very year, Paul Minnihan takes time off from work to travel to foreign and exotic environments. As an artist since childhood, he loves to encounter the architecture and design of the inhabitants, or their ancestors. Whether he’s in a Sikh community, a Benedictine monastery or an ancient Native American cave, he’s fascinated by the mood and atmosphere evoked by petroglyphs, carvings, paintings and other decorative objects. “I try to visit a variety of places—Cambodia, Tibet, China – just to keep my eyes open about different cultures,” he said. “For me, it keeps the creative juices flowing.”
Minnihan channels his creative inspirations into the fine decorative painting he provides as owner of Paul Minnihan Studios. His eye for innovative detail is obvious, whether he’s painting an 18th-century garden mural on the walls of a dining room or applying Venetian plaster to a bright breakfast nook. “I have a background in art, and that really affects the way I look at the job and its potential,” he said. “I care about the finished product, how it works in the whole home and how it suits the homeowner’s style and personality.”
Prominent designers in Chicago routinely work with Minnihan, who graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1991. For years, he worked with the top decorative painting firms in Chicago, then launched his own company in 2000. His sizable clientele includes major public figures and businesspeople throughout Chicagoland.
Last year, he contributed to the Merchandise Mart’s annual Dream Home display, a major event showcasing the best in Chicago home design. His “faux python” wall finish was so well-received it was written about in Chicago Social, the Chicago Tribune, the Sun-Times and Traditional Home magazine. In fact, well-known home designers throughout the city frequently choose Minnihan to handle their painting projects in homes and businesses. But he also does one-on-one consultations with homeowners, taking the same care a designer would.
“The look, color and style I produce in a home all depend on the personality of the client I’m dealing with,” he said. “Different people find different things right for them. I might do a very masculine den, or a bright and upbeat kitchen, or a teen-age girl’s room with pale blues and yellows on an ivory background.”
Everyone, Minnihan says, has a personal color palette, and sometimes it’s just a matter of discovering it, as one discovers a favorite style of music. He offers hundreds of single- and multi-tone options to clients, keeping in mind the color, flooring and décor in the adjacent rooms. “I want there to be a sense of flow in the home,” he said.
Minnihan was doing architectural sketches as young as age seven. But as he grew, he felt pulled more strongly to painting and drawing. “I think my art was the place where I felt most creative,” he said. “It was a way of being with myself at a deeper level.”
After graduating from the art institute, Minnihan spent his early career learning the techniques of fine painting and decorating, tackling everything from personal portraits and commercial backdrops to trompe l’oeil, glazing, marbling and woodgraining. He continues to be, above all else, a serious mural artist. For a French garden mural painted on all four walls of a dining room Minnihan researched and painted over 30 varieties of flowers and plants. He also used details from the gardens of Versailles for some of the fountains and statues.
Although the original focus of the company was murals and decorative painting, he also has a team of painters who do high-quality home painting. The company also specializes in Venetian plaster, including a raised dimensional wall.
To Minnihan, any personal space is sacred, whether it’s whimsical, artistic or businesslike. He strives to keep his clients’ comfort in mind as he delivers his work with high attention to quality and detail. “I think that wherever we are, we’re influenced by our surroundings,” he said. “It’s important to have a place to come back to where we feel good, nurtured and supported.”

Paul Minnihan Studios
4223 North Elston Ave., #1F
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 636-4672
www.paulminnihanstudios.com
paul@paulminnihanstudios.com