Paint Shop Near Me: Ireland Stores, Prices & Guides

Finding the right paint shop near me in Ireland means comparing prices, checking stock, and knowing which retailers offer the best deals on trusted brands like Dulux. Whether you need interior emulsion for a living room or tough masonry paint for exterior walls, this guide covers the top Irish paint shops, current prices, and the answers to the questions Irish homeowners ask most.

Top Ireland Paint Chain: Pat McDonnell Paints · Pro Supplier: Crown Decorating Centres · Brand Store Locator: Dulux.ie · Delivery Option: Woodies.ie nationwide · Cork Specialist: The Paint Store Ballincollig

How much does it cost to paint a 3 bedroom house in Ireland?

Interior versus exterior painting make very different demands on your budget. A full interior repaint of a standard 3-bedroom semi-detached house in Ireland typically runs between €2,500 and €5,000 when you hire a professional painter. This includesLabour for two coats of emulsion on walls and ceilings, woodwork prep and glossing, and materials. Exterior work pushes the price higher because of scaffolding needs, weatherproof paints like Dulux Weathershield, and the larger surface area of detached or semi-detached houses.

Interior vs exterior factors

Interior painting costs break down roughly as follows: walls in living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and kitchens need two coats of quality emulsion. Dulux Vinyl Matt or Dulux Easycare work well here, with Easycare offering 10 times the toughness of standard vinyl silk according to Lenehans.ie. Ceilings use dedicated ceiling paint, available from Chadwicks at €27.63 for 5 litres (was €33.98). Woodwork—door frames, skirting boards, and window reveals—requires undercoat and gloss, adding roughly €200–€400 in materials alone.

Painter rates included

Professional painter day rates in Ireland for 2026 range from €200–€350 per day depending on experience and location. MyBuilder tracks that painters in the Dublin area command higher rates due to demand. A 3-bedroom house interior typically needs 5–8 days of labour, making the labour cost €1,000–€2,800 of your total bill. Paint itself adds €300–€600 when buying quality products like Dulux Total Cover (€25.20 at Chadwicks) or Dulux Easycare (€59.24 inc VAT for Egyptian Cotton 5L at Co-Op Superstores).

“Every year, Dulux Colour experts translate global design trends into the new Colour of the Year. For 2026, it’s The rhythm of blues: a vibrant Free Groove™”

— Dulux Colour Experts, Dulux Official

Dulux or Johnstone’s Paint, which is Better?

The Dulux versus Johnstone’s debate runs hot in decorating forums across Ireland and the UK. Both brands offer professional-grade paints, but they take different approaches to finish, coverage, and price point. The answer depends on your project scope and whether you prioritise durability, finish quality, or budget.

Durability and finish

Dulux has built its reputation on consistent opacity and a wide range of colours across its consumer and trade lines. Dulux Easycare specifically claims 10 times the toughness of Dulux Vinyl Silk, making it ideal for busy households with children or pets. Johnstone’s, distributed widely in Ireland through merchants like Johnstone’s Trade, competes with strong coverage claims and a reputation among professional painters for smooth application.

Professional opinions

On Decorators Forum UK, professional painters split roughly 60/40 in favour of Dulux for domestic jobs but credit Johnstone’s for its trade-friendly viscosity and open time. For Irish conditions, Dulux Weathershield uses pure acrylic to resist Ireland’s weather, making it the preferred exterior choice where Johnstone’s Stormshield lacks the same formulation depth, according to Ronayne.ie. Both brands offer matching colours across interior and exterior ranges, so colour continuity rarely dictates the choice.

“Dulux Interior Paint is trusted for delivering smooth finishes, excellent coverage and long-lasting colour across walls, ceilings and interior woodwork.”

— Chadwicks, Chadwicks

How much should I pay a painter per day?

Painter day rates in Ireland for 2026 reflect both skill level and job type. A self-employed painter or small operative charges €200–€280 per day, while established firms with insurance and overhead add 20–30% on top. Rates have stabilised after post-2020 inflation pressure, though Dublin painters still average 15–20% above the national mean.

2026 rate updates

According to MyBuilder 2026 data, interior room painting (including prep, two coats, and clean-up) averages €350–€500 per room in Dublin and €280–€400 elsewhere in Ireland. Full-house interior repaints work out cheaper per room because painters amortise travel and setup costs. ExteriorPainterDayRateGuide day rates typically run €250–€400 depending on access difficulty and whether scaffolding is needed.

Factors affecting pay

Four things push painter rates up: height access (second-floor windows, stairs, vaulted ceilings), surface condition (heavy wallpaper removal, mould treatment, water damage), location (parking difficulties in cities add €20–€50 per day), and urgency (weekend or next-day bookings carry a premium). Conversely, jobs where you have already prepped walls, moved furniture, and cleared the space can save €100–€200 off the final quote.

“Tough washable acrylic matt colours from Dulux. 10 times tougher than Dulux Vinyl Silk paint.”

— Lenehans.ie, Lenehans.ie

What is the best time to paint a house?

The optimal painting season in Ireland runs from late April through September, when temperatures stay reliably above 10°C and humidity drops below 80%. Exterior masonry painting demands dry conditions—no rain for 24 hours before and after application—and temperatures between 8°C and 25°C for proper acrylic cure. Interior painting is less weather-dependent but benefits from the same warm, dry months when you can leave windows open for ventilation without letting in damp air.

Weather considerations

Ireland’s microclimate means a dry forecast in Cork does not guarantee the same in Dublin. Check Met Éireann before scheduling exterior work. Dulux Weathershield products tolerate light rain two hours after application, but prolonged damp during cure causes chalking and adhesion failure. Spring and early summer give you the best window—typically 5–7 consecutive dry days—to complete a full house exterior.

Seasonal tips

Late summer (August–mid-September) offers the advantage of warm walls from months of sun, which speeds drying without the summer holiday price premiums that drive up painter availability and cost. Autumn painting works for interiors but risks exterior work getting caught by early rains. Winter exterior painting is possible with specialist cold-weather formulations, but these cost 15–25% more than standard Dulux Weathershield and require careful planning around frost warnings.

What brand of paint do most professional painters use?

Professional painters in Ireland gravitate toward trade-specific formulations rather than retail consumer grades. Dulux Trade remains the dominant professional brand, with BuyPaintsOnline.ie reporting that Dulux Trade Egyptian Cotton alone ranges from €23.99 to €109.99 depending on size, serving everyone from one-man operators to large contracting firms. Crown, Johnstone’s Trade, and Sadolin also command loyal professional followings, particularly for woodcare and joinery work.

Pro preferences

According to Precision Works Painting, trade paints offer better opacity per coat, reduced splatter, and open time long enough for brush application without drag. Dulux Trade Diamond Matt and Dulux Trade High Glossary outperform retail equivalents in opacity by roughly 15–20% per coat. Crown Decorating Centres stock the full Crown Trade range alongside Dulux, giving professional painters a one-stop professional supplier.

Availability at shops

Trade paint availability varies significantly by retailer. Pat McDonnell Paints positions itself as Ireland’s Brightest Paint Store, stocking both consumer and full trade Dulux ranges alongside Johnstone’s and Crown. BuyPaintsOnline.ie, based at 37 Scotch Street, Armagh, BT61 7BY, ships trade tins cross-border to Republic of Ireland customers with phone ordering (+44). For same-day trade needs, Screwfix.ie offers 1-minute click & collect on Dulux interior trade paints.

Paint Brand Comparison: Dulux vs Alternatives

Beyond Dulux, Irish consumers have access to several competing brands that deserve comparison. Johnstone’s, Crown, Colourtrend, and Sadolin each occupy different niches in the market. Understanding where each brand excels helps you choose the right paint for your specific project rather than defaulting to brand recognition alone.

How much area does 20 litres of paint cover?

One 20-litre tin of emulsion paint covers approximately 120–160 square metres with two coats, assuming standard coverage of 10m² per litre for a quality product like Dulux Vinyl Matt. Actual coverage depends on surface porosity—new plaster absorbs more and reduces coverage to 8–9m² per litre on first coat. Used on previously painted smooth walls, the same 20 litres covers closer to 160–180m² because the surface does not absorb as heavily.

How many rooms will 20 litres of paint cover?

Breaking it down by room: a typical living room (4m × 5m with 2.4m ceilings) has about 43m² of wall area. A master bedroom (4m × 4m) has roughly 38m². A small spare bedroom (3m × 3m) has about 28m². A 20-litre tin covers two coats on approximately 3–4 standard rooms, making it suitable for a full-house interior repaint only if ceilings are excluded or if using higher-coverage products like Dulux Total Cover.

How much is 20 litres of Dulux emulsion paint?

Specific 20-litre pricing varies by retailer and product line. Dulux Trade emulsions at BuyPaintsOnline.ie start from €23.99 for smaller trade tins, with larger 20-litre trade drums pricing around €109.99 for premium finishes. At retail, B&Q Ireland lists Dulux in the €33–€67 range per tin, with some sizes dipping to €25 for budget-oriented volumes. Chadwicks frequently runs reductions—check current pricing for Dulux Ceiling Paint Pure Brilliant White 5L at €27.63 (was €33.98).

How much is 5 litres of Colourtrend paint?

Colourtrend Paints, manufactured by Krebs Paints in Killarney, competes directly with Dulux in the premium Irish domestic market. A 5-litre tin of Colourtrend premium emulsion typically retails between €65 and €85 depending on the finish and colour depth. Mid-sheen and sheen options command a premium over flat matt. Colourtrend is stocked by specialist retailers like Pat McDonnell Paints and some Chadwicks branches, though it lacks the widespread availability of Dulux across multiple retail chains.

What paint is better than Dulux?

The question assumes a single “better” paint exists, but professional painters and experienced DIYers know that “better” always means “better for this specific job.” For scrub resistance in kitchens and hallways, Dulux Easycare outperforms most competitors. For opacity on dark colours, Johnstone’s Stormshield has a slight edge. For woodcare and joinery protection, Sadolin and Crown trade products frequently beat Dulux equivalents in long-term durability tests. For value per square metre, own-brand paints from B&Q and Woodies compete well but sacrifice the colour consistency Dulux is known for.

“Dulux Weathershield masonry paint is designed to protect against Ireland’s weather conditions. Using a pure acrylic formulation…”

— Ronayne.ie, Ronayne.ie

Is Johnstone’s paint better than Dulux?

Both brands produce quality paints, but they optimise for different use cases. Johnstone’s has earned strong praise in the professional decorating community for its acrylic trade range, which offers excellent flow and open time for brush application. Dulux counters with a broader retail presence and its Easycare durability range, which genuinely outperforms standard emulsions in independent scrub tests. For Irish conditions specifically, Dulux Weathershield’s pure acrylic exterior formulation has few direct competitors—the Weathershield line uses acrylic technology specifically to cope with Ireland’s high rainfall and temperature variation.

Where to Buy Dulux Paint Near You in Ireland

Finding a paint shop near you in Ireland depends on whether you prioritise price, convenience, or specialist advice. The major chains—Woodies, B&Q Ireland, and Homevalue—offer nationwide coverage and online ordering with home delivery or kerbside collection. Specialist paint retailers like Pat McDonnell Paints and Crown Decorating Centres provide colour matching, trade accounts, and expert staff who can advise on specific project requirements.

Click & collect options

Several retailers now offer rapid click & collect for Dulux paints. Screwfix.ie promises 1-minute collection on Dulux interior paints at their counter branches. Co-Op Superstores offers click & collect on Dulux Total Cover Matt White 10L at €30.99 (€25.20 ex VAT) from their stores. GetLocal.ie aggregates local stockists across Ireland, allowing you to compare Dulux exterior paint prices by region before deciding whether to order online or collect in person.

Regional price differences

Prices vary between Republic of Ireland retailers (all prices include VAT at 23%) and Northern Ireland (prices typically shown ex-VAT). BuyPaintsOnline.ie in Armagh serves cross-border customers and lists Dulux Trade from €23.99 ex-VAT, making it competitive for trade buyers who can reclaim VAT. Republic of Ireland retailers like Chadwicks and Homevalue price inclusive of VAT, but Chadwicks offers ex-VAT pricing for registered trade customers upon application.