Of The Essence Design Build Paint
Chooz Score Insights
At the time of our analysis, Of The Essence Design Build Paint held over 90 Google reviews with a 4.9-star rating, along with 100% recommended on Facebook across 3 reviews and a 5.0-star rating on Yelp from a single review. Nearly all of the Google reviews sit at five stars, with one exception, and the company’s review volume is concentrated on Google rather than spread evenly across platforms.
Score breakdown
- Platform Reviews
- 19.6/20
- Review Quality & Engagement
- 33/40
- Website & Digital Presence
- 17.1/20
- Business Authority
- 15.2/20
The company earned a Chooz Score of 84.9%. It has operated as a North Carolina registered contractor since 2007, incorporated as Of The Essence Design + Build and Paint LLC. The business is owner-led by Tara Gilmore, with Cassandra Harris coordinating schedules, Eddie Ray leading the painting crew, and Michael Carter overseeing construction and design-build work. Its service area covers Wilmington and the surrounding coastal North Carolina communities.
Across the reviews we analyzed, a few patterns stand out. Individual crew members are named repeatedly, with lead painter Eddie Ray appearing in at least nine of the reviews we read, a pattern consistent with an in-house crew rather than rotating subcontractors. Cassandra Harris, often called Casey by reviewers, is credited with coordinating projects and resolving issues as they came up, and reviewers describe the same faces returning each day. The work described ranges well beyond painting, covering kitchen and bathroom remodels, decks, flooring, and full renovations, though interior and exterior painting come up more often than any other service. Repeat and referral hiring is a recurring theme, and we found at least a dozen reviewers describing second projects or work booked for the future. Owner responses appear on only the most recent reviews we analyzed, with older reviews generally left without a reply. The one negative in our sample concerns a bathroom remodel, which we cover below.
"Eddie, the lead painter, was wonderful and our children enjoyed seeing him each day. Casey, Eddie, and the entire team exceeded our expectations, and we have already scheduled to work with them again this year for additional projects!" - Sarah W., Google Review
Advice For Future Customers
Most of the reviews we analyzed are strongly positive, but one detailed account of a bathroom remodel describes poor communication, repeated rework, and cost overruns well beyond the original estimate, and the company did not respond to it publicly. Remodels involve more moving parts than a paint job, so it is worth confirming how the company communicates changes and handles problems before you sign. Ask them directly: "If the scope or price changes mid-project, how and when will you walk me through it?"
"There was a complete lack of communication from the general contractor to his foreman which caused them to have to tear out newly installed shower tile walls and re-order them and then reinstall them." - Don B., Google Review (no owner reply)
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How Of The Essence Design Build Paint Was Evaluated
Every painting company listed on Chooz Painters is evaluated using our multi-step quality framework. We combine structured data analysis with human review to understand how Of The Essence Design Build Paint performs across the key signals that matter most to property owners.
How the Chooz Score Works
The Chooz Score is a 100-point rating based on four core pillars:
- Platform reviews & ratings from sources such as Google, Facebook, Yelp, Angi, BBB, and others
- Review quality & engagement, including depth of customer feedback, photos, and how the company responds to reviews
- Website and digital presence, which helps indicate professionalism, transparency, and communication quality
- Business authority & operations, including years in business, licensing, insurance, and other operational standards
Each contractor is evaluated using the same framework nationwide, and the score reflects Of The Essence Design Build Paint’s performance within its local market.
A Chooz Score represents real-world performance, verified signals, and human-reviewed context.
Chooz Score Award Levels
Scores are determined through more than 40 evaluation factors across our four pillars.
If you want a deeper explanation of how our scoring system works, you can view the full breakdown on our Chooz Scoring page.