SPRING '24 | Birdstudio

NEWSLETTER/ SPRING 2024

Hello Friends,

We have so much to be thankful for as spring arrives this year. Bird Studio continues to grow, and we’re so grateful for you- our clients, friends, and colleagues- who share our passion for handmade quality in a world of (all too often) fast and cheap solutions. From the large commercial jobs to the intimate residential projects, we enjoy bringing our love of craft to each installation. We’ve been excited to see the community in Philly and beyond respond to this vision, and can’t wait for what’s ahead.

Speaking of growth, would you or someone you know be interested in working with Bird Studio? We are currently hiring for the position of Craftsperson and Project Manager. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, take a look at the job listing here.

One recent project perfectly illustrates the unique mix of old and new techniques that we utilize to accomplish our artistic goals. The Battery is a revitalization of a beautiful old building on Philly’s Delaware Riverfront- the building that housed the PECO power plant for almost a century.

The Battery’s rebirth as a mixed-use space called for an equal parts gritty and glamorous wall finish for the front lobby. Zack developed a custom finish that combined asphaltum, a hand-poured drip pattern, and lots of gilding! The result is a stunning welcome to this truly one-of-a-kind building.

While the Battery walls were in process, we simultaneously had another large mural underway at the studio. This signature piece was created for a very special guest bathroom, and incorporates the client’s property into the imagery.

These interior mural artworks are made in our studio on canvas and then installed in a matter of days, cutting down on the intrusion time for the client. We work closely with the designer and owner on each element- from color palette to which trees and animals to include. It’s a true collaborative process, and the result is a jewel-box of a room that any guest would be thrilled to encounter.

Every once in a while we get thrown a truly *unique* project, and that was certainly the case for this antique model clipper ship restoration. This 12-foot long ship came to us with broken masts, stained sails and tangled rigging. All we know is that it was built in 1930 from a solid oak log and was pulled from a restaurant by an antique dealer in the Hudson Valley. It’s a model of “Sovereign of the Seas,” a clipper ship which embarked from Boston in 1852. She was built to be fast, and in 1854 sailed a record-breaking 22 knots.

Our smaller version underwent a complete transformation here in the studio- from metal-reinforcing the masts to brand new sails to an elegant new paint job. We even laid scale wood “planks” on the deck.

It really has to be seen, so please take a moment to watch this short video we compiled of the process! (Want to see more process videos? Follow us on Instagram for all the exclusive content).

In December, Bird Studio was featured on a Magnolia Network design show called “Two’s Company Design” with OAK Design Project and our friends Friday Saturday Sunday owners Hanna and Chad. What a fun shoot day! We even roped designer Kevin Bennert into trying some silver leafing.

This beautiful built-in was made into a focal point of the room with our addition of silver leaf. We love how it reflects the light from the large windows and picks up on patterns and textures throughout the space.

People often ask us what you can gild with metal leaf. The answer is anything you want! With the right preparation most surfaces can be gilt, including wood, brick, metal, and plaster.

The theme of this spring is plaster plaster plaster!

Bird Studio just finished up some very speciality plaster repair work at The Four Seasons Hotel, images coming soon.
We’re also gearing up for another large scale restaurant project which we can’t reveal just yet, but stay tuned- this is going to be a gorgeous one.
A large project in New York is taking the crew up to the Hamptons for a few weeks, where a beautiful new residence is getting almost 9000 square feet of plaster

Did you know we have a plaster sample wall up in our studio just waiting for a visit from design firms or clients? Reach out to our Studio Manager, Mari Elaine Lamp, to schedule a tour and run-down of all the details. Call 215-605-3269 or email Info@birdstudio.com

Happy creating,

Zack Bird + the Bird Studio Team