commercial mural
Nirvana spa colusseum pool murals
Date: june-july 2026
size: 75sq.m. total
location: wokingham
The Brief
Nirvana Spa, near Wokingham, is known for its calm, restorative atmosphere — but their Colosseum pool area, whilst beautiful, had had some bare plaster panels alongside it’s windows for many years. Management wanted to soften give guests the feeling of being surrounded by nature, as if the windows continued around the whole circular building. The brief was simple to state but ambitious in scope: bring the outside in.
The Concept
Rather than a single feature wall, the solution needed to bring the whole space together and make it feel coherent — so it was decided to paint 12 murals over the panels with a stylised version of what is actually outside, and visible through the wondows. Working together across two levels of the pool area, the upstairs, features a stylised tree line, set against open sky. Downstairs, the corresponding trunks and undergrowth continue the same trees down to ground level, so the two levels read as one continuous landscape rather than separate decorative panels.
This illusion is enhanced by painting the distinctive window frames on top of the murals, making the illusion convincing. Guests standing at pool level see the base of the trees and the depth of the planting around them; looking up, the tree line continues upward as if looking through windows to the planting beyond.
Process and Technique
Each 6.5sq.m. panel was painted individually, but planned as part of a design, so colour, light direction, and species of tree stay consistent as you move around the space. I used a stylised rather than photorealistic approach — simplified forms, confident colour, and a slightly heightened palette — so the murals feel calm and decorative rather than trying to trick the eye completely. This suited the spa environment: restful to look at, rather than visually demanding.
Working at this scale, across a humid pool environment, also shaped some of the practical decisions around materials and finish, to ensure the murals would hold their colour and condition over time in that setting.
The Result
The finished series transforms the Colosseum pool area from an enclosed indoor space into something that feels open, green, and calming — very much in keeping with the wider spa experience. The murals have been extremely well received by both spa management and guests, and now form a permanent, defining feature of the space
