Can I paint Warhammer models in a small flat?
Yes. Games Workshop's own advice is a mobile hobby area you can pick up and move, with only the paints you need for that session. The one job that does not suit a flat is spray priming indoors, so use brush-on primer or spray outside.
A session kit for one tray
Games Workshop suggests a mobile hobby area for most people, because it lets you work in any room and tidy away for family or flatmates. Pick the paints for the session and leave the rest stored. Its lists for a building and painting area are short:
- Building: clippers, a mouldline remover or files, glue, an assembly handle and a work surface. A painting mat works and rolls up for storage.
- Painting: a water pot, kept well away from your drink, a palette, a painting handle, paints and brushes, and a lamp, preferably with a daylight bulb.
A make-up bag, an old suitcase or desk organisers on a board with a strap all work for carrying the kit. The palette, painting handles and sub-assembly holder below suit a tray.
A palette that is easy to clean
The Servo-Skull Palette is flexible silicone with 24 paint wells of varying sizes. To clean it, wait for the paint to dry and pop it out, then wash with warm water and soap. On a shared table that matters, because nothing is left wet when you stop. Ours is £7.31 (sold out at the moment).
Where to prime
Priming, the first coat on a bare model, is the one problem. Spray primer is fast, but hobbyists living in flats warn against spraying indoors, because the fumes and fine particles spread through the room. Your options:
| Option | Works when | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brush-on primer | You have a table and a window | Slower than a spray. Apply it thinly or it fills detail. |
| Spray outside, in a box | You have a balcony or garden | A cardboard box catches the overspray. Keep it away from cars and walls, and read the label on the can. |
| Prime a batch, once | You build several models first | Assemble everything, spray outside in one trip, and paint indoors all week. |
If the weather is cold or damp, brush-on primer is the safe option. Check the label on the spray can for its temperature range.
Light, glue and little hands
A lamp is a simple upgrade for a small desk, and Games Workshop suggests a daylight bulb. Put everything away in a lidded box when you finish if children or pets share the space.
Whatever you use, read the manufacturer's instructions for glues, blades and sprays. Games Workshop's resin building guide tells you to. For glue, see plastic glue or superglue; to plan what to prime together, see painting before or after building.
Common questions
What light do I need to paint miniatures?
A lamp, preferably with a daylight bulb, as Games Workshop suggests. It is a simple upgrade for a small desk.
Can I prime Warhammer models without a spray can?
Brush-on primer works. Hobbyists in flats use it: it is slower but needs no trip outside. Apply it thinly so it does not fill the detail.
Can I build and paint at the same small table?
Swap kits as you go. The tool lists above are short for each job, and a mat rolls up between sessions. Clear one set away before you start the other.
How do I keep paint and blades away from children and pets?
Keep tools and paints in a lidded box and put it out of reach when you stop. Games Workshop recommends a box that stores everything securely when you are not using it, especially with children or pets around.
Mobile hobby area, tool lists and lamp: Games Workshop, Hobby at Home - Getting Started, 12 October 2020. Palette: Games Workshop, 1 October 2024. Safety wording: Games Workshop, A Guide to Building Resin Model Kits (2024). Priming in flats: hobbyist replies in r/Warhammer40k and r/minipainting threads, 2025 and 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.