Tom Donatuccio

Excellent as usual. Tom is a master painter! He takes pride in his work, prepping the area to be painted so that the final product has a furniture finish. He can mix colors, provide useful advice, and has an "eye" for what looks professional. We have hired Tom before, and will continue to do so. You might sometimes have to wait for him to schedule a time, but it is worth the wait!

We recently moved to the area and Tom was referred to us by Mike Mancini Carpentry and we couldn't have found a better painter and person! He was excellent to work with. Even when I wasn't sure about trim color, he went to the store where I had plantation shutters on order to color match them to the trim. He takes great care in prepping the surface prior to painting. Our master bedroom had numerous nail pops, peeling drywall tape and uneven walls. He addressed all of those issues prior to painting and the room looks great! We also had a sizeable section of repaired drywall in a bathroom that needed to be painted to match. The rest of the bathroom had a Venitian plaster technique and the previous homeowners did not leave us any touch up paint, so Tom worked from scratch to replicate the color and paint technique. It blends perfectly- He is an amazing colorist! Tom also stained and painted newly constructed mudroom cubbies and bench. With the combination and paint and stain, it was a multi-step process, be we couldn't be happier with the end result. Tom, again, did wonderful work and was meticulous about each step. I would highly recommend him for your next project and we look forward to working with him again!

Tom is without question the finest painter we have worked with and we would not consider working with anyone else for our future projects. We actually had to have Tom come in recently to rescue a horrible outcome from a painter our contractor provided on a bathroom renovation. Our recent project was the third time we have worked with Tom and he continued to impress us with his outstanding work. Beyond the physical painting and the quality of the paint he uses and the skill in application, what differentiates Tom is the time, care and effort that goes into preparation - things like using a razor blade to clean up the lines of dried painters caulk between the wall and crown molding so that the new painter's caulk has a bright clean line and painstakingly sanding new trim molding prior to painting so that there were no blobs of wood putty painted over. Tom is also VERY neat in his work which is sometimes taken for granted by lesser professionals - no drips, messy sinks after cleanup and there is always a vacuum cleaner going while he is working - including vacuuming the doors and walls prior to painting. Tom is also tremendous in working with wood - repainting inlaid paneling and built in book shelves that had a deep brown stain treatment in our sitting area to a bright clean white that literally gleams! He did the same with paneling we had installed in our dining room several years ago and sprayed it with the end result that it looks like a furniture finish. Tom has a great eye for style and is a great source of ideas in terms of color choices and treatments. Even in a small job in our garage, Tom suggested a rich grey color that complimented the recently added epoxy floor coating so that the entire garage looks renewed. In addition to being a pleasure to work with, Tom's attention to detail, use of the highest quality materials and perfectionist streak make him an ideal partner in any renovation project. Tom can take any project, large or small, and provide an outcome that is beyond even our demanding expectations.

Tom is the best painter with whom I have ever worked. He doesn’t just apply paint. Rather, Tom takes the time to make certain it is perfect. For example, I had over 20 new doors installed in my home along with trim work around the entire house (Mike Mancini Carpentry and North Jersey Door). And though Tom used a paintbrush, everything he painted looks like it was spray finished. The paint on my doors and trim is so smooth that it looks like glass. I cannot explain it but no one would have been able to do it like Tom did it. Tom is also great with helping validate colors and will work effortlessly to hunt down your choice of color regardless of paint manufacturer; e.g. Farrow and Ball, Benjamin Moore, etc. Did I mention that he works with spackle like an Italian artist creates a fresco?! Seriously!! Tom is polite, professional, and conscientious. He genuinely cares about your home and the results. He cleans up after himself and leaves the house as close to clean as he found it. Tom is now my first choice when needing any paint work done to my home; inside or out. HIGHLY recommended and without reservation!!!

We met Tom through Mike Mancini from Mancini Cabinets in Ridgewood. He originally was contracted to paint the bookcase that Mike built. His painting was amazing. He is meticulous in the process he uses. The finished product is like a fine piece of furniture. In getting to know Tom, we discovered he also has talent as a decorator! He suggested creating a window seat under our large picture window in the dining room. We had Mike Mancini build it, and Tom painted it. Again, the window seat looks like a fine piece of furniture, with a smooth silky touch. He then painted a bar we created out of a book shelf in the dining room. He assisted us with decorating ideas and selecting colors in several other rooms. Tom's painting is far superior to any other painter that we have hired. The quality of his work is that of a true craftsman. He sands between coats, ensuring that the final finish looks like furniture. He also spackled any bumps on the wall, or cracks in the ceiling. He is meticulous about his work, and will not settle for any imperfections in the work. Perfect jobs every time! I would not hesitate hiring Tom Donatuccio again. His work is superior. He is hard working, honest, and friendly. His prices are reasonable, and the quality of his work far surpasses that of typical painters one might hire. He is the best!

We just had newly built wood cabinetry to store cookbooks along with a floating desktop installed in the kitchen, and needed to have them properly stained to match our existing kitchen cabinets.  Tom was highly recommended to me as a painter who could stain wood to match any color.  When Tom and I met to review the my project, he seemed to instantly have the precise know-how and vision for handling the staining for the wood cabinetry and desktop.  I had a tight timeline, but Tom was flexible and able to work within my scheduling requirements in spite of his own busy schedule.  He took the time to meticulously prep, prime and sand the cabinets, and applied just the right techniques to each piece of wood within the cabinet, desk drawer and corbels to achieve the desired effect.  Some parts of the cabinet were hard to reach, but Tom was thorough and made every effort to ensure the staining was uniform throughout.  The color was applied layer by layer, resulting in a truly exceptional end product.  Tom is the real deal as no short cuts were taken - he removed all hardware, and cabinet glass doors to allow the staining to be completely consistent throughout.  He did a phenomenal job in matching the color to my existing kitchen cabinets!  He made the cabinet and desktop come alive and showcased the beauty of each and every natural wood grain.  Tom has enormous experience in his craft, and knows his materials well.  He takes pride in his work, is professional, punctual, and has a  remarkable eye for color!   I would love to use Tom again for any painting projects in the future.  I highly recommend Tom for any and all painting or staining -- you will no doubt receive superior quality work!! 

Tom is bar none the MOST SKILLFUL painter on the PLANET.  I wish everyone could access his skill, friendliness, professionalism and "whatever it takes" attitude.  Tom is unique in two ways:  First, he is concerned first and foremost with paint adhesion to the surface, NOT color.  As a result, he takes great pains to prep all surfaces thoroughly, so the paint will not flake off a couple of years down the road.  I am confident our walls will look as good in 20 years as they do today.  He had a very challenging assignment with our 1929 plaster walls -- cracks, bulges, gouges, mismatched textures.  My walls are gorgeous, and I feel proud of my interior now. 

Second, Tom does not make you sign in blood your color choice weeks in advance of arrival, charging exorbitant fees to change a top coat once the primer is down (as an example).  Tom sees color selection as a journey and actually prefers to remain flexible.  Tom was prepping our walls, and we still had not selected all colors.  He helps the customer with a starting point, and can customize your palette as you need -- removing ALL anxiety and pressure.  My children even weighed in, and now they have ownership and pride in our color scheme. 

Beyond his skill, Tom has integrity and is very trustworthy.  He was in our home with his crew many days when we were not around, and we had no incidences.  Is Tom the least expensive?  No, but the old saying, "you get what you pay for" has never rang more true.  His pricing is fair based upon his skillset and great concern for quality.  We certainly did not want to have a painter come back in two to three years again given the investment we made.

In closing, our home was a wreck, and through the generous approach to his craft, Tom transformed our lives.  If you are lucky, you will be able to lock him in on your job!  Enjoy the journey...we had a blast.