A transfer laminate (35), comprising a carrier film having an adhering decorative element having a solid, pigmented, partially cured decorative layer, is laminated on the decoration side onto a substrate (40) having a temperature between 50 and 70° C. on the decoration side, on which substrate a coating that can be painted over has been applied in the course of a traditional process. The paint layer of the coating that was applied last is still moist and tacky after the intermediate drying thereof. The transfer laminate (35) is laminated onto the still moist and tacky paint layer on the substrate (40), and at least the region of the transfer laminate (35) containing the decorative element is pressed onto the substrate coating over the entire area at a pressure of 0.2 to 5.0 bar for 40 to 240 seconds. Then the carrier film is quickly cooled to a temperature less than 20° C. and then removed from the substrate coating, wherein the decorative element remains on the substrate coating. The device for transfer lamination forms an applicator (10), which comprises: two flexible membranes (20, 22), which are both clamped pressure-tight on a common frame (12) along the perimeter of the membranes in such a way that an intermediate space is created therebetween, in which a flexible warm—or hot-water layer (27) can be enclosed; a chamber (30), which can be filled with compressed air, wherein overall such an arrangement is created that a gradual introduction of compressed air into the chamber (30) moves the two flexible membranes (20, 22) and the flexible warm—or hot-water layer (27) jointly in the manner of a balloon onto the substrate surface (42) to be coated in order to apply the transfer laminate (35) to and press the transfer laminate onto said substrate surface (42) without bubbles.