Frequently Asked Questions

We are based in Wayzata and work mostly in the Lake Minnetonka corridor and west metro — Wayzata, Minnetonka, Orono, Plymouth, Excelsior, Deephaven, Shorewood, Medina, Long Lake, Edina and Eden Prairie — and take projects throughout the Twin Cities.

Yes. We walk the project with you and send a written estimate that lists each room, surface and product. There is no charge and no obligation.

It depends on the season. Spring and early summer book up first; late fall and winter usually have more openings for interior work. We give you a realistic start window with your estimate.

Our focus is interior work, cabinets and wood finishing. We do stain decks and refinish front doors. For full exterior repaints, ask — we can tell you whether it fits our schedule.

Almost always. We protect floors and furniture, contain dust with Zipwall barriers, and plan the work so rooms you need are usable each evening.

Kevin Spahn, the owner, is on site for every job. You deal with the same person from the walkthrough to the final touch-up.

Sherwin-Williams: Duration Interior matte on walls and Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel on trim, doors and cabinets, with a shellac-based primer on oak.

Yes. We can bring large samples, suggest colors that have worked in similar homes, and paint test patches on your walls before you commit.

Yes. Golden oak trim paints very well as long as it is cleaned, scuff-sanded and sealed with a shellac-based primer before the enamel goes on. Skipping the shellac is the most common reason painted oak turns yellow or blotchy within a few months.

Oak contains water-soluble tannins. A water-based primer or paint draws them to the surface, where they appear as tan or yellow stains. Shellac is not water-based, so it seals the tannins in and gives the enamel a stable base.

Some grain texture will usually show under the paint, which many homeowners like. If you want a smoother, more furniture-like finish, extra primer coats and sanding reduce the grain. It adds labor, so we price it as an option.

A main level — foyer, kitchen, dining and living room with 8–12 doors — usually takes one to two weeks. A whole house with 25 or more doors is typically three to four weeks. We schedule room by room so you keep using your home.

Yes, and it is one of the most popular combinations. A stained oak handrail over white-painted spindles, skirt boards and risers keeps some warmth and holds up to daily hand contact.

The enamel is dry to the touch within hours and doors are rehung within a day or two, but the finish keeps hardening for several weeks. Avoid scrubbing, taping or leaning furniture against it for the first two to three weeks.

Our 2026 prices for most kitchens fall between $4,250 and $10,500, driven by the number of doors and drawer fronts. A small kitchen with 15–20 pieces is $4,250–$5,500; a large kitchen with 30 or more pieces is $8,050–$10,500. See the price table on this page and our cabinet cost guide for details.

A typical kitchen takes one to two weeks from removal to reinstall. Your kitchen stays usable for most of that time; the frames are sprayed over one or two days, and doors return once they can be handled without marking.

If the cabinet boxes are solid wood or plywood, square and in good repair, painting typically costs a fraction of new cabinets and keeps your countertops and backsplash in place. We tell you at the walkthrough if your boxes are not good candidates.

Some grain texture shows on oak doors after painting. It can be reduced with a grain filler or extra primer coats if you want a smoother, slab-like look; we price that as an option.

With proper degreasing, a shellac or bonding primer and a urethane-modified enamel, painted cabinets hold up to normal kitchen use for many years. The finish keeps hardening for a few weeks after install, so treat it gently for the first month.

Yes. Vanities follow the same process — doors and drawers removed and sprayed, boxes sprayed in place — and are often done alongside a bathroom repaint.

In 2026 a 12×12 bedroom with us runs about $700–$900 for walls only and $1,250–$1,800 with ceiling and trim. A bathroom is usually $400–$850, and a standard living room $850–$1,400. Vaulted ceilings, heavy repairs and dark-to-light color changes add cost.

Most single rooms take one to two days including prep. A main level usually takes three to six working days, and a whole-home interior one to three weeks depending on trim and ceilings.

No. We move furniture to the center of the room, cover it, and put it back when we finish. We ask that you remove small items, artwork and anything fragile from shelves and walls.

Our standard wall paint is Sherwin-Williams Duration Interior in a matte finish, which hides minor wall imperfections and can be washed. Bathrooms and high-traffic areas can move to a satin or eggshell sheen.

Yes. Interior paint cures fine in a heated home, and winter scheduling is usually more flexible than spring and summer. We ventilate as needed and keep the work area contained.

Yes — flat ceilings, vaulted ceilings, stairwells and two-story foyers. We can also remove popcorn texture before painting.

A stained front door that gets direct sun usually needs a fresh coat of spar varnish every two to three years and a full refinish every five to eight. Doors under a deep overhang last longer. Recoating before the finish cracks avoids the cost of stripping to bare wood.

Usually, yes. We mix and test stain on a hidden spot or a sample board until it matches under your lighting. A garage door, trim sample or cabinet door works as the reference.

Late spring through early fall, when temperatures stay above about 50°F and there is no rain in the forecast for a day or two. Wood must be dry, so we wait at least 48 hours after rain or pressure washing.

Often it can. If the stain color is still good and the finish is only dull or worn, we clean, scuff-sand and apply a fresh clear coat. It costs much less than stripping or painting.

Yes, once the leak has been repaired. A water stain needs a stain-blocking primer before paint; ordinary ceiling paint lets the mark bleed back through within weeks. If the drywall is soft or sagging, we cut out and replace that section first.

Recurring cracks usually mean the seam tape has failed or the framing is moving with the seasons. Re-taping the seam holds better than filling the crack again. Minnesota's humidity swings make this common above doors and windows.

We match most common textures, including orange peel, knockdown and light hand textures. An exact match on a large repair sometimes needs a full wall re-texture so the patch does not stand out.

We schedule drywall repair as part of a painting project so the patch is primed and painted by the same crew and you are not left with a spotted wall.

In 2026 most removals cost about $4–$6 per square foot for unpainted texture and $5–$9 per square foot for texture that has been painted over, including skimming, priming and painting. A typical 12×12 bedroom is roughly $1,000–$1,200.

It might if it was installed before the mid-1980s. Asbestos was banned from spray-applied ceiling texture in the late 1970s, but existing stock was used for several years afterward. A lab test of a small sample costs about $25–$75 and gives a definite answer. If it is positive, removal must be done by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor, not a painter.

A single bedroom usually takes two to three days including drying time for the skim coat and paint. A whole main level is typically four to seven days.

Paint seals the texture so water cannot soak in and soften it. Painted popcorn takes longer to scrape, damages more drywall paper, and needs more skim coating afterward, which is why it costs more.

Removing popcorn creates a lot of wet debris, which is why we seal the room completely before starting and clean up daily. The rest of your home stays clean.

It can be done, but we rarely recommend it. Seams and edges show through paint, moisture from the paint can loosen the paper, and removing it later becomes harder. Removing the paper gives a wall that will take paint properly for years.

Usually because wallpaper adhesive was left on the wall, or because torn drywall paper was painted with a water-based primer. Washing the paste off completely and sealing torn paper with an oil or shellac primer prevents both.

A bathroom is often a day or two; a stairwell or large room with several layers can take three to five days before painting. It depends on the paper and whether the wall was primed before it was hung.