Powder Room Mural

Because powder rooms are often small, they can be the perfect space to do something fun and/or bold with the décor.  That was definitely the case on this recent project, where I did a faux finish and a mural to make this Somerville powder room truly one of a kind!

Unfortunately, water damage in my client Anne’s home destroyed most of the first floor – including this powder room.  Anne had originally created a similar grass look with decals, but with the opportunity to do a complete re-do, she decided to take it up a notch and have the grass hand-painted as a mural.

I started the process by meeting with Anne at her home to look at color options and old photos to help discuss her goals for the mural.  From there, I took my usual first step of creating a scale painting of what the mural would look like.  Once my concept was approved, I was on to the final mural!

Below are pictures showing a sense of the room (which was too small to properly photograph) and a detail of the mural.  To get this look, each blade of grass is painted with 3 to 4 layers of colors!

The sink, toilet and floor are all yet to be installed – but this shot of the room and detail of the mural give a sense of how it will look…

Enjoy!!

Jason

Roman Clay Feature Wall

Roman Clay was the perfect finish to accomplish what designer Julia Snider envisioned for this feature wall in Arlington, MA!

When she called me, Julia already had this fantastic wood-slat fireplace surround installed.  Her goal was to enhance the impact of the surround and elevate the entire wall by using a finish that has some depth and organic variation in color – making the entire wall feel warm, rich and inviting.

When we met, we looked at a few options for material and colors – and landed on the warm neutral of this Roman Clay to complement the wood (without over-powering it!) while also tying in the colors of the furniture in the room.

With the decisions made, I was on to applying the finish. Roman Clay has the consistency of a loose plaster, and is applied with a trowel. After the first coat dries, it is the application of the second coat that makes the motion/variation come to life! The end result was exactly what Julia and the homeowner hoped for!

Enjoy!!

Jason

The full feature wall, with a glimpse of the furniture

Closer up on one side

Faux Finish and Mural Repairs

For most of our projects, we create new and custom finishes and murals tailored to our client’s needs – but sometimes we fix existing finishes and repair old murals.  For this recent project, we actually repaired finishes in 5 different spaces!

One of the most dramatic examples was in this entryway, which had an old finish and mural that was damaged pretty severely from a leak in the roof above.  These before pictures give a good sense of the starting point – and you can imagine how much more was lost when all the loose paint was scraped off (I forgot to take pictures of this stage!).

After prepping the surface (scraping, sealing and priming), the first step was to figure out the many colors used in the background faux finish.  With these colors in hand, we were on to re-creating the finish – which we did by mixing up to 8 different colors together with glaze – making the transition seamless from old areas (areas where the existing finish could be saved) to the new repaired and re-painted areas.

With this complete, I was on to filling in the lost sections of the mural!  These photos came in handy, as many of these elements got scraped off.  For areas that were gone before we arrived, I had to make an educated guess on what mural would have been in that space.

In the end, it was all worth it!  The space looks good as new, and the client was amazed!

Enjoy!!

Jason

BEFORE #1

AFTER #1

BEFORE #2

AFTER #2

Silver Leaf Walls

When we have done silver leaf or gold leaf projects in the past, it has typically been applied to ceilings – but a recent designer challenged us to use silver leaf to create a unique wall finish!

Rather than the typical approach of applying a grid of leaf sheets for smooth, homogenous look – this designer wanted something completely different.  First, with the leaf, they wanted a random pattern so the finish looked more mottled and less regular/consistent.  Then, for the pattern – they wanted to create an undulating effect with a fade at the bottom – almost like the leaf was slowly pouring down the walls from the ceiling.

Working with the designer, we mapped out the undulating pattern – and then to get the look they wanted, we actually tore up the silver leaf sheets and applied many irregular, random shapes.  The result gave them just what they were looking for!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Apartment Lobby Murals

When describing what services BlackBeak Studios offers, I always say I do “custom murals and decorative finishes”.  My recent project for an apartment building lobby incorporated both a decorative finish and a mural that was completely custom!

When I first met with Bill the building owner, he explained they were in the process of updating the finishes in the building, and wanted to elevate the lobbies in the process (there are 2 mirror-image lobbies – 1 on either side of the building).  They had already changed the flooring in the lobby to a nice grey tile and replaced the carpet up the stairs with a complementary grey and blue pattern – but the red brick and maroon-painted accents no longer fit the look they wanted.  Additionally, they wanted something dramatic and contemporary for the wall.  The idea was to get rid of the bland/generic feel and create a “wow” feeling when people walked into the space.

To start, I suggested they paint the radiator and stair edges black – a simple fix that had a huge impact.  I then advised them to whitewash the brick – which significantly brightens the space while still maintaining some of the character of the brick.

Finally, for the mural – I suggested using the leaf motif that was already in the stair railings to make a bold pattern while tying into the surrounding details. 

Bill and his team were excited about these ideas and decided to move forward with all of the above… and now they are enjoying the final product!

Enjoy!!

Jason

The lobby before

Leaf detail in railings

Lobby 1 complete

Lobby 2 complete

Playroom Mural in Newton, MA

What’s better than painting a mural in a kids’ space?  Doing it for a repeat customer!! 

My clients Dave and Sarah first reached out to me in 2019 to paint a mural in the nursery for their first child.  That project was a 2-wall mural of an English countryside (with sheep, of course!) for their daughter who was born a few months later.

They then called me back in 2022 to paint another mural – this time a 2-wall forest scene for their soon-to-be-born son!

I loved working with Dave and Sarah on those 2 projects, so I was thrilled to hear back from them on a new mural for their playroom!!  To create this playroom, Dave and Sarah partnered with a company called grOH! Playrooms, who designed both this amazing play space and the mural to go with it.

I typically design the murals I paint, but it was a pleasure to work with the grOH! team to make their vision come to life in this space. 

The pictures below walk you through the room, showing the murals on each wall.

Enjoy!!

Jason

Faux Wood Doors Complete Home Refresh!

Our client Mike recently changed up the exterior colors of his house – going from all tan to a deep brown trim with a gray-green siding – all of which beautifully complements the style of the house!

The one remaining element to address was the back door and the two garage doors – which, like the rest of the house, were all painted the same tan color.  To bring these doors to life, Mike asked that we paint them with a faux wood finish.

The difference was significant!  I didn’t get good photos of the original tan color, but here is a taste, along with the flat base color we used for the faux, and of course the final result!

Enjoy!!

Jason

The original all-tan look

The house painted and the doors painted our base color

Close-up with the wood finish

The 3 doors together

Completing the Look with a Custom Plaster Stove Hood

I thoroughly enjoyed working with interior designer Lola Farra of Willow Design on this Roman Clay stove hood!  Lola was looking for a finish to complement her beautiful design in the rest of the space.  She wanted the (amazing!) tile to be the hero of the space, but still have some interest in the hood.

Lola’s goal was to tie in the colors of the cabinets, while giving the finish a bit of an “old world” feel, making the hood work with both the cabinets and the tile.   We looked at a few finish options, and settled on Roman Clay to accomplish what she was looking for – choosing a 2-color finish that pulled in the cabinet tone.

The end result was exactly what Lola was looking for!  Additional thanks to Lola for the pictures below…

Enjoy!!

Jason

A Mural to Bring the Relaxing Outdoors Inside

My client Mike has a unique and beautiful Craftsman-syle home with a great balcony nook that Mike uses for sitting and relaxing.  As an outdoor enthusiast, Mike was interested in bringing his relaxation nook to the next level by filling it with one of his favorite views from a hiking spot in New Hampshire… which is where a BlackBeak Studios mural entered his plans!

The space is defined by 3 half-walls in a “U”, with a small railing overlooking the lower level on the balcony side.  To make the experience truly immersive, we settled on wrapping the mural across all 3 walls.  Mike had photos of the location he wanted to use – with rocks in the foreground, a lake in the middle-ground and distant pine trees in the background – capped off with reflections of the tress and clouds in the water… and of course a campfire!

As always, I started the process by painting a to-scale version of the mural for Mike to see before I started on his walls.  With his approval of the design, I was on to painting the final mural!

Below are some of the stages of painting this to show the process… leading up to the final product that Mike is sitting and enjoying today!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Before shot of the left wall

Before, right side

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

The final mural!

Wrapped to the left side

Making a Dentist’s Waiting Room look like a Spa with Decorative Painting

Working with interior designer Michael Forman of Forman Bespoke Interiors is always a treat – and this latest project is no exception!  Michael was charged with re-vamping a dentist office waiting room to make it feel updated, inviting and soothing.  He accepted the challenge and called me in to finish the look!

Michael had this fantastic, illuminated circle feature-wall installed, and came up with the idea of a soft, mottled paint finish to cap it off.  We looked at lime paint, but given the high-traffic nature of this space, I suggested creating the same look using polyurethane (making it super-durable!).

After creating a few test boards using Michael’s base color and his soft ceiling tiles as a guide, I came up with a look that fit Michael’s vision and the Dentist’s taste!

After the construction was complete – I was on to creating this finish, which I completed just in time for their open-house! One of the best compliments I heard while painting this was how much it made the waiting area feel like a high-end spa!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Before the circle light was working

Thanks to Michael for sending tis one once the light was functional!

Custom-Designed Star-Painted Ceiling

In this recent project, I worked with Didi Interior Design and my colleague Joan to come up with a ceiling design that would be the centerpiece of this funeral home entry.

The business owner had an inspiration photo of a mosaic ceiling in an ancient Italian Abby, which featured a mosaic of gold stars on a field of dark blue.  Working with Didi and the funeral home, we came up with a pattern that captured the idea of the inspiration photo, but was more fitting to the building.  The star shape and ceiling layout we settled on had a traditional, colonial look that the funeral home director felt was perfect!

With the design settled, we were on to making it happen.  With a freshly painted dark blue ceiling ready for us, the first step was to measure out the grid pattern and snap lines all the way down the hall.  This helped insure that the pattern was consistent from side to side and from the front to the back of the building.  In the photos below, you can see the grid, and then the stars being painted according to this guide.

The grid guiding our layout

stars being painted on the grid

with the grid removed

When we were done, we were thrilled when our client shared that the ceiling “exceeded” his expectations!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Diamond-patterned “checkerboard” floor

As with many home projects, the success of a good specialty finish often hinges on the planning – which is rarely as true is it is with patterned floors!  This recent diamond patterned checkerboard floor we did in Sudbury is a great example.

My client Tracy originally had a similar diamond floor that unfortunately was damaged by a water leak from the bathroom above their kitchen.  The damage necessitated a brand-new floor be installed (!) – so we were starting from scratch with this finish.  Tracy wanted a “black and white” look – so the first step was for her floor company to stain the new, raw wood a white color.  With this step done – we were on to the pattern!

When I first visited Tracy’s house, I took a number of measurements to help with the planning.  We knew they wanted each diamond to be 18”x18” – so I cut a number of templates to lay out before getting started.  Since the fireplace was off-center, I decided to center my black diamonds with the room and the kitchen island – which also had the diamond corners landing directly on the radiators on both sides. Using this template, I got approval from Tracy on the pattern – and we were on to (a lot) of measuring and taping!!!

Setting down templates to show layout

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the measurement/taping step – but that is where the magic really happens with this pattern!  We took special care to keep the pattern consistent, the diamonds touching and the tape pressed VERY firmly to the floor.

This client wanted the diamonds to be solid black – so we used 2 coats of porch and floor paint.  With the paint dry, we could pull the massive amount of tape to reveal the final product!!

Fireplace view before final poly

Island view before final poly

Once our paint was dry enough, the floor company came back to put coats of poly over the entire floor to seal everything and keep it looking great for many years to come!

Enjoy!!

Jason

The final result (with special guest!)

The Magic of Faux Paint Repairs

As a spin-off of my decorative painting, I work with a few contractor partners who have me help them with unique repair problems. This work has given me the challenge of matching the colors, patterns, texture and sheen of everything from wood to tile to wallpaper. Some of these repairs would be difficult or expensive if I was not able to help — but due to the discontinuation of the original materials, some of them would have been impossible. Hitting the mark on these projects is incredibly rewarding!

The first example is damaged veneer on a kitchen drawer. The veneer had split and peeled off along a seam - and could not be reattached. The big challenge in this scenario is the veneer pattern continued not just on this on drawer - but also all 3 of the drawers above it. To repair this, the contractor would have needed to replace the veneer on all the drawers, while making sure the color was a match to the rest of the cabinets. Instead, they cut the veneer away and filled the void — ready for me to match the wood grain with paint and polyurethane!

Before

After

The next example involved specialty wallpaper on a ceiling that was damaged by a water leak. The paper was installed many years ago and was no longer available - so the only fix would have been to take down the paper and start over with a new option. The homeowner very much liked the look that was there, so their contractor called me in to patch and match the repair with paint - including the metallic silver of the original paper!

Before

After

For this next job, a new, large industrial door had been mis-drilled for the installation of the door closer. Certainly they could have replaced the door, but this particular example was very costly! Instead, they had me match the patches for a more cost-effective solution.

Before

After

In some cases, I hear directly from homeowners with their unique repair challenges - which was the story with this mural fix. During construction to the space above this, a chunk of the mural fell out. The mural had been painted many years before, and the original artists (who were students at the time) were no longer in the area - so I got the call to see if I could repair it. The main challenge with this project (which is hard to see in the photo) was that the glittering color is actually a metallic gold that is under the translucent darker brown color. I was able to get the match and save the client’s mural!

Before

After

In another wallpaper example, there were 2 spots of damage (one pictured) where the paper tore off the wall. Rather than re-papering the room, the contractor had me patch and match the colors and sheen to make the problem disappear.

Before

After

I can’t even begin to imagine the complications involved with building a new home — including damage that can happen in the transportation of materials. In this case, the wood casing of several of the high-end windows and doors were damaged when they arrived. Due to product shortage, the timing to get replacements would have been extraordinary - so they called me in to do the fixes! Below if just one example of many.

Before

After

This last example also helped deal with the lack of product availability. The contractor needed to cut out part of this entry floor to fix a rot problem - which necessitated replacing 2 rows of tiles. The problem was that the terracotta color of the original/surrounding floor was no longer available! To address this, the contractor used the same tile but in a different color (gray)- and then had me make them match. A couple of distinct challenges in this case was durability needs (for which I used a bonding primer and a floor paint) and the the very dull sheen.

Before

After

Now this is a custom painting!

When I create my murals, I usually start with an idea or a theme from the client and create an imaginary scene.  By contrast, most of my commissioned paintings are based on a photo or maybe a couple of photos to re-create an actual scene or subject.

My most recent commissioned painting project, however, was more like my mural work – and then some!  My client had spent time in Mexico years ago and remembered it fondly. To recapture his experience and add a little flair, he asked that I create a scene on a 5 foot by 3 foot canvas.  Some of the elements in the painting were from photos – specifically the San Cristobal cathedral, an old pickup truck and Mayan ruins.  The trick was to combine these along with many more subjects he requested in the painting… He wanted the characters to all be skeletons – with a truck driver smoking a cigar and flirting with a dancer, a guitar player with Pacifica beer bottles, a formal couple looking on, a zapatista soldier, a dachshund skeleton, a quetzal bird, a background street market, Mexican and zapatista flags and so on. 

Because of the complexity and number of things I needed to fit into the scene, I started with a pencil drawing that I sent to my client so I could make revisions of things he wanted to tweak or add. Below is an image of my drawing.

Once we had an approved drawing – I was on to the canvas!

As usual, I used oil paints – starting with the sky, mountains and cathedral -- and then moving my way forward to the foreground.  While doing this, I was careful choosing my colors to make sure everything was well balanced (knowing the whole painting would be very colorful!).

Below is the final result!  After weeks of painting, I was thrilled that my client was ecstatic when he saw the completed piece!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Textured Cement Finish for a Dining Room

The benefits of being adventurous!  My colleague Joan and I enjoyed working with our client in Westwood on this textured cement finish for their dining room.  What made it particularly fun for us that we had never worked with this material before, and our client was excited to be part of the adventure!!

The goal was to do something unique and distinctive, but to keep it in a neutral color.  Our client liked the idea of using texture, but we also wanted to make sure the feel of the end result was up-to-date.  We wanted to create a texture that did not read as “rustic” and would work well with the transitional style of the house.

To do this, we decided to try a cement product that lent itself well to texture, but still had the potential to feel fresh and contemporary.  After some testing, we came up with a technique to do strips of texture that are almost reminiscent of wood, but still distinctly different.

The best part is we were all thrilled with the result – especially our client!  And a s a fringe benefit, we now have a fantastic new material to add to our palette of options!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Under the chair rail is the same product, just with a smoother application

Business Lobby Mural

When I got the call to look at a potential 350 square-foot forest scene mural for the lobby of a local business, I was intrigued!  In the past, I had done work in the home of the owners of Dav Tech, a metal refinishing company in Southboro, MA – so when they embarked on a remodel of their lobby, they reached out to me.

Dav Tech is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year (!), so as part of their celebration they are transforming their lobby to bring the outdoors in! The plan includes building rock walls, growing live grass and building an actual indoor stream.  As the backdrop for all of this, they asked me to design a 2-wall mural of a forest scene. Specifically, the scene was to go in a corner sectioned off by the newly-built rock wall that would contain the grassy section and stream. They knew they wanted the scene to include a stream (that would “feed” into the actual stream!), a cabin, and some select animals (wood ducks, doe, and black bear).

With this information in hand, I was on to the design stage! Given the scale of the project, I did a 2-stage design process – starting with a pencil drawing.  Below are the drawings I presented – adding in the beaver, squirrel and crow:

Design drawing of wall 1

Design drawing of wall 2

With only a couple of tweaks to my design (they changed the angle of the bear and added the buck), I was on to the concept painting!

For my concept paintings, I do everything to scale with the actual colors I propose for the final mural.  Below are the images of these paintings:

Wall 1 concept painting

Wall 2 concept painting

Once I presented these, the only request was to change the crow to an eagle… so I was on to painting the final mural!

When I paint this kind of scene, I start with the most distant elements of the background and work my way forward – ending with the animals as the last step.  I included a few in-process photos to give an idea of this process.

beginning of painting process - starting with background

Moving “forward” in the scene as I paint more elements

The last step before adding the animals

The final mural was a hit!  I will also need to follow up with more photos when Dav Tech is done with building the stream – and they will be encasing the black column with an actual cedar tree!  In the meantime – following are images of the final result.

Enjoy!!

Jason

The final mural!

Closer view of corner and wall 2

Closer view of wall 1 under the stairs landing

And now the animal details!

Painting Company Logo on a Brick Wall

I enjoyed working with the Zipcar team on this painted logo in their recently renovated café! While the space is freshly re-done, the wall they wanted their logo painted on is a lovely old Boston brick wall – so they felt that painting a perfect, crisp new logo would look out of place – and I agree!

After deciding on size, placement and color – we focused on how much ageing – or antiquing- would work for this project.  This was the best part of the project for me!  The goal was to make it look like it had been there forever – without over-doing it.  To make this happen, I focused on some paint techniques (there are actually several shades of black/gray and a few shades of white) as well as using sandpaper to replicate the kind of paint fading, soiling and wearing that would happen over time. At each step of antiquing, I would collaborate with the Zipcar team to make sure my approach was achieving their vision – and the end result accomplished exactly what they were looking for!

Enjoy!!

Jason

Venetian Plaster Fireplace Surround

Working with my colleague Joan, we recently transformed this fireplace surround with a beautiful Venetian Plaster finish! 

When we started, the 20-foot high fireplace had a plain drywall finish – painted in the same off-white as the surrounding walls.  Our client called us in to elevate the look of the fireplace, while still making sure it didn’t dominate the space.

After looking at some samples, the client decided a Venetian plaster finish would accomplish this goal – but we still needed to settle on a color.  To tie in with the surrounding elements in the room, we decided to go with a multi-color finish using varying shades of taupe.  After showing a sample board to make sure we had the colors right, we were on to creating the final finish!

Venetian Plaster is applied with metal trowels and takes multiple coats to build the depth and character of the final look.  Once each coat is dry, the next thin coat is applied, burnishing (polishing with the blade) as you go to bring out the variations in texture and color.  To accentuate this, we also used different shades applied together in the second coat – creating even more motion.

The final step was to burnish the entire fireplace surround once it was dry – which creates a very organic shine across the surfaces – making it look (and feel!) very much like polished stone.

In the end – this custom polished stone look is exactly what our client was looking for to elevate the fireplace and the entire room!

Below is a picture from across the room to show the scale of the surround.  The last photo is taken looking up at the fireplace to show a closer view of the motion of the plaster plus the reflection of the lights to give a sense of the shine.

Enjoy!!

Jason

The reflection of the lights at the top gives an idea of the shine

Mural in Library Children’s Room

It was SO great to be back working at the Attleboro Public Library on another mural!

Back in August, I finished the first of my “Magic Window” murals at the APL.  The concept was to extend the existing “real” window bank with “magic” windows looking out at something unexpected!  The first window mural was of an underwater scene, complete with a sea turtle, coral and exotic fish.

This time, we wanted another window (on the opposite side of the same “real” windows) looking out at a completely different (but still unexpected) scene.  After playing with some different ideas, I landed on doing a jungle scene – which Library Director Amy Rhilinger loved!

As always, my first step after agreeing on an idea is to paint a scale design to show what the final mural will look like.  Amy signed on as soon as she saw my concept painting – so I was on to painting the final thing!

It was fun hearing the excited conversations kids and their parents were having as I painted this – and it is rewarding to know my mural will be the source of fun conversations for many years to come!

Enjoy!

Jason

The jungle window mural!

Stepping back to see the real windows with both the underwater and jungle “magic” windows!

Antiqued Gold Trim for English Country Look

It was so great to go back to my client Cathy’s Jamaica Plain house 3 years after my last project with her!  Cathy and her husband are lovingly renovating their home room by room, replacing all of the English Country-style character that had been taken out over the many years of previous owners.  Cathy and her husband are doing a great deal of the work themselves (including amazing woodwork!), but are bringing in specialists for finishing touches --- which is where I come in!

I first worked with Cathy in 2021 to add gold to the relief of Lincrusta wallpaper in their sitting room.  This time, they wanted the trim on the wainscoting they installed in the living room to be more of a focal point and bring the overall look back in line with the original look of the house.  To do this, they wanted the trim to be an antiqued gold, using a mirror in the same room as inspiration.  After visiting Cathy and looking at the project, we collaborated on the gold paint that would give the best gold-leaf approximation, and I came up with a formula for the antiquing that would tie it in with the mirror and the colors in the room.

Once onsite, we fine-tuned the plan for which trim elements would be gold and were on our way!  To complete the look, we also painted the chandelier medallion gold.

Following are some pictures of the result.

Enjoy!!

Jason

The mirror pictured here was the inspiration for the finish

Detail of antiqued trim

Action shot courtesy of my colleague Joan!

And the gold medallion as the cherry on top!