Reviews for Renaissance Restoration

I made a $700 deposit to have a chest of drawers and a table striped and painted. For the chest of drawers, I was told it would be striped down to the original wood and have layers of paint alternating with an a coating that would give it a high lacquer-like gloss. This process was described to me step by step to emphasize the craftsman ship and the volume of work.

I provided a paint sample computer-matched to a piece of red leather, tested it with the owner - at his request - to see that it matched and gave him the go ahead. I offered to get a large can of the sample paint, but the owner said not to bother, he was at the paint store frequently and the numbers on the sample were sufficient to have it replicated.

When the dresser was done, the owner sent a picture for approval. The color looked orange-red, not the blue-red of the paint I provided. He assured me it was the blue-red. Just to be sure, I sent a sample of the red leather that had been used to make the sample can we had tested. I was told the dresser looked the same as the sample.

When the dresser was delivered it was orange-red, not even close to blue-red.

At delivery, some of the PAINT was STILL WET. I discovered this after finding a sticky red and white patch of paint on my thumb having placed it on the top of one of the drawers. I have pictures. The dresser had not been stripped of the very thick layer of white paint on it, it had been painted over. All over all the dresser were big and small chips in the original paint that had just been painted over in red. The inside of the drawers had paint on them, not a little, but not all over the inside, they were primarily drips from the paint on the front of the dresser.

The delivery guys were in my apartment to observe all this. They were shaking their heads and saying "sorry". I took pictures at the time of delivery.

I called the owner right away, he did not answer. I emailed him the pictures, he did not answer In both cases I left a request for a refund of the dresser portion of the work. No threats, just a pleasant, firm request to send the refund now so that this matter could come to a good conclusion. I left a message or texted 2 or 3 more times, with out reply. I let it drop for a while. About two weeks ago my call was not answered so I left a message informing the owner I was going to pursue a refund, so please just do the right thing and send me back at least $500 of the deposit. No reply.

I have never posted a complaint about any vendor before this. The invoice the deposit was made against describes the work. There was no rush.