Interior Painting in Charleston, SC

Rooms we have finished in Charleston-area homes

A few interiors from the project pages on this site, each with photos and square footage:

• Downtown Charleston townhouse, 2,100 sq ft: deep charcoal walls on three levels and accent walls with vertical slats, the kitchen in the photo above.
• Ranch house, 1,100 sq ft: black painted ceilings over bright white shiplap walls, with clean lines where the two meet.
• I'On home, 2,995 sq ft: soft neutral walls painted around natural wood trim, crown and stained wainscoting that stayed unpainted.
• Old Village home, 4,307 sq ft: built-in bookshelves, gray window seats and a staircase with white risers beside a natural wood handrail.
• Sullivan's Island beach home, 3,855 sq ft: an interior-only job with white walls, stained wood plank ceilings and gray barn doors.

Walls, ceilings, trim, built-ins and stairs

• Walls and accent walls, in single rooms or the whole house, including dark colors that need careful cutting-in.
• Ceilings, smooth or vaulted, white or painted a color, plus exposed beams and wood plank ceilings that get stain instead of paint.
• Trim, doors and crown molding, and shiplap, which needs every groove filled evenly.
• Built-ins and shelving. One reviewer hired us to paint new built-in shelves in an office. Kitchen cabinets have their own process: see cabinet painting in Charleston.
• Staircases: risers, stringers and the walls of the stairwell, with wood treads and handrails protected.

Living in the house while we paint

Most interior jobs happen while the family is still at home. This is how a job runs:

1. Walk-through and detailed estimate, room by room, with what gets patched and what gets painted.
2. Colors. You pick them; color consultation is part of our interior service if you want a second opinion.
3. Protection. Floors are covered with protective paper, edges are taped, and natural wood trim that stays unpainted is masked off.
4. Patching. Reviewers mention cracks, holes and water-damaged drywall repaired and sanded before painting.
5. Paint: primer on repaired spots, then the finish coats on ceilings, walls, trim and doors in the scope.
6. Clean-up at the end of the job, so the rooms are ready to use again.

Request your interior painting estimate or call (843) 452-1860.

Older Charleston homes and lead-safe work

Many houses on the peninsula, in Old Village and in North Charleston's older neighborhoods were built before 1978. In those homes, sanding or scraping old paint falls under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which sets how the work area is contained and cleaned.

Tell us the year your house was built when you ask for an estimate, so the plan accounts for it.

What sets the price of an interior job

We do not publish prices; the estimate is free and made for your house. The main factors:

• number of rooms and ceiling height, including vaulted ceilings and stairwells;
• how much patching and drywall repair the walls need;
• what is included: walls only, or also ceilings, trim, doors and built-ins;
• color changes, especially from dark to light, which can need more coats;
• furniture to move and rooms that must stay in use during the job;
• older homes where lead-safe work practices apply.

Interior painting across the Charleston area

We paint interiors on the peninsula and in West Ashley, James Island, Daniel Island, North Charleston, the beach towns and the islands, and in Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Goose Creek. For the outside of the house, see exterior house painting.

Interior painting questions

Should my walls be satin or eggshell?

Eggshell or matte for most living spaces and bedrooms, satin where walls get wiped often, like hallways, kids' rooms and baths. A flat finish usually goes on ceilings. Test a sample in your own light before you decide.

How many coats do the walls need?

Two coats of finish paint is the common standard for walls. Patched spots get primer first, and a big color change may need more coverage, so the estimate states the number of coats.

When should you not paint indoors?

When the room cannot be aired out, or when the temperature or humidity is outside the range printed on the paint label. The label is the rule for each product.

Can I sleep in a room that was just painted?

Ventilate it well first and follow the product label. If someone in the house is sensitive to odors, ask us about low-odor paints and plan bedrooms for the end of the day so they have time to air out.

Interior Painting Guides

Answers to what Charleston homeowners ask before an interior repaint: coats, finishes, colors and cure time.

Book a free interior estimate

Send us the rooms you want painted and the colors you are considering. We will set a time to walk through and give you a detailed estimate.

Call (843) 452-1860 · Use the estimate form below