COMMERCIAL · UK-WIDE
Commercial painters and decorators, UK-wide
Borthwick Decorators delivers commercial painting programmes to property teams, facilities managers and main contractors across the UK. CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS and PPG Trade Elite accredited. £10 million public liability cover.
4.9 / 5average rating
175+verified reviews
1959est. — 65 years of craft
£10 millionpublic liability cover
WELCOME — COMMERCIAL DECORATING
Borthwick Decorators has delivered commercial painting and decorating to UK businesses since 1959. We work for hotels, retail estates, schools, healthcare, hospitality groups, council and housing associations — from a single shop refit to a multi-property estate programme. Out-of-hours working, RAMS on file, dust-controlled prep, named site contact.
A commercial decorator that knows your programme
Commercial decorating is a different trade to residential. The property has to stay operational. Your facilities team needs a single named contact. Your insurer wants RAMS on file before the first brush touches the wall. Your programme manager needs a fixed start and a fixed end. We resource the work that way.
Borthwick Decorators is a family firm, third generation, six decades in the trade. We are specified by interior designers and architects for premium paint systems (Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library, Dulux Trade, Sikkens) and certified for industrial coatings via PPG Trade Elite.
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 →
OPERATIONAL STANDARDS
How we work with property teams
£10 million public liability
Insurance to the level commercial property teams require, evidence on request before site mobilisation.
RAMS on file
Risk Assessment and Method Statement supplied for every job. Updated per phase where the work changes.
After-hours and weekend working
Hotels, restaurants, retail and offices that cannot close — we resource overnight and weekend phases.
Named site contact
A single point of contact for the duration of the programme. Daily progress feedback to your FM or PM.
Dust-controlled preparation
Negative-pressure enclosures and HEPA extraction where occupied premises require it.
Multi-accreditation
CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS, PDA, SDF, PPG Trade Elite. Annual independent re-assessment.
RECENT PROJECTS
Recent commercial work
A sample of recent commercial projects across Scotland.
ABOUT BORTHWICK
65 years of commercial decorating
Borthwick Decorators Ltd has been painting and decorating commercial property since 1959. We are one of the longest-established commercial decorators in the UK still owned by the family that founded the firm.
Our commercial portfolio covers hospitality (hotels, restaurants, cafes), retail (department stores, shops, holiday lets), healthcare (retirement homes), leisure (theatres, museums, galleries, swimming pools, gyms), education (schools, colleges), worship (churches), and public sector (council and government buildings, social housing). We have the access kit (IPAF, PASMA, PAL) to reach every type of commercial elevation.
Multi-award-winning work — The Painting and Decorating Association’s Premier Trophy Awards Highly Decorative Category 2024 (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Highly Commended).
FAQ
Questions from property teams
Do you carry public liability insurance?
£10 million public liability cover. Certificate provided on request before site mobilisation. We will not deploy without your facilities team holding a current copy.
Can you work outside business hours?
Yes — hotels, restaurants, retail and offices form a large share of our commercial work. We resource overnight and weekend phases as a matter of routine, with security sign-on and key control as the building requires.
What is your typical programme for a multi-property estate?
We plan in phases by property, with a fixed start and end per phase and a named site contact running the rota. Programme dates set in advance so your operations team can plan around them. Weekly progress reporting to your PM or FM.
Are you accredited for commercial work?
CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS, PDA (Painting and Decorating Association), SDF (Scottish Decorators Federation), PPG Trade Elite. IPAF and PASMA for working at height. PAL for commercial signage. Annual independent re-assessment to every accreditation we hold.
What paint systems do you use?
Specified for Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library, Dulux Trade and Sikkens on interior work. PPG Trade Elite for industrial and commercial coatings. Keim and Beeck mineral systems for breathable substrates on heritage and listed exteriors.
OTHER COMMERCIAL WORK
Sectors we work in across the UK
We work with commercial clients across the UK — the Edinburgh HQ runs the north of England and Scotland programmes; the London office runs the south of England.
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)