I’m not sure if you have noticed, but the plaster cornice throughout the house is covered in gloss paint. Traditionally in a house of our age, it would have been painted with a lime wash, which definitely wouldn’t have been shiny and glossy. We are also aiming for a more contemporary finish and gloss paint just wouldn’t go with the look we are trying to achieve.
This is what the cornice was like when we moved in.
We tried stripping the cornice with a chemical stripper and in parts also tried to use the heat gun. Nothing really worked and sometimes we probably made things worse, as when bits of the paint did come off sometimes bits of the plaster would break off with it, too. You can see, that we accidentally broke off the corner of the coving.
If you paint over gloss paint with normal matt emulsion, it just won’t stick and just slides everywhere. Trust me, we tried. Even if you do manage to cover it, the shininess of the gloss eventually comes through again.
In contrast to the more ornate coving of the Victorian era, our cornice is much more understated and simple, which was preferred by the Edwardians. But it would still be almost impossible to sand all the grooves, not to mention the hours it would take. Luckily we found an alternative.
This is how to paint over gloss:
- It’s important to have clean and grease free surfaces to paint on. We used sugar soap to wipe down the area and then let it dry thoroughly.
- Then, we primed the area with this Super Grip Primer. We only needed one coat of primer, as it adhered to the gloss paint really well.
- That was it. After letting the primer dry, we could just paint the surface like we normally would with the emulsion that we use to paint the ceiling.
Using the primer was really easy and so much quicker than having to sand the area. This is definitely the easiest way to paint over gloss paint.
Most of the cracks and imperfections that were accentuated because of the glossy finish are now barely visible.
The whole room is so much cleaner and brighter than before.
PS. This primer is useful if you want to paint over gloss paint with emulsion. If you want to paint over gloss with gloss there’s no need to use it. Just give the surface a clean and sand before painting.
* This post contains affiliate links.
Hi, I love the colour of the blue paint that you used here. If you don’t mind me asking, what is it? Thanks.
Hi Kerri! Glad you like it! The colour is by Dulux and it’s called Steel Symphony 4. It’s one of those that you get mixed at the store. The colours on the photos in our House Tour are probably the most accurate representation of what it looks like.
Hope that was some help!
Cx
Hi what is the primer called and what did you painthink on the primer?
There’s a link to the primer in the post, Mike (highlighted in blue). After priming we just painted over it with normal emulsion.
Cx
Hi Guys, nice article.
your first notes say you used sugar soap, primer and then gloss – but at the end its say `PS` and primer not needed for glossing ?
So, primer or not for gloss on gloss ?
many thanks
Gary
Yep, that’s right, Gary. If you’re painting over gloss with gloss you just have to clean and lightly sand the surface before repainting it.
Cx
Thanks for the tip! The previous owners in our flat had painted the skirting boards and doors in the house in a glossy magnolia/nicotine colour. Will absolutely give this a go to get rid of it!
You’re welcome, Angela! To get the best results, it’s always best to strip and sand the surface, depending on the condition of your skirting and doors, it’d probably just give them a quick sand and then paint them. We had to use the primer on our cornise because it would have been impossible to sand. You could check out our post on how we painted our skirting boards, maybe that could be some help, too. Good luck with your Diy! Cx
Hi
Was wondering if this actually works. I went to B & Q, and asked for super grip prima. I said that I wanted to paint over Victorian coving, which has gloss paint. I wanted the more contempory Matt look. They suggested that I sand this and stick on egg shell paint, which I did. It looks like it has worked, however it has worked, but don’t know how long.
My other room which is a living room, quite a large room and unsure which method to use.
Any advise would e helpful.
Kind regards
Naveed
Hi Naveed! In our bedroom, we originally tried to remove the gloss paint, but ended up damaging the cornice more than we managed to remove the paint. Sanding didn’t really seem an option for us either – there are just too many grooves to reach into every corner. The super grip primer worked great for us! We painted the cornice in the living room about 3 years ago and it still is perfectly matt. Using the super grip primer is also a lot quicker than sanding everything.
Good luck with whatever option you go for!
Cx
Could you tell me which Super Grip Primer that you used? I have a cornice painted with layers of gloss paint which has proved really difficult to strip and your solution sounds ideal. However, when I was researching where to buy the primer, lots of different products came up! The Dulux primer from B & Q says it is for use over wood or metal. Other products seem to be for bare plaster. I’m confused !
We were a bit confused to start with, too, Monica! We bought our primer at our Dulux Decorator Centre. It’s called Dulux Trade Super Grip Primer. The tin says: “provides good adhesion for subsequent coats of paint when applied to difficult substrates. Typical substrates include ceramic tiles, melamine, glass, anodised aluminum, aged gloss paint, stoved enamel and powder coated metal.”
It worked great on our cornice and saved us a load of work!
Hope that’s some help & good luck!
Cx
I’m going to try this primer on my wardrobes. Don’t fancy all that sanding!
If your wardrobes are wood you’ll have to use a paint that’s suitable for wood rather than an emulsion to finish it because it probably wouldn’t be hardwearing enough. I think you’ll achieve the best result if you give the wardrobes a super quick and light sand (I’m talking minutes here) and finish them with a good quality wood primer and paint.
Cx
Looks good guys. Did you have any nasty build ups of old paint around the framework of your doors? I’m reluctant to go down the route of stripping back for the same reasons you encountered but the bobbly thick old paint in the intricate gaps is really nasty.
Thanks Owen! Yep, we had loads and loads of old layers of paint on all wooden surfaces and we stripped everything! It does take a long while, but is well worth the effort. You can read about some of our stripping efforts here. To make life a bit easier, we did have our doors dipped though (you can read about it here).
Cx
Hi Christine
Yeah I found your sanding blog after I had left the comment. Amazing dedication!! The thought of sanding all the intricate moulding fills me with dread.
Haha – and so it should! It took forever, but the result really is worth the effort!
Cx
Hi, could you tell me what white or nearly white paint you used on the ceiling and cornice that you painted over the gloss work with?
It looks really good.
Thanks, Jade! The white paint we used on top of the super grip primer (and on every other white surface in the house) is Glidden trade contract matt in white. We picked it up at our local Dulux decorator centre. It’s very reasonable and covers well.
Cx
Need to paint over the wall paper in the hall !!!! which is a RED water base gloss. Thanks for the tip. Can now get Geoff on the job.
You,re welcome Lesley – I’m sure it’ll look fab when it’s finished!
Cx
You guys just saved my life! Loved my Dad but some of the DIY problems I’ve had due to his DIY solutions in the 1950/60s are steadily sending me wappy. Latest is his glossing the walls in the bathroom. OK perhaps should have been changed years ago but you know how it is……. Tried initially to wet and dry sand to get a key for emulsion. Don’t think he prepared the gloss under this cos it started peeling. And peeling. And peeling. And flaking.
Thank God for the interweb!!!!
Shall be getting some of this primer TODAY!!!!!!!
Yay, so happy that we could help! Have fun painting
Cx
Hi would this be suitable for skirting boards, doors etc please? Thanks Lisa
Yes, I think it would work well on them, but I don’t think that you’ll need to use it. You should be able to paint over glossy woodwork with a paint for wood that’s matt. For the best result you’ll have to give the skirting a light sand first anyway. You can read our guide on how to paint skiting boards here.
Hope that’s some help!
Cx
I have gloss painted walls. Id like to paint them with a flat paint but I dont want to have to sand.
Can you advise please?
Gloss walls sound interesting, Janet! Yes, I totally think that the same method would work for whole walls, too. Just give them a coat of super grip primer before you apply your emulsion and you should be fine.
Cx
hi just found your blog! great stuff:) could you tell me the name of the paint for the ceiling please?
Thank you, Eva!
Pretty much all white paint we’ve used around the house is Glidden Contract Matt which is now called Armstead Trade Contract Matt. It’s cheap, covers well and we think it’s great value for money.
Cx
Dang, you can’t buy advice this good!
Thanks, Gerry!
Cx
Hi. I had my kitchen cupboards professionally spray painted in a gloss cream about 5 years ago. They need to be done again but I can’t afford a professional job. Do I just clean them with sugar soap apply primer and then finish with gloss? Also I want a colour that’s not cream as it doesn’t go with my newly painted light grey walls. White is too clinical. Any colour suggestions please?
The primer we recommend here is more for if you want to paint over a glossy surface with a water based emulsion. If you’re glossing over gloss I wouldn’t recommend it.
Painting your cupboards is a huge job (we’re planning on doing it in our new home in a couple of months) but it can be worth it. Because your cupboards will get a lot of use you’ll have to make sure that you apply a finish that’s as hardwearing as possible.
I would sand the cupboards with some fine sandpaper (at least 180 grit maybe 240 grit) to roughen up the surface. Then wipe them clean and make sure there’s no dust or dirt on them before applying a coat of primer. Then lightly sand the surface again (with 240 grit) and apply two coats of paint (sanding between each coat). We wrote a detailed post about how to paint furniture which is probably worth a read for you. You can find it here.
In terms of colour it’s really up to you. Maybe you could go for a two colour finish where the base units are a different shade than the wall hung ones. Maybe something like Basalt (by Little Greene) or Stiffkey (by Farrow & Ball) at the bottom and French Grey Pale (by Little Greene) at the top. I’d recommend getting a few samples and seeing what works best with the fixtures and fittings in your kitchen.
Hope that helps, Bernadette!
Cx
Hello! I’ve just started my DIY project on a victorian house =) and I’m a complete novice so thank you for the inspiration/ tips.
My original skirting boards are covered in chipped glossy horrible magnolia paint ca 1970. Would you recommend using a filler of sort to fill in the gaps? Otherwise I’d end up sanding down the whole edge of the skirting boards in places!
Thanks
Our skirting boards were the same when we moved in. We completely stripped ours and sanded them before repainting them. We shared a post on how to paint skirting boards which you can read here.
If you paint over gloss with gloss you don’t need to use a primer like we recommended here. It’s only needed if you want to paint over gloss with emulsion.
Cx
can i varnish over newly painted[white gloss] front door
It shouldn’t be a problem. Just give the existing gloss a light sand to roughen up the surface and then apply your new coat of varnish. Remember to sand between coats of your new varnish, too.
Cx
thankyou very much for the comment you sent me regarding varning over white gloss,would you advise on any particular varnish.
No problem! I’d just go with any good quality varnish in the colour of your choice. We’ve used a lot of different ones over the years and they’ve all been fine.
Cx
thanks again for your comments,most helpfull
Hi there,
Firstly thank you for posting you experiences on here after a lengthly search your has been the most informative and your house looks super! Please can you advise me. I wanted to paint my stairs as they were carpeted so have taken that away and stripped sides back to bare wood with all intentions of re carpeting and staining the sides an oak colour. But have now decided to paint them all. I have used this primer and given two coats on bare wood and some also places with gloss paint. It’s all gone on so well so bought f&b paint and that’s not so great and I’m panicking that nothing will stick to it now , can you please help me??
Thank you for the compliments, Charlotte!
You won’t need this specific primer to paint your stairs. You’ll only need it if you want to paint over gloss with emulsion. If you want to paint over gloss with gloss all you have to do is give it a light sand first. The primer isn’t a wood primer.
We shared a post a while ago on how to paint skirting boards. Whilst it’s a different surface, the process is the same. Maybe that will be some help for you.
I’d definitely recommend not painting the treads and instead staining and varnishing them. They’ll get a lot of wear and tear and it’s likely that the paint will chip leaving the treads looking a bit worse for wear. If you stain and varnish them any chips won’t be visible (for the most part at least).
I’m not sure what’s not sticking but I’d definitely recommend giving everything a sand to roughen up the surface before you start painting.
Hope that helps and good luck with your staircase!
Cx
You guys are brilliant. I am decorating my hall way which has cornices just like yours and I was dreading having to try to sand back 70 years of gloss paint and nicotine. Just been to B and Q and bought the sugar soap and primer. Thank you!
Awww, thanks, Jo! We tried stripping one of our cornices but it would have been way too much work to justify. We were so lucky to find the primer and are always happy to share anything that can make DIY a bit easier!
Happy painting!
Cx
Hi I’ve just noticed that the gloss on my coving having sugar soaped it has lots of cracks in the paint work. Any suggestions?
It really depends on how big the cracks are. If they’re big I’d recommend filling them before painting. In a house that’s old enough to have a cornice, it’s almost inevitable that there will be some cracks, though. A matt finish will usually show fewer imperfections than a gloss finish so if they’re only small you may not end up seeing them.
Cx
Hi there,
Interesting post! We have just moved into a new house and started painting our lounge with ‘White Cotton’ from Dulux when we realised that the walls have patches of gloss in lots of areas. It is not the whole wall. We sand papered the areas with a medium course paper and added another coat and yet it’s still coming through. Could we reapply the primer that you suggest? And if so would we have to prime the whole wall or just the glossed areas? Thank you again. My partner is loosing the plot with paint! Ha!
Oh, that sounds like a nightmare, Yasmin. I guess the only way to really make sure that the gloss doesn’t shine through is to remove it. Having said that, I do think that using the primer on the gloss patches will work though! It’s definitely worth a try!
Cx
Hii
I had applied small patches of gloss paint on non gloss paint on the wall and much later realized that the patches are evident. How do i get rid of them. Please suggest.
It really depends on what kind of surface you’ve painted on and how big the patches are. The ideal solution would be to sand the patches to remove the gloss paint and then paint over them with emulsion. Alternatively, you could use a primer like the supergrip primer we used to paint our cornice but I’d recommend sanding if possible as it would be a much cheaper option to do.
Hope that helps!
Cx
Oh my days your room is beautiful. Guess what mine is exactly like your first 2 pics. So did you paint over the middle border and skirting too?
If like to see full house if you did it all up?
What is the colour on the wall?
That’s very kind – thank you, Kashif! We just painted over the cornice. In this room we replastered the walls and I stripped the skirting with a heat gun before sanding and repainting it. It was a lot of work but we did it over a long time so it didn’t feel too bad!
The colour on the wall is Dulux Steel Symphony 4 & you can see a full tour of our home here: https://www.littlehouseonthecorner.com/our-edwardian-house/
Cx
Hello , I live in a mobile home and the walls are like a sheetrock with like this wall paper over it ! I painted it before with a Perimer and was fine . Well now I’m redoing my home again and putting in new floors too. So for the bathroom the said we had to put a gloss cause of water all the time , so I did that on the cabinet and doors , white and gray and it kinda looks ok , I’m not in love with it , but really can’t afford to change it again . I don’t think the walls with hold up to more paint on them . But I did my hallway in the gloss to and now it has streaks in it and doesn’t look good so would this work for my walls ! I painted the trim too and found out now that it’s not wood but a tape to look like wood , so all this work and now I don’t like it . It’s also white so how can I break it up ? I love these colors you used and this was the look I was wanting ! I’m fixing to do the living room and don’t want to mess it up again !! Thanks
That sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you, Patsy!
I’m not sure why your walls are streaky but if you are planning on painting them with gloss again there’s no need to use this kind of primer. You’ll only need to use it if you are planning on painting over gloss with emulsion. All you will have to do is give your walls a very light and a quick sand before repainting them.
It definitely sounds like you have a lot of white surfaces in your home. Mybe try adding some art or you could, of course, add some colour through painting some of the walls. The colour we used in this room is Dulux Steel Symphony 4.