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Corporate Edge Org (CEO) Small Business Consultants in Boston HOME | Contact | About us | Special Projects | Business Writing | Food Writing SHOP TALK Business Class by Kitty Kaufman A Sharper Image: Russ Robins Painting Imagine, for a minute, that you're living in a place with really good bones: crown moldings, decorative wood, cornices, high ceilings, built-in bookshelves, hardwood floors. Over the years shards of bad taste and remnants of neglect have chipped away at its surface beauty. It's time for a facelift and the question is this: Just how far are you willing to go for perfection? Russ Robins is not your typical painter. His interior dialogue speaks to the ultimate standards of meticulous precision. In the land of too much beige, he is a standard-bearer for turning the ordinary into extraordinary as he quietly makes beauty out of chaos. His restorations transform wall imperfections, doors that won't close, windows that don't slide, floors that have lost their glow, cabinets coated with gourmet smoke and grease, and water damage. It starts with preparation. "What's most important to us are the preparatory steps," Robins says. Before the first piece of sandpaper appears, the Robins Painting Company crew tapes heavy layered paper over everything. They wrap furniture, dewax and degrease millwork, and then sand removing old drips, blobs and edges. Dust is contained with plastic film and window venting. They clean as they go with vacuuming, and damp and tack cloths. Your urban renewal project comes in platinum, gold, or silver. The silver menu includes final sanding with 120 grit, and rolling of wall primers and paints. At the gold level you have final sanding with 180 grit, walls are skimmed, and primers and paints are tipped by brush. With a platinum card they sand with 220 grit, restore damaged millwork, and provide floor protection by wearing booties. The platinum project is capped off with maid service. Regardless of plan, your room hardware is removed at the outset. These transformers will apply wall coverings including paper, fabrics and murals. They lacquer new and existing cabinetry and furniture, and custom mix stains and paint that last until the next time you have decorating fever. What distinguishes Robins from other paint professionals? "You get more than you pay for," Robins says, "We show up on time and we don't need supervision." Their proposal includes a work sheet for each room: ceiling, walls, doors, crown molding, baseboards, and cabinetry. Each section spells out type, condition, and the treatment that's been selected, all of which assures that you get what you ask for. Good painters have to work even harder to prove their value and he is no exception: "We stay until the job is done." © May 26, 2004 for The City Shopper 40 St. Paul St | Brookline MA 02446 | 617. 388. 0062 Kitty Kaufman kkaufman@corp-edge.com |