Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill

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We were delighted to be chosen as the painter and decorating contractor for the £18 million, multi award-winning Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill. The Mill is believed to be the world's oldest factory and is a UNESCO world heritage site and has been ranked as one of the UK's top 20 museums by Time Out.

The project entailed the internal and external decoration of the four-storey building, which includes an exhibition space, workshops, public spaces and a cafe. The renovation work also involved painting the building's period features, including external windows and doors, original beams, brickwork and metal staircases.

The project needed a high-end finish that would reflect the £18 million investment, whilst preserving the historic features of the building. We used over 1075 litres of paint and gave the historic building a fresh, modern look.

We also won both the Johnstone's Painter of the Year title and the Supreme Winner awards for our work on this scheme. We received a personalised Ford Transit Courier van as it's prize.

Judges for the Johnstone's Painter of the Year competition said that RE Martin's careful work reflected a true understanding of the heritage of the building and praised our role in balancing the building's heritage, while creating an educational and exhibition space that feels very welcoming to a modern audience. Other awards included the Construction News' project of the Year.