Stefan Lewicki, master painter, New York City, New York

In December of 1987, Stefan Lewicki reluctantly flew to New York from Warsaw, Poland to join his girlfriend who had recently immigrated to the United States. Stefan would have been perfectly content to remain in his native Poland where after serving a rigorous six year apprenticeship he had recently achieved the status of "journeyman painter".

Deciding to make the best of the situation, Stefan applied for and received a work visa and the insurance necessary to begin work as an independent painting contractor in America. He was very surprised to discover that a high percentage of painting contractors in our country were in his words, "not qualified to clean paint brushes". Stefan went on to explain "even under the Communists a well trained painter took pride in his work, did first class work and was paid well although frequently under the table."

For three years Stefan served as a painting contractor in New York City and Fairfield County, Connecticut where he specialized in white enamel trim work and was widely recognized for his exceptional "brushwork". Even his competitors acknowledged that Stefan was capable of laying down an enamel finish better than they were, but Stefan Lewicki remained dissatisfied with the quality of his work. "In Poland I had the opportunity to work with Dutch enamels in the homes of the affluent – In America I thought everyday of what a success I could make if I could introduce real Dutch enamels to American homeowners who had never seen such spectacular finishes."

In 1990 Stefan Lewicki was introduced to Fine Paints Of Europe by Elliott Greenberg at Ring’s End Paint in Darien, Connecticut, and Stefan’s life and the homes of his clients have not been the same since. Stefan explains, "Finally, I am able to produce my best work in my new homeland for clients who really appreciate quality. There are only three things that a painter can bring to a jobsite; his skills, his tools but most importantly the paint that he works with. No painter can do 4 star work with 3 star paint. The cost of the coatings is a small percentage of the job so that the overall cost difference between a Fine Paints Of Europe job and the same job done with a good domestic paint is seldom more than 10%. I also explain to my clients that a well applied Fine Paints Of Europe system will last at least twice as long as the best domestic paint – this is equally true of Eurolux wallpaint and Hollandlac enamel." Stefan rests his case.

Yes, he did marry his girlfriend and they remain happily together.

Stefan Lewicki
L Painting
12 Butternut Lane
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 595-9114
sl436258@aol.com