Frankenstein Refinishing’s History:
We begin in the late 80s. We were part of an elite team that built some of the highest end homes in Massachusetts. We needed the best of many things., including finishes on custom-made cabinetry. It started by attending many different types of schooling from around the country, and working in the most expensive homes in Dallas and around Florida. Eventually, we opened our school in Hopkinton, and woodworkers from around the country came to us for advanced classes, all the while, continuing to apply these skills in our Custom homes.
Testing began in the ’80s, and got extensive in our school. We tested hundreds of cabinet products from around the world. We developed a testing protocol so extensive , 2 major cabinet paint manufacturers sent us all their prototypes for our data before they went to production. We worked with their chemist to make changes. Eventually, the product we settled on, we now know is by far , the nicest, longest lasting products from around the Globe. The first few years of the school, we amassed the 1000 woodwork sample display. The largest one in the world, as recognized by both Raymond Sandor of Faux Effect and Tom Clark of Clark distribution. Many a home theater and theme room was developed with the help of all these samples, including the home theater that won us best home theater at the consumer electronic show in Las Vegas. It’s been 15 happy years with the same products. All of our 10 year and beyond reviews all say the same thing, It looks like day one. Today we know exactly what to expect.
All of Our staff has been with us more than 25 years. This is only part of what you get with our service. Aside from the best finish on the planet, we also do updates with soft close hardware, and can provide new doors and draw fronts for a completely new look. Our doors and parts are of the highest quality. There are many options for inexpensive doors that come unglued in a few years, and heaven help us if they get wet. Ours, like our finish, will last for the duration.
We also have affiliations with cabinet makers who can build and modify just about anything. We are the opposite of the many commercial painters who all use commercial type paint store, paints, and like spray equipment. They have convincing ads and videos that look intriguing to the undrained eye. Every single video I’ve seen, they are using a commercial type sprayer, incapable of spraying any cabinet paint, yet they are in a kitchen, spraying some poor souls cabinets. Those people will be very happy (for a short time), to pay them, and write them a glowing five star review. Time tested 10-year reviews like ours are the only ones that will lead you to what you are looking for. Commercial house paint on cabinets will start to look awful around the three-year mark, and none of the 50 -5 star reviews , which it seems like all the painters have, will tell you that. Do not fall for the painters who have a school and teach other painters how to coat cabinets in house paint. Although their uniforms and shop look impressive, their videos also display inadequate spray equipment, exposing them as more painters who take the easy way out and aren’t even trying. There will not be one legitimate cabinet maker who will endorse the school. We have a list of top local cabinet makers and industry leaders that will tell you exactly who we are. In the end, it’s best to qualify a company through accomplishments, awards, and recognition given to them by industry experts, and not themselves.
Some of Our Accomplishments:
The 2004 Boston magazine design home in Hopkinton mass featured three floors of Custom walls, wood and cabinetry not seen before in this area. Walls and ceilings had custom , dimensional, glazes and marble plasterers on them. Cabinets and woodwork had multiple step, state of the art, glazes and crackles. It was in this house we were discovered by Tom Clark , of Clark distribution. His showrooms have the highest end cabinetry from around the world. After touring the house, he told us our finishing skills were second to nobody in the world that he has ever seen .One particular room was a powder room that had a custom-made, three dimensional plaster on the walls, that was in magazines around the world, and people called for instructions for over 10 years.
Speaking of Tom Clark, we did all the finishes in a house that he bought next to the design Home. His home theater was revolutionary at the time, and it captured best home theater at the consumer electronic show in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was almost impossible to get even considered in this competition, let alone win it. The consumer electronic show is the largest show in the world where all the phones , computers , and televisions get introduced for the up-and-coming year.
Meeting of the Masters:
We were invited to display among the 50 most talented finishers and artists available in the world. At first, I said no, I did not want to be embarrassed, but eventually went. Presenting alongside of third generational marbles’t from France, brilliant muralists from around the world, fourth generation plasters from Italy, and many other finishers , I was voted in top three for our ability to do ceilings, walls, and wood , and every aspect of a space, as good or better than the rest.
Our School:
Our school existed in the ’90s and early 2000s. For one week a month people flew in from around the country to take a variety of courses. Our wood work courses were what we were recognized for nationwide. Although the list of wild and crazy theme rooms we created is long, the thing that speaks volumes is the two Custom classes that we did for Kochman of Stoughton. They are the largest cabinet maker in the northeast employing over 80 people. Not low end cabinetry , but some of the highest end available. They contracted me to give their finishing department a Custom eight day class. They shut down the entire operation for eight days so this could happen. They sent me seven people plus the director at the time, her name was Kathy . They each picked five different finishes to perform, and we all did them, sending them home with 40 finishes. They must’ve liked it because they did the same thing the following year.. We covered everything from composition of woods , to coating and procedures , to modifying the latest spray equipment and adjusting it , and a variety of tricks and problem-solving. Eight consecutive long days we were all tired and ready for a break. Too bad we all went to work the next day. When I asked Kathy why me, she said there isn’t another place in the world that has 1000 high-end finishes in its building, and if there was no one would ever teach you them.
Of all the things we did, and all the things that came out of our school, I considered this to be a telling statement as to how far we went with our relentless exploitation, and desire to be the best.
