In our regular feature, we find out about members of the Scottish Decorators’ Federation. This time, we hear from Douglas Orr from the Hamilton-based decorating firm Orr & Sloan
What’s your background?
My dad Willie started the business around 1950 and a couple of years after, he brought in his friend Stuart Sloan who worked with my dad right up until the mid-70s, when he retired due to ill health.
They had a wee shop in Hamilton town centre selling paints, wallpapers and sundries. It was in the days before the likes of B&Q and it did quite well. Also, people would come in for paint, but then ask if they knew any painters, so it was a great way to get work.
When Stuart retired, my dad kept the name Orr & Sloan as by that time they had built up quite a reputation.
As a teenager, I helped in the business during the summer holidays, but I had aspirations to work in the motor industry. When I left school, my dad gave me a week to find a job and said that if I hadn’t found one, then I was coming into the business. That’s what happened and, actually, it was the best thing I ever did.
I started in 1980 and served my apprentice years before I was weaned off the tools and into the office
side of things.
When I took over the running of the business, my dad was always there in the background to keep me right after he retired. He passed away about 17 years ago.
What’s your specialty?
Our forte is the domestic market really, especially traditional and period homes. There are plenty around this area and we have a lot of loyal customers who keep asking us back. We do a lot of wide-width wallcovering and that’s something not a lot of decorators can do – especially these days. Many young apprentices hardly know how to wallpaper – they just aren’t getting the training in. In the old days, an apprentice could practice on woodchip or Anaglypta and if they made a mistake, they could just tear it off and start again. These days, the wallpapers can cost upwards of £50 a roll, so you can’t really make a mistake! Having said that, we do have an apprentice on a job just now and he is being shown paper hanging skills on discreet areas such as under a window or that kind of thing. It’s the only way students are going to learn, by practising on the job.
When did you join the SDF?
My dad has pretty much always been in the Federation as long as I can remember. It must have been when it was called the National Federation of Master Painters and Decorators in Scotland. I have just kept the membership rolling. It’s a great thing to be a part of.
What’s the best thing about the Federation?
The advice is second to none. Just being able to pick up the phone and speak to Neil Rogers (CEO) is great. When you’re running a business, you can’t keep ahead of changing legislation. The Federation does that on our behalf. I also love looking at the membership magazine to see what other decorators are doing.
From a customer point of view, it’s great to have that accreditation as they can have peace of mind knowing that all your staff are time-served decorators and you’re not just some fly-by-night operation.
How has the Federation changed?
Technology has changed the way it operates and that’s a good thing. I love going to the Scottish Painting and Decorating Show in Edinburgh to see what new products are on offer and meet up with other members.
What’s been the biggest challenge in your career?
The one that sticks in my mind was Hamilton Town Hall – it was a huge job involving birdcage scaffolding and gold leaf. We are lucky that we have people on the team who are trained in all those skills. We never have to outsource for anyone in that respect.
We used to do a lot of the bank interiors too. I think we have painted every single TSB building in Scotland – and even some in the north of England! They used to be quite high end, but branches are closing now and the ones that are still open are going back to basics on the decorating front.
Some of the guys have just got back from Lerwick in Shetland doing a job for Virgin Money. They were away for two weeks and it’s a long drive with a van full of paint. We usually get an Airbnb and they work during the night when the bank is closed and sleep during the day.
You must be an approved contractor to work with the banks and, although that might incur extra costs, everyone that is pitching for the work is in the same boat.
What’s been your favourite job?
I loved working at Blairquhan Castle, near Maybole in Ayrshire. There was some intricate gold leaf work there too. It’s always satisfying to stand back and look at the job once it’s all finished.
What would be your dream job?
I would love to do another town hall or maybe a church – something you can really get your teeth into.
What are the long-term plans for the business?
My son Craig is now in the business. He’s on and off the tools, but the plan is for me to show him the ropes in the office so he can take over from me and I can retire.
The problem is he is just too good on the tools, so when a customer asks for Craig, then they expect to get Craig. It’s going to be difficult to get him into the office!
We don’t advertise and we don’t have a website, so that is one of the things that we should be looking at for the future. Even if it is to show a gallery of our work, so people can see the quality. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to properly retire. I am always needing to know what’s going on, who’s doing what. I know I’ll have to let go a bit and let Craig run it his way.
Can you tell us a little about your life beyond work?
I’ve been married to Heather for 37 years and we have two grown-up children, Ashley is 35 and Craig, who is 33. They don’t live at home anymore, so that was a bit of a change for us. I play a bit of golf and we like to go on holidays about two or three times a year – Tenerife is about as far as we go as I am not a fan of flying. I can’t lie on a beach though. I do like to be busy, so I leave Heather to lie on the beach and I go for a walk or something. Although Heather doesn’t officially work in the business, she knows what’s going on and is always there with advice.
This article first appeared in the winter 2024 issue of Decorating Matters