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Should You Paint Before or After the Holidays?
Early September has a funny effect on Irish homes. The evenings start drawing in, the last of the barbecue gear gets packed away, and somewhere in the back of your mind a little voice starts asking: should we get the good room done before Christmas?
It's a fair question - and one we get asked every year around this time. So instead of giving you the sales pitch, we're going to give you the honest answer: it depends on what kind of season you're planning. Worth noting too: our diary is currently booked through to the end of November, so realistically the choice this year is between a December slot or holding off until January or February.
The case for painting in December, before the holidays
If you're hosting this year - family flying in, the annual gathering, the neighbours popping in for a drink - fresh walls make a real difference. There's a particular kind of lift a freshly painted room gives a house before guests arrive; it reads as cared-for, considered and ready. A December slot is the last realistic window to have things looking their best before the big days.
There's a practical side to this too. Paint doesn't just need to dry, it needs to settle - cure time, the work. Rushing a job in the two weeks before a house full of people isn't fair to the paint or to you, so booking a December slot as early as possible in the month gives the walls the best chance to be properly settled well before your first guest arrives, rather than being finished the week of the party.
And if you're the sort of household that takes photos - for cards, for group chat, for Instagram - a freshly painted hallway or living room simply photographs better. Good light plus good walls is a combination worth having in place before December gets busy, not scrambled together at the last minute.
The case for waiting until January or February
On the flip side, waiting isn't "doing nothing" - it's often the smarter call if your rooms get heavy use over the holidays anyway. A room that's about to see more traffic, more coats, more general life than usual doesn't need to be freshly painted on top of all that; it needs to survive the season first.
Then there's the decision-making itself. Choosing a colour under pressure - "we need this done before the 20th" — rarely produces the result you'd have picked with a clear head. Rushed colour decisions are one of the most common regrets homeowners mention after the fact, and a paint job is not a quick thing to undo once you're living with it.
January and February also tend to be quieter months for painting generally, once the pre-Christmas rush has passed, which often means more flexibility on scheduling and, in some cases, better availability for the crew and timeline. January also has a bit of an undeserved reputation - but it's actually a good month to start something rather than just resolve to do it. A repaint booked for the new year isn't putting things off; it's one of the few home projects you can lock in before the rest of the resolution season gets crowded out.
Weighing it up
Painting in December | Painting in January/February | |
Best for | Hosting, entertaining, holiday photos | Quieter households, no hosting plans |
Colour decisions | Made with a deadline in mind | Made with time to sit with samples |
Risk to fresh paint | Higher - trees, guests, decorations | Low - no holiday traffic |
Cure & settle time | Needs a few days' buffer before hosting | No rush - paint settles at its own pace |
Project Scheduling | December fills up fast | Often more flexible once the rush passes |
So, which is it?
Honestly, there's no universally "right" answer - it comes down to how your house is used over the next few months. If your calendar has people coming and going and you want the place looking its best for it, a December booking is worth locking in given how limited that window already is. If your rooms are about to see heavier use than usual, or you'd rather choose your colours properly than under a deadline, January or February often works out better - for your walls and your peace of mind.
Either way, the one thing worth doing now is having the conversation. A quick chat with us about your rooms, your dates, and what "done" needs to look like will tell you far more than any generic rule of thumb - and it means whichever route you choose, it's the right one for your home.
Not sure which side of the fence you're on? Get in touch with Farrelly and Co and we'll help you find the right slot for your home - whether that's December or the new year.