When Martha Curiel discovered water damage in her hallway mid-project, painter Kennon didn't request a change order. He repaired the damage and repainted the area at no additional cost, leaving Martha calling the experience "beyond our expectations." This pattern of solving problems rather than creating invoices appears throughout Five Star Painting of St. Louis reviews, revealing an operation where unexpected issues become opportunities to demonstrate integrity.
Dan and Julie Braning launched the company in 2016, operating as Braning Building Solutions, LLC from their Grover, Missouri base. The fully insured team handles interior and exterior residential painting, cabinet refinishing, deck staining, popcorn ceiling removal, and commercial projects across west St. Louis County. Color consultant Kayla Wolfe, a former Sherwin-Williams specialist, guides color selection.
Project managers Emily Lutker and Dave Smith coordinate scheduling while Dan maintains hands-on involvement, personally following up after projects. The company backs all work with a two-year warranty and partners with Sherwin-Williams and Behr for premium paint products.
Updated: 05-06-2026
Mickey handles estimates for many projects and explains scope thoroughly. George describes how Mickey "clearly explained and fully detailed the scope of the job" for a bedroom ceiling and answered every question. Tony Favello highlights Mickey alongside Renee for being "fast, friendly and professional," and Yelp customer Gay C. praises the courtesy "from estimator Mickey P. to owner Dan B." Mickey is consistently cited as the front-door of the customer experience.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews, Yelp
Kenan (also spelled Keenen and Kennen across reviews) earns repeated praise for craftsmanship and client communication. Doug Druker writes "Kenan does fantastic work and each time that I will use them in the future I will request him personally." David Kraft describes him as "outstanding and very efficient," noting daily cleanup and constant updates. George calls him "a true craftsman" after a ceiling repair project. Customers specifically requesting him by name on return visits is a strong consistency signal.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews
Cabinet work is a documented specialty handled by lead painter Marlon. Donna Detzel was told two days and the project was finished in 1.5 days, calling herself "a very particular person" whose expectations were lived up to and adding "I highly recommend Marlon!" The owner reply confirmed Marlon would receive her feedback directly. Reviews consistently mention efficiency on cabinet projects without sacrificing finish quality.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews
Yes — and the touch-up walk-through is part of their process. Steven Ortbals describes salesman David walking the project after completion and proactively flagging needed touch-ups, then having "the crew come back and take care of every single little thing," which Steven calls "extremely important and not seen much these days." Yelp customer Gay C. similarly notes Five Star "responded immediately to questions and follow up issues." The pattern is documented across multiple recent reviews.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews, Yelp
Commercial and rush jobs get tight scheduling. Brooke Kalisiak's 1500-square-foot physical therapy clinic was painted Friday and Saturday so she only had to close "the office 1 day" — she calls the entire process "seamless from the bid, to the planning/picking colors, to the painting itself." Austin Watts had an entire room bid over the phone and completed the next day to prepare a house for sale. The crew adapts to commercial timelines and urgent residential turnarounds.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews
Ceilings are a frequent project type. Kathleen Sterns had garage walls and ceiling done and was "absolutely delighted" with the top-notch work. George had a bedroom ceiling repaired and repainted with results he calls "beautiful." Earlier sheet reviews (Martha Curiel) document severe water-damage repair where painter Kenan "worked a miracle that wall looks brand new." The crew handles drywall repair and ceiling restoration as part of standard interior projects, not just cosmetic painting.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews
Repeat-customer language shows up clearly across new reviews. James Malke writes "I have used Five Star twice. Both interior and exterior work," adding "I have also referred them to two others and both have had the same positive experience." Doug Druker opens "This is not the first time that I've used Five Star Painting, and it won't be the last either." Michael Scott writes "I have already recommended them to several people and will continue to in the future." Multiple reviewers in the recent batch confirm both repeat business and referral chains.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews
Pricing reads as competitive rather than budget. James Malke calls bids "fair and competitive," Tony Favello highlights "great value," Steven Ortbals lists price alongside communication and execution as "all top notch," and Michael Scott says the company is "extremely reasonable in price" alongside great work. The pattern across multiple recent reviewers is that the bid lands in a fair-market range and the work justifies the spend.
-Review Snippet Sources: Google Reviews
Updated: 05-06-2026