Donald R. Ross & Son Painting and Decorating

Donald R. Ross & Son has been painting North Shore houses since Don Ross started knocking on doors on his own street as a teenager. 01940 The Magazine reported in June 2025 that the Lynnfield firm had been a fixture for more than 50 years, and that after the founder died in 2012 his son Darren took it over; a May 2025 piece pictured Darren sanding a client's back deck for a recoat alongside John Ciocco. The work itself has narrowed deliberately. The company describes itself as a multi-generational firm marked 'Est. 1951' that now concentrates on high-end residential interiors — walls and ceilings, trim, millwork and cabinetry, wallpaper and decorative finishes — and takes exterior projects selectively. What customers have written is favorable but sparse. In a 2023 Google review, a homeowner described four exterior doors stained and painted, a natural light wood stain on the front doors, and Darren keeping them posted on progress. A 2025 comment on a local listing site came from a repeat customer who said the quote for a set of interior rooms came in well under three other painters' bids and that the crew cleaned up thoroughly. That is the whole written history: one review, from 2023, alongside a few open-web comments, and Google's own listing carries no ratings behind it. For a firm claiming six decades of work, there is far less written up than the tenure suggests, so judge them on the walkthrough rather than on a star count. A good fit for a careful interior job — trim, cabinets, wallpaper, a decorative finish — where you want a small outfit that takes few projects at a time. Ask about current registration and insurance, get the scope in writing, and ask for recent local references, since the public history is thin and mostly a few years old.