Smith & Rodger, manufacturer of problem-solving products Blockade, Flow & Bond and Rocktop, has a new launch, and this one wears a kilt!
The company has a network of loyal, talented decorators that use their products, so developing a brand ambassador programme seemed like the next logical step.
Craig Murphy, or Murph the Kilted Painter, has come on board as a brand ambassador in Scotland. Hailing from the Highlands, Craig is a painter in Grantown-On-Spey and does all of his decorating, interior and exterior, in his trademark kilt!
We Caught up with Murph for a Chat
How did you discover Smith & Rodger products?
I was looking for an alternative shellac-based stainblocker and found Blockade online – I tried it and was very impressed with the superior coverage and opacity at a competitive price. I created a video review on TikTok and Ian McAslan from Smith & Rodger saw it and reached out. We have met many times since, including the National Painting & Decorating show in Coventry and The Painting & Decorating show in Edinburgh. I even managed to tie in a gig visit to Glasgow with a Smith & Rodger factory tour!
What Smith & Rodger products do you use and where?
So, Blockade has been my go-to stainblocker since I discovered it a few years ago. Flow & Bond I find really useful for use with masonry paint, and I use Rocktop when I need a good floor varnish.
What are your go-to coatings that we would find in your van right now?
Well Smith & Rodgers products of course, Crown Clean Extreme and Johnstone’s Aqua Guard.
How did the kilt thing come about?
I was invited to Johnstone’s HQ for testing in Leeds, and I suddenly thought “I wonder if you get white kilts for decorating… And you do! I ordered one and it’s been my thing ever since! That was a year ago. The funny thing is that it didn’t actually arrive in time for the Leeds visit, but I recorded some content with The Talking Tradesman and it arrived in time for that appearance, which was actually on the same day a year ago that my Faking It episode airs on Channel 5.
We have to ask…how do you get away with wearing a kilt up ladders?
Let’s just say that when I’m working outdoors and up ladders, all appropriate PPE is worn!
And you are on the next episode of Faking it on channel 5! How exciting! How did that come about?
A casting agency was actually recruiting for the show and had seen some of my content on Instagram. They got in touch to say they thought I’d be perfect for the show and I should apply. I went through an in-depth process of interviews and even met a psychiatrist, and luckily, they all agreed I would be ideal! In my episode I’m trained up to be a make-up artist. I’m so excited to see everyone’s reaction to the episode which airs tonight!
Will we be seeing you swapping paint brushes for makeup brushes any time soon?
Well, you’ll need to wait and see how the episode turns out! Watch channel 5 tonight at 10pm!
You can watch painter and decorator Craig swap the Scottish Highlands for busy London, as he trades paint brushes for make-up brushes to become a high-fashion make-up artist in Faking It, on Channel 5 at 10pm on Tuesday 3rd June 2025 here: https://www.channel5.com/show/faking-it/season-1/episode-3
You can find Craig at www.instagram.com/murph_the_kilted_painter/
You can find Smith & Rodger at www.smithandrodger.co.uk
Smith & Rodger will soon be looking for brand ambassadors to cover the rest of the UK. Watch this space!
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