The walls of Pat O'Brien's Cockeysville home are canvases painted in both vivid jewel tones and subtle pastel shades, representing her family, and — like their lives — they are a constant work in progress.
"I believe a house should reflect your family," said Pat O'Brien, a professional muralist and mother of four sons. "And we have a loud, lively family."
Fourteen years ago, she and her husband, Jerry, a 55-year-old defense contractor, as well as their four small boys, moved into a new home in a small development called The Abbey in northern Baltimore County.
The couple paid $225,000 for a two-story, four-bedroom Colonial-style home of brick and vinyl siding with an attached two-car garage. They chose flooring of thin-planked blond oak and spent an additional $25,000 on improvements that include a 20-foot-by-20-foot outdoor deck, a finished basement, ceramic tile for the kitchen and landscaping.
"When we bought our house, the front was level, but the [back yard] dropped, so we had to build retaining walls and plant," said Pat O'Brien.
Today the back yard and elevated deck off the kitchen are enveloped in oak, maple, mimosa and tulip trees while undeveloped woodland stretches beyond the quarter-acre property.
A hallmark of the O'Brien home that sets it apart from other interior decor is the tasteful murals in each room — wistful landscapes, trompe l'oeil and whimsical reproductions of everyday items.
A dedicated muralist, Pat O'Brien knows what it is to be in love with her work and the creative process that, at times, becomes an obsession. She also knows that these all-encompassing works of art are never quite complete.
"The kitchen used to be a castle of block and stone with windows looking out over a vineyard," said Jerry O'Brien. "I came home from work one day, and all the walls were painted over."
Indeed, with kitchen walls painted white, Pat O'Brien had a clean canvas to start all over again on what she considers her favorite room in the house.
"I enjoy cooking and feeding people," she said. "I needed colors that are vibrant and lively and put you in a good mood."
Using acrylics, she painted the wall behind her oven and between maple cabinets in solid black with a wooden frame reminiscent of a café's chalkboard menu. To that she added a few pieces of fruit and two words: "Good food."
The kitchen's other three walls pop vividly to life. Her four boys — Jerry, 22; Jimmy, 20; Billy,18; and Mike, 14 — are featured on the wall above the family table, painted as younger boys eating their favorite foods, such as Doritos and pasta. A variety of fruits and vegetables encircle the room, as well as mouth-watering steamed crabs ready for the cracking and containers of food items, including Jif peanut butter.
Much softer in feel is the dining room, where inherited walnut buffets and a large table are surrounded by walls painted to resemble old plaster in a French country home. An accent wall showcases a large floral arrangement painted in the foreground of a sepia-toned Palace of Versailles, a place Pat and Jerry O'Brien have visited.
"Our furniture is like our lives; it comes from here, there and everywhere," said Pat O'Brien.
The unifying factor is the complementing murals that enhance each room's eclectic pieces. In the living room, with its three-bay window plus an arched window, plantation blinds and wicker furniture are surrounded by walls of soft whimsical, plant-like flourishes. The addition of topiary adds to a solarium feel.
Individual paintings hang throughout the lower level, especially in the foyer, where canvases are splashed with a still life and single calla lilies against a black background.
"I like the drama of the calla lily, but I change out my paintings all of the time," Pat O'Brien said.
One piece of her art, which remains stationary in the family room, is a 4-foot-by-4-foot mosaic landscape of trees and a meadow. Upon closer inspection, the canvas is seen to have been covered with half-inch-square pieces of treated and painted paper tiles.
"People think of murals from the chair-rail up, but murals have evolved with time," she said. "My home is my prototype."
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Making the dream
Dream element: The O'Briens' two-story, brick and vinyl-sided Colonial-style home is in The Abbey, a quiet development in Cockeysville. Streets are tree-lined, and the home abuts a wooded area, yet busy York Road, with all of its shopping, dining and services amenities, is less than a half-mile away.
Design inspiration: Completely opposite to its staid, traditional, brick front exterior, muralist Pat O'Brien has splashed an eclectic look throughout the house with her trompe l'oeil artistry and furniture that ranges in style from traditional walnut pieces to contemporary upholstered pieces to wicker.
Surprise touch: A large 16-paned window, sits at the staircase landing to the second floor. Pat O'Brien has painted a "frame" around the window, so lifelike it would need to be touched to ascertain its fabrication. Outside of the window, trees bloom, flourish, and turn brilliant colors, an ever-changing landscape painting. "This [is] a combination of outside and inside, your eye connects the two and opens your world," she said.