ColorCraft Painters

ColorCraft Painters is a Peabody-based, family-run outfit — founder Michael Kaloutas, a second-generation painter, says he started the company in 2003 while a student at Salem State, and it still describes itself as a family operation serving the greater Boston area with interior and exterior painting, cabinet refinishing, and color consultations. Google shows 5 stars from 5 ratings and Angi lists 4.6 stars from 74. When the crew shows up, the painting itself gets consistent praise. In a 2023 review, a homeowner with a Victorian house and a failed prior paint job called the prep work — scraping many old layers — meticulous and the finish first class. Other reviews describe extras thrown in at no charge: interior doors painted for free and a discount given when asked, in a 2012 review, and touch-ups handled without a fight when spots were missed or a finish discolored, in 2013 reviews. The written record also carries a real, recurring pattern: getting the company on the phone. A 2013 review describes calling repeatedly and never getting a callback, another from that same year describes the same experience, and several other reviews from 2012–2016 mention difficulty reaching the owner to schedule or get an estimate before things eventually worked out. Angi's own summary of its 74 ratings describes the same shape — strong praise for the work itself alongside "a recurring pattern of poor phone/scheduling responsiveness". Pricing is the second recurring theme: a 2013 review describes a job that ended up costing more than double an Angie's List deal price once extra wall-height and second-coat charges came due, and another from that year called a $1,000 one-day job for two small bedrooms outrageous. One 2013 review is a genuine outlier on quality — wall-crack repairs called disappointing, paint that dripped onto hardwood floors and left scars, and paint that now chips easily — and that reviewer said they wouldn't use the company again. The read here is for someone who wants careful painting from a long-running local family shop and is willing to be patient getting a callback, and to pin down the full price — including any per-coat or wall-height add-ons — before signing.