Radiant Light Restorations — Local services in North Augusta

I chose Nicole for 2 custom projects because of her many 5-star reviews. Though I think she does amazing work overall, sadly, my review reflects my negative experience. Project 1 – paint, stencil, distress 2 dressers to match another small chest Project 2 – stain unfinished wood exterior front door – updated to paint due to stain problems I think Nicole found my projects more difficult & challenging than she expected when she quoted them and she became increasingly frustrated as she worked on them. Though I asked questions at times and raised concerns, she seemed easily offended though I never treated her unkindly and even delivered stain to test in an effort to help. However, shortly after she updated the door quote to paint it, she abruptly withdrew her services via email and said she would be returning my door. Before I could ask her to reconsider, she had returned my project deposit. She left me with an unfinished door and said “you or another professional can do your door.” She did complete and deliver the dressers. But, she misunderstood the border design for the drawers and had to do additional work and then charged me extra above her quote, even though the chest to match had the borders. Then she used wax for the distressing on the drawers and did not do it dark enough so she had to add more wax. I had also asked her to paint the hardware to match the chest but she never put it in the quote so it was not done. And finally, she used satin-finish paint and I wanted a more glossy finish like the chest, but once the dressers were painted it was too late. But the most serious issue with the dressers was that Nicole did not know that the wax manufacturer suggested a 2-week curing time and did not tell me until her withdrawal email. So when she delivered the dressers, she did not relay any instructions at all related to allowing the wax to cure. I wanted to wipe the dressers down lightly before filling them and so I messaged to ask her what I could wipe them down with. She told me to use a damp cloth and when I did I wiped some of the wax distressing off (same with a dry cloth). I raised concerns as to why the drawer faces were still tacky from the wax, how could I touch up the wax I rubbed off, and was there a sealer I could use over the wax? She told me the kind of wax and brushes she used but said that sealer could not be used and that a refinisher suggested 30 days as cure time. The cure time information came too late to prevent wax coming off. The concerns I raised about the dresser wax, after the door stain problems she had, pushed Nicole over the edge to unprofessionally withdraw her services. She seemed to blame me for everything and only apologized for failing to inform me about the wax needing to cure. I asked her to refund the extra I paid for the drawer borders as they should have been part of her original quote to match the chest. She refunded me as I requested. If Nicole had known and informed me of the proper cure time when she delivered the dressers, I wouldn’t have raised the wax concerns at all and then she would still be working on my door instead of getting so frustrated that she quit on me. In summary, though I think Nicole does beautiful work, I would never work with her again and cannot recommend her. She doesn’t seem to handle project challenges or difficulties well, easily becoming offended, frustrated and stressed when a project does not go her way. My door cost $1,800 and I never expressed any anger for how splotchy and inconsistent the door stain was. I tried to work through the stain issues with her, until I chose paint over stain. I even offered to pay her extra labor, aware of her efforts, but she only added an extra delivery fee. Nicole said that she was “at a loss as to how to meet my needs.” All that I needed and expected her to do was to complete my door project as she had quoted to do. My 1-star review does not line up with all of Nicole’s glowing reviews, but I have done my best to accurately describe what I experienced in trying to...

Nicole did an excellent job repairing and refinishing two pieces of furniture for us. One was a small chest of drawers that had been repainted several times. The refinished dresser looks amazing and is now ready for use by a third generation. The other piece was an antique secretary that was passed down by family members from the late 1800s. Needless to say this was a very challenging piece due to the age of the finish and residue of oil/polish used to clean the wood over the years. Nicole was determined to find a way to allow the paint to adhere, including working with a paint product specialist to find a solution. After several attempts she found a solution and the secretary looks great. Her attention to detail, persistence, appreciation of the story behind the furniture, and expertise are exceptional and we highly recommend her if you have a cherished piece of furniture that needs...

If you have any furniture restoration needs, Nicole is who you want to hire. She is among the best in our area. Nicole doesn't just slap paint on furniture. She truly does her homework, she researches each piece and is constantly learning new techniques. Nicole uses only the best products and paints on the market. Nicole brings a piece back to its bare bones and properly preps each piece. She takes no short cuts. She loves what she does and has great communication and her goal is to bring life back into these vintage and antique pieces of furniture and for her customers to love their pieces. Nicoles prices are amazing for the level of furniture artist she is, she puts hours of blood, sweet and yes sometimes tears into each piece. If you have any furniture restoration needs repairs, staining or painting Nicole is...