Large-Scale Projects
Treehouse Toys
Bathroom Mural
At the beginning of 2026 I was given the opportunity to design and execute a mural for the bathroom of Treehouse Toys in Portland, ME.
Wanting the mural to reflect the fun lightheartedness of the store, as well as the encouragement of play and time in nature, I designed a scene full of fun little critters spending time outside.
When designing a scene such as this, one of my favorite things is so sprinkle in many fun little things to discover the longer you look! The central wall, naturally, features a Treehouse, whose design is inspired by the logo of the business. Many of the characters have designs inspired by and based on the pets of the Business Owners and Manager, favorite animals of Treehouse Toys employees, and even my own dog, Moxie!
Other little “easter eggs” within the mural include a secret scene hidden behind the changing table, an octopus based on the Bathroom’s previous ocean-themed mural, and a tiny little Waldo-esque worm.
The Main Wall
Being the first thing you see when you enter the room, I wanted to ensure that this main wall opposite the door featured a focal point for the mural. I decided to make this focal point a treehouse as an homage to the toy store’s name, and took direct inspiration from the Treehouse Toys Logo for its design.
The Far Wall
Being the biggest stretch of open “canvas” in the room, I was able to really play around with how I wanted to fill the space on the Far Wall. As with the rest of the mural, my aim was to make something eye-catching and fun, without being too overwhelming. I took the chance to incorporate the changing table on this wall into the painting itself, having it be a surface that could be stood upon and peeked around, with a little scene only visible when the changing table was open.
The Door Wall
The back of the Door to the Bathroom made for a fun sort of frame to fit a composition in within the greater mural as a whole, one which I opted to keep more simple compared to the other vignettes scattered about. I mainly treated this wall as an accent to the rest of the room, as you would be seeing it the least; And as such this wall acts as a place of visual rest compared to the fullness of the other walls- helping to keep the room from being too much to look at.
The Sink Wall
Similarly to the changing table on the Far Wall, my goal was to make the sink and the mirror a part of the mural, helping the painting itself feel like an actual space, rather than just something two-dimensional on the wall. As such, they became surfaces for birds to rest and critters to walk. I kept the area to the left of the sink low on detail for practicality, as well as to fit in with the simpler aspects of the Door Wall, and added the vignette of a little picnic to the right of the sink as a way to help transition from the lower detail areas into the rest of the mural.
And of course, having been giving just about full freedom over the mural’s design, there are naturally over 30 birds depicted. Some were inspired by real birds such as the Great Blue Heron and the Turkey Vulture (my personal favorite), while others were playfully designed from the imagination!
(honorary bird)
A huge thank you to the wonderful Treehouse Toys team for trusting me with this project!
It was a delight to bring to life, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have done so.
