Can you help me understand why our kitchen walls are suddenly peeling?

Hi Clare! There are several reasons your paint may be peeling. Was it recently painted? The surface could have had oil, or something on it that caused it to not adhere. Or the room could be very humid and moisture is getting to the walls. For this reason it's recommended to paint your kitchen and bathroom with glossy paint.

You can use a good acrylic paint in the kitchen and bathroom Sherwin Williams and Ben Moore have wonderful paint for these areas.

Here is some info for you Claire. Reasons why your paint may be peeling and a way to fix and repaint. I realize that the articles focus on bathrooms but there may be one reason that clicks with you as to why your paint may be peeling. Hopefully it is not a huge area and you can repair it.

https://www.house-painting-info.com/articles/interior-peeling-paint/#.XXv5YG5FyUk

https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/Why-do-I-have-Paint-Peeling-Off-in-my-Bathroom-Walls-and-Ceiling

https://www.homepainterstoronto.com/blog/2014/02/21/repair-peeling-paint-bathroom-ceiling-wall-toronto

Moisture under paint somehow.

I would also check your roof. You could have a leak that is getting inside and running down the wall.

For sure moisture, my kitchen ceiling did the same thing. My kids bathroom is right above it and they were letting the toilet overflow and not cleaning up the water soon enough....luckily I caught it in time and did not have to replace drywall. Good luck!

Hi Clare! A part of my kitchen ceiling and one wall were doing the exact same thing two years ago. It turned out to be a ventilation pipe on the roof had cracked (it’s a pvc) and was letting moisture in under the shingles. Once it was replaced as well as the surrounding shingles the problem went away. Best of luck to you!