RESIDENTIAL DECORATING IN EDINBURGH
Period homes, listed buildings, family residences.
Heritage Georgian and Victorian property, modern flats, country houses. Specified palettes, hand-cut lines, sympathetic restoration.
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SCOTLAND · EDINBURGH
Painters & Decorators Edinburgh
Borthwick has worked across Edinburgh since 1959 — from the Georgian townhouses of New Town to the tenement closes of Marchmont, the country estates beyond the bypass, and the commercial properties of Princes Street and Lothian Road.
4.9 / 5average rating
175+verified reviews
1959est. — 65 years of craft
£10 millionpublic liability cover
Welcome to Borthwick Decorators Edinburgh
Borthwick Decorators is one of Edinburgh's longest-established painters and decorators — working across the city and East Lothian since 1959. We handle heritage residential work in New Town and Morningside, common-stair tenement programmes, country-estate restoration, and commercial fit-outs across the EH postcodes. Scotland Trusted Trader and Edinburgh Trusted Trader accredited, with 175+ verified reviews at a 4.9/5 rating across heritage Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian period properties.
Painting and decorating across Edinburgh's period homes.
Edinburgh’s architectural inheritance is unlike any other British city. From the 1767 New Town grid — the largest Georgian planned cityscape in Europe — to the medieval closes of the Royal Mile, the Victorian tenements of Marchmont and Bruntsfield, the Edwardian villas of Murrayfield, and the contemporary waterfront at Leith. Each period needs a different hand.
For 65 years Borthwick has worked across that range. We hold the heritage finishes specialism the listed-building work demands, the F&B and Little Greene palette fluency designer briefs require, and the operational discipline that conservation officers, factors, and stair committees expect. One foreman per project. Never sub-contracted.
COMMERCIAL DECORATING IN EDINBURGH
Offices, hospitality, retail, listed restoration.
Hospitality refurbs across Princes Street and the Royal Mile, office decoration in the New Town, hotel and student accommodation programmes.
See commercial workSERVICES IN EDINBURGH
Our painting and decorating services in Edinburgh
INTERIOR · RESIDENTIAL
Period interior decoration
Georgian townhouses, Victorian tenements, Edwardian villas. Specified palettes, restored cornicing, hand-cut lines.
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KITCHENS
Hand-painted kitchens Edinburgh
In-situ cabinetry painting using F&B Estate Eggshell or Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell. Spray and brush.
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COMMUNAL
Common stair painting
Tenement common-stair redecoration across Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Leith. Coordinated with stair committees and factors.
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EXTERIOR · STONE
Sandstone & masonry coatings
Limewash, mineral paints and breathable systems for Edinburgh stone elevations.
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COMMERCIAL
Hospitality & retail fit-out
Hospitality refurbs on Princes Street, hotel programmes off the Royal Mile, retail across Leith.
Learn moreAREAS WE COVER
Areas we cover in Edinburgh.
Each area has a different decorating personality. Click through for the local view.
EDINBURGH · NEW TOWN
New Town
Painters in New Town →EDINBURGH · MORNINGSIDE
Morningside
Painters in Morningside →EDINBURGH · LEITH
Leith
Painters in Leith →EDINBURGH · STOCKBRIDGE
Stockbridge
Painters in Stockbridge →EDINBURGH · BRUNTSFIELD
Bruntsfield
Painters in Bruntsfield →EDINBURGH · MURRAYFIELD
Murrayfield
Painters in Murrayfield →EDINBURGH · THE GRANGE
The Grange
Painters in The Grange →EDINBURGH · RAVELSTON
Ravelston
Painters in Ravelston →More areas in Edinburgh
Covering New Town, Morningside, Stockbridge, Leith, Bruntsfield, Marchmont, The Grange, Murrayfield, Ravelston, Cramond, Portobello, Trinity and Corstorphine across EH1, EH2, EH3, EH4, EH6, EH7, EH9, EH10, EH11, EH12 and EH16. Call our Edinburgh team on 0131 235 2733 or visit our 93 George Street office, EH2 3ES.
FEATURED EDINBURGH WORK
Recent work across the city.
A small selection of recent Edinburgh projects — from heritage townhouses to commercial fit-outs.
PRICING GUIDE
How much does an Edinburgh decorator cost?
Indicative pricing for typical Edinburgh projects. Final pricing confirmed after on-site review at your property or our 93 George Street office.
| Scope | Typical range | Programme | Notes / assumptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repaint single reception room (period property) | £700–£1,500 | 1–2 days | Walls/ceilings/woodwork; good condition |
| Full flat repaint (2-bed New Town / Morningside) | £3,000–£6,000 | 5–10 days | Includes prep; minor repairs only |
| Hand-painted kitchen cabinet (10–20 doors) | £1,800–£3,600 | 3–5 days | Farrow & Ball Estate Eggshell or Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell |
| Tenement common-stair redecoration (single close) | £4,500–£9,500 | 7–14 days | Coordinated with stair committee or factor |
| Sandstone or stucco frontage (Georgian terrace) | £8,000–£18,000 | 10–18 days | Mineral paint or breathable systems; scaffold extra |
| Sash window repaint (per window) | £280–£480 | Varies | Sound timber; repairs extra |
| Specialist Venetian or polished plaster wall | £1,800–£4,500 | 3–6 days | Per wall; sample boards included |
Prices exclude VAT, access/scaffold where unusual, and major substrate repairs. Edinburgh listed-building and conservation work pricing depends on consents and conservation officer specifications; we confirm fixed pricing after an on-site review or detailed photos.
AWARD WINNING
2025 Cultural Renovation Project of the Year
2025 Residential Category
2024 Private Domestic (Pre-1919) Project of the Year — Contract Manager 2024
View all awards →
OUR EDINBURGH STORY
Founded in Scotland, 1959.
Borthwick Decorators was founded in 1959 and has worked across Edinburgh ever since. Three generations of family ownership; six and a half decades on Edinburgh stone.
That continuity matters. The foremen who walk into a New Town basement today have hands trained on the same lath-and-plaster their predecessors worked on in the 1970s. We know which sandstones drink limewash, which need mineral paint, and which streets the council won’t let you scaffold without three weeks’ notice.
Borthwick is a multi-award-winning, Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) member firm operating from a 93 George Street office in EH2 3ES — six decades of recognition by both Scotland Trusted Trader and Edinburgh Trusted Trader. Specifications we work to most often include Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library. Specialisms span interior decorating, exterior masonry and stucco, kitchen cabinet painting, wallpaper hanging, sash-window repainting, Venetian and polished plaster, and breathable mineral finishes for listed period properties.
Edinburgh’s rendered Georgian frontages and sandstone tenements need a careful exterior hand — our exterior painters in Edinburgh work in breathable mineral systems on listed and Conservation Area elevations.
About BorthwickWHY US
Why Edinburgh clients choose Borthwick.
Edinburgh's longest-established craft firm
Founded in Scotland in 1959 and never moved. Six decades of work on Edinburgh sandstone, Georgian townhouses, listed New Town interiors and tenement common stairs. Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) member. Scotland Trusted Trader and Edinburgh Trusted Trader accredited.
Heritage and listed-building specialism
Mineral paint and breathable systems on Edinburgh stone, hand-cut lines on period cornicing. Conservation officer relationships across New Town, Old Town, Stockbridge and Marchmont. Documentation discipline that listed-building consents require.
175+ verified reviews, 4.9/5 rating
Public ratings backed by long-standing client relationships across Edinburgh and East Lothian. Public liability to £10 million. Foremen CHAS, SMAS and SafeContractor accredited. No sub-contracting — one Borthwick foreman per project.
Designer-led or direct private client
Sample boards in Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library. Site meetings as part of architect-led design teams. RIBA briefs executed. Equally comfortable on direct private commissions across Morningside, Bruntsfield, Ravelston, Cramond, Portobello, Trinity and Corstorphine.
OUR PROCESS
How we work on every Edinburgh project.
-
01
Initial consultation
On-site at the property or at our 93 George Street office. Walk-through, scope, photography.
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02
Detailed quote
Transparent line-item pricing. Listed-building or conservation specifications confirmed against council requirements.
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03
Colour & specification
Sample boards in Farrow & Ball, Little Greene or Paint & Paper Library. Heritage materials specified for pre-1919 fabric.
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04
Preparation
Lath-and-plaster repairs, sandstone cleaning, scaffold or tower hire coordinated.
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05
Expert application
One Borthwick foreman per project. Hand-cut lines, Edinburgh-stone-trained team. Never sub-contracted.
-
06
Final inspection
Walk-through, snags resolved, photographic record for the file. Stair committees, factors and conservation officers signed off where relevant.
From initial contact regarding the quotation through to finishing touches, I had every confidence in Borthwick's, and this confidence was not misplaced.Jan Anderson · common stair client, Edinburgh — Google
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COMMON QUESTIONS
Working with us in Edinburgh.
Do you take on listed-building work across Edinburgh?
Yes. Much of central Edinburgh sits in Conservation Areas with high listing densities (New Town, Old Town, Stockbridge, Marchmont). We hold the heritage finishes specialism and the documentation discipline conservation officers expect.
Which areas of Edinburgh do you cover?
All EH postcodes plus East Lothian. Highest concentration of recent work: New Town, Morningside, Bruntsfield, Leith, Stockbridge, Murrayfield, the Grange, Trinity, Cramond.
What is your standard lead time?
4-6 weeks for residential work. Commercial out-of-hours work can usually accommodate tighter windows once the brief is firm.
Do you work with architects and interior designers?
Regularly. We support sample boards, attend site meetings as part of the design team, and execute to RIBA briefs.
What is your insurance position?
Public liability to £10 million. Foremen CHAS / SMAS / SafeContractor accredited. IPAF and PAL licensed for cherry pickers and scissor lifts.
Accreditations & memberships
Public liability insurance to £10 million.
PDA
Painting & Decorating Association
SDF
Scottish Decorators Federation
SSIP
Safety Schemes in Procurement
Trusted Trader
Edinburgh — Trading Standards Vetted
SafeContractor
Independent H&S Verification
CHAS
Contractors Health & Safety
SMAS
Safety Management Advisory
PASMA
Mobile Access Towers
IPAF
Powered Access (PAL)
Edinburgh Trusted Trader
Borthwick Decorators is a City of Edinburgh Council Trusted Trader — a scheme that vets local tradespeople for quality of work, fair business practice, and resolution of customer complaints. Membership is renewed annually following council review.
View our Trusted Trader listing →CONTACT — EDINBURGH
Speak to our Edinburgh team.
Borthwick Decorators Ltd93 George Street
Edinburgh EH2 3ES
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 8.00am–5.30pm
Sat 9.00am–12.00pm
Sun closed
Sat 9.00am–12.00pm
Sun closed