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