Proper Paint & Paper in Baltimore: Interior and Exterior Painting with Custom Wallpaper Installation
Proper Paint & Paper is a two-person operation based in Canton that handles full interior and exterior painting alongside custom wallpaper hanging, serving homeowners and small commercial clients across Baltimore County and the city proper. The business skews toward older homes and restoration work rather than new construction, with particular depth in plaster repair and period-appropriate finishes.
What Proper Paint & Paper actually is
The shop operates as an owner-managed painting contractor licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. One painter focuses on interior work and wallpaper; the other handles exterior jobs and restoration carpentry. Most projects run between 3 and 14 days depending on surface preparation, which the owner emphasizes as the critical difference between a paint job lasting five years and one lasting twelve. The business does not maintain a showroom; estimates happen at your home.
Services and pricing
Interior painting runs $45 to $65 per hour labor, with most rooms quoted as fixed-price jobs after a walk-through. A typical bedroom (walls and trim, one coat) costs $800 to $1,200 depending on wall condition and trim detail. Exterior jobs are priced per square foot of siding or per linear foot of trim; a 1,500-square-foot house exterior (siding only, no trim) ranges from $3,200 to $4,800 depending on current paint condition and whether power-washing is included.
Wallpaper hanging costs $15 to $22 per linear foot of wall (measured at the baseboard), not including the paper itself. A typical 12-by-14-foot bedroom with standard walls runs $360 to $528 in labor. Removal of existing paper is $8 to $12 per linear foot. Plaster repair and patching are billed hourly at the same $45 to $65 rate; the owner often bundles these into the painting estimate rather than charging separately.
Paint brands used include Benjamin Moore (premium) and Sherwin-Williams (mid-range); clients can request alternatives and adjust the final price accordingly. Confirm current hourly rates and material markups when requesting an estimate, as these shift seasonally.
How it compares to other Baltimore painters
Proper Paint & Paper operates at the mid-market level. Larger firms like Five Star Painting or Painting with a Twist charge $65 to $85 per hour and maintain crews of five or more, making them faster for quick turnarounds but less flexible on finish detail. Solo or two-person operations such as Artisan Painting (Canton-based, focused on Victorians) charge similarly to Proper Paint & Paper but often specialize in one neighborhood or style; Proper Paint & Paper takes work across the metro area.
The main distinction is surface prep depth. Proper Paint & Paper will spend two days on sanding, caulking, and priming a 1,200-square-foot exterior before applying top coat; a crew-based firm may compress that into one day to maximize hourly billing. For a house with significant peeling paint, old caulk, or uneven plaster, that difference matters. For a refresh of a well-maintained home, the faster outfits save you money without trade-off.
Wallpaper hanging is a declining service; most Baltimore painters no longer offer it. Proper Paint & Paper does, which matters if you have a specific paper in mind and do not want to hire a separate specialist.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
This business is right for homeowners in Canton, Fells Point, Federal Hill, and nearby older neighborhoods with plaster walls, multiple paint colors, or original trim work. It is also a fit if you are installing custom or expensive wallpaper and want a hanger with 15+ years of experience. Multi-property investors or landlords seeking fast, low-cost painting should look elsewhere.
Proper Paint & Paper is not suited to new construction, spec-home work, or any job where the lowest hourly rate is the only decision criterion. The owner does not maintain standby crew capacity for same-week start dates; most jobs are scheduled four to six weeks out during spring and summer.
What the first visit involves
Email or call with a brief description of the job (interior or exterior, square footage if you know it, current paint condition). The owner schedules a site visit at no charge. During the visit, they assess wall and trim condition, discuss color, clarify whether existing paint will be scraped or sanded, and note any plaster repair needed. A written estimate arrives within three business days and includes a start date range, not a fixed date. A 50 percent deposit holds the date; the balance is due upon completion.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Proper Paint & Paper operates Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with occasional Saturday work by arrangement. Office inquiries via phone or email are answered within 24 hours on weekdays. The business is based in Canton; crews arrive at your house the morning work begins. Street parking on your block is assumed; alert the owner ahead of time if on-site parking is unavailable or restricted.
The business is licensed (#107243, Maryland Home Improvement Commission) and carries general liability insurance covering up to $1 million in property damage. Verify current licensing status on the Maryland MHIC database before signing.
Proper Paint & Paper fills a narrow but important niche: owners of older Baltimore rowhouses and Victorians who prioritize finish quality and surface prep over speed, and who value a painter who knows how to match period trim profiles and handle plaster without slapping on joint compound.
