Athletic Brewing Company
Brewing Bold Color at Athletic: Our Latest 2,400 Sq Ft Mural Install
October 2025 • San Diego, CA
There’s nothing quite like walking into a working brewery, getting hit with the scent of hops, slipping on safety glasses and a hat, and knowing you’re about to paint something massive. Our most recent mural for Athletic Brewing Co. was exactly that kind of project - 2,400 square feet of hoppy goodness completed over the span of just 3.5 days.
We’ve been lucky enough to grow alongside Athletic over the years. Our very first mural with them was back in 2021, and since then we’ve completed eight others - three in San Diego and five in Connecticut. Every new project feels like a reunion and a level-up at the same time, and this wall was no exception.
For this installation, Athletic’s creative team provided the artwork. The final design was a bold, graphic layout that was split into eight distinct sections. Each section brought its own energy, and to keep everything perfectly aligned, we relied on our trusty snap line and level. Every clean division you see in the final mural started with those prep tools.
Because the brewery was fully operational while we painted, we had to suit up accordingly (quick plug to our Liability blog!), wearing eye protection and hard hats while navigating kegs, equipment, and the steady hum of the brewing process. Nothing like a little industrial ambiance to keep things interesting!
Before any paint touched the surface, we used VR (another plug for our VR headset 101 blog, it’s a good one!) to map out the design one quadrant at a time. VR is one of our favorite tools for large scale installs. Being able to digitally “walk” the wall before we physically step on site gives us a huge head start. With a mural this size and this segmented, the VR prep made all the difference.
This mural was a color lover’s dream: the wall is comprised of 17 different hues, aka, 4 gallons and 15 quarts of paint. Yeah… we got an arm workout in that day.
This project wouldn’t have been possible without our favorite painting duo! Melissa Nalbach and Allison Hunsley joined Phoebe on site and absolutely crushed the install timeline, as per usual.
A special shoutout also goes to the Studio Luniste team, who captured the final mural beautifully. Their photos highlight all the details, color shifts, and balance that make this design so striking.
Painting for Athletic feels like revisiting old friends. From our first project together in 2021 to this latest 2,400sqft installation, it’s been such a joy to keep bringing their spaces to life. Watching their brand evolve and getting to be part of that visual journey has been one of the most rewarding parts of our relationship, and we can’t wait to see where the next wall takes us.
