When a Space Calls for Something Made Just for It.
This page is about artistry built into the room, not artwork purchased afterward.
Decorative finishes and custom murals give a room something you can’t choose from a showroom. From Venetian plaster and ShimmerStone to a mural designed for a single wall, each surface is created to feel intentional and connected to the surrounding interior.
I help clients develop specialty art projects that become part of the interior itself. Depending on the project, that may mean working with an artist or specialty craftsperson, developing the concept and colors, selecting materials, determining scale and placement, or coordinating the finished piece with the surrounding furnishings and finishes.
My role begins with understanding what belongs in the space. I consider the architecture, sightlines, lighting, colors and proportions before we decide what the project should become.
The result shouldn’t feel like an afterthought. It should look as though the room always had a place waiting for it.
Custom Murals Designed for the Space.
RX Crete Decorative Concrete Finishes.
RX Crete is a decorative concrete overlay system that offers far more possibilities than a traditional concrete finish. I’ve used it in commercial interiors on everything from bar tops to custom dimensional surfaces.
For one wine bar, we created a gray, silver and white marble-look finish directly on the bar top. That surface has handled years of commercial use and still looks beautiful. With periodic resealing every few years, the finish has held up for approximately nine years.
Another project called for something completely different. For a hotel lobby front desk, we applied RX Crete more heavily through an alligator-scale stencil rather than rolling it onto the surface. Once dry, the raised pattern created a three-dimensional texture. We finished it in a rich burgundy color and sealed the surface, turning an ordinary reception desk into a custom architectural feature.
That versatility is what makes RX Crete so interesting to work with. The same material can create a smooth marble-inspired surface in one project and a deeply textured, dimensional finish in another.
ShimmerStone Decorative Finishes
ShimmerStone is one of my favorite finishes for tray ceilings because it creates depth and a subtle reflective quality without requiring the labor of a more complicated decorative treatment.
Pair it with a beautiful chandelier and the ceiling becomes part of the room’s design. As the lighting changes, the surface catches the light differently, giving the finish movement that you simply don’t get from ordinary ceiling paint.
I’ve also used ShimmerStone on bedroom and living room accent walls. It adds interest without introducing a pattern, making it a good choice when the room needs something more than paint but doesn’t necessarily call for a mural.
ShimmerStone isn’t an inexpensive finish, but it can offer a lot of visual impact for the investment. A detailed mural or more labor-intensive decorative treatment can require considerably more time and artistry. In the right space, ShimmerStone provides another option without sacrificing the custom look.
Application matters. I work with certified decorative finish artists who have the training and experience to properly apply this specialty product.
Venetian Plaster
Venetian plaster gives us the ability to create the depth and character of natural stone without necessarily using slabs of marble or stone throughout the space. I’ve used it to turn simple white architectural columns into marble-inspired features at a fraction of the cost of constructing those columns from real marble.
One project called for something particularly specific. The home was designed around the clients’ love of Africa and game hunting, and they wanted the finishes to reflect that character. Eight large columns flanked the entry, creating one of the first architectural features you saw when entering the home.
Rather than selecting a standard finish, we developed a Venetian plaster treatment inspired by a specific Nubian marble the client wanted to reproduce. The finish gave those columns the color, movement and stone-like appearance we needed while allowing us to work with the architecture already in place.
Venetian plaster can also work beautifully on a much smaller scale. I’ve used it in entry niches and recessed areas where artwork hangs in front of the finished surface. Instead of competing with the artwork, the subtle movement of the plaster creates a rich backdrop and gives an otherwise overlooked architectural detail more presence.
The beauty of Venetian plaster is its flexibility. It can turn eight large entry columns into architectural features or give a small art niche just enough depth to make you notice it.
Milk Paint & Lime Paint
Not every decorative finish needs to be polished or dramatic. Milk paint and lime paint can create a softer, more relaxed appearance with subtle variations in color and texture.
I especially like these finishes when a piece of furniture needs character rather than a perfect factory-painted surface. Milk paint can help give new or existing furniture an aged, time-worn appearance that feels collected rather than newly purchased.
Lime paint can bring that same sense of softness to walls and architectural details. Its natural movement creates depth without the heavier look of some decorative finishes.
Both are useful when a space needs a little age, texture and character rather than another perfectly painted surface.