I started my career as a painter and decorator back in 1998 in Massachusetts USA working for a private company. In the spring and summer months, we would spray the exteriors of large Georgian and Victorian houses in Cambridge and Harvard and the surrounding areas. The exteriors were tough to work but I soon came to love it. The houses were so large we used ‘pump’ staging for access to the high properties as well as forty-foot ladders with ladder jacks so you wouldn’t want a fear of heights.
I remember the weather being fantastic back then and the 10 hour days we had to put in flew by so quickly. There was nothing more satisfying to me at that time than spraying the side of a freshly cladded house. Other days, we would spend hours striping detailed porch ways that then, had to get filled and sanded until they were brought back to their former glory.
It was around this time that I realised that I loved the painting and decorating trade and so I did my best when at work. It wasn’t long before I ran a full crew by myself for the company and was in charge of the day to day organisation of the jobs. The winters over there were cold down to -20 degrees and so it was mostly interiors of properties that we completed.
The work varied from spraying interior walls and ceilings to finishing detailed moulding and cabinetry by hand brushing or by a HVLP sprayer. This laid the groundworks for my interest in cabinet finishing and so Boston was where it all began for me. I spent over 5 and a half years in Boston doing this type of work and when I look now back I absolutely loved the States and the job. Eventually, in 2003, I decided to come home to Ireland and worked for a few different companies travelling all over the West of Ireland. I worked on projects from Shannon airport to Government buildings. I also worked in many housing estates however it lacked that satisfying feeling that you get when working and transforming a space in a private house.
Eventually, I set up my own business after a few years. At the beginning I covered all aspects of the painting trade including interiors, exteriors wallpapering and painting kitchen cabinets. For years my true love was in making old wooden kitchens look new like new again. It was similar to the majority of the work and experience I had gained in Boston. I realised that I had found my passion once again even if it was on a much smaller scale. I decided to take the plunge and specialise solely in painting kitchen cabinets and furniture. I had a workshop built near my home with a preparation area, a drying room and a spraying room with an extraction fan so whether they were getting hand painted or sprayed I could carry out the work efficiently and professionally. To date, I have endless kitchens completed and many happy customers who are delighted with their new kitchen make-overs.
Being a professional kitchen painter brings me all over the West of Ireland and every other week a different kitchen project is completed. I get great job satisfaction from bringing tired old kitchens back to life
