitchen based on your vision. Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France

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Hand painted bespoke furniture introduces an air of sophistication to any room. We would be glad to undertake any project for you. We specialise in hand painting high-end kitchens around the world for many discerning clients. Call us on 07785 784708 to discuss your project or schedule a consultation.

For further examples of hand painted kitchens, please click here

Hand painted kitchen St Tropez France