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Dave Webster of Washington said he paints murals whenever he gets the chance. But to call the work he did at Germantown’s Michael’s Italian Feast a mural would be an understatement.
His wife, Betty, calls it an “interactive mural,” because “you’re in the mural.” Owners Michael and Veronica Axelson call it a scene right out of Italy.
“We knew when we took this over we wanted to make it a Piazza,” Michael said. “I sketched out my chicken scratch with Dave and he changed it and improved it. Dave did 10 times more than we ever imagined.”
A fountain serves as a center piece to the room, which has been transformed into a scene worthy of an outdoor Italian cafe. Other features in the floor-to-ceiling redesign include balconies, windows, shutters, decorative tiles, archways, pillars, black lights to illuminate the painted buildings in the evening, a bright blue “sky” complete with white, fluffy clouds and a tree made from etched concrete, a combination of real and concrete branches and decorative leaves.
“We gutted the whole thing pretty much,” Veronica said.
The Axelsons added to their business last year, by taking over the space, which formerly housed Design Center, and almost doubling the size of the location. The couple invested about $100,000 into the addition, which allows them to offer private parties and add pizza, some appetizers, beer and wine to their menu.
When decor for the new dining area came into play, Michael knew just who to turn to.
“We knew we needed to get going on it and we knew we needed to find Dave,” he said.
Michael first met Dave when he worked the ovens at the Washington Michael’s location in the mid-1990s.
“I think Mike saw that I was a little challenged as far as that goes,” Dave said. “I remember him saying, ‘You need to go paint.’ That was good advice.”
“I could tell when he was working for us that it was not his passion,” Michael said. “I knew Dave was creative and I just knew he was miserable.”
Dave took his boss’s advice. Locally, he has painted a 9-11 tribute mural on the side of Peoria’s Berean Book Store, as well as murals at OSF Children’s Hospital, local churches and Morton’s Lettie Brown Elementary School.
However, he said the mural at Michael’s was the most involved and time consuming to complete.
Dave Webster of Washington said he paints murals whenever he gets the chance. But to call the work he did at Germantown’s Michael’s Italian Feast a mural would be an understatement.
His wife, Betty, calls it an “interactive mural,” because “you’re in the mural.” Owners Michael and Veronica Axelson call it a scene right out of Italy.
“We knew when we took this over we wanted to make it a Piazza,” Michael said. “I sketched out my chicken scratch with Dave and he changed it and improved it. Dave did 10 times more than we ever imagined.”
A fountain serves as a center piece to the room, which has been transformed into a scene worthy of an outdoor Italian cafe. Other features in the floor-to-ceiling redesign include balconies, windows, shutters, decorative tiles, archways, pillars, black lights to illuminate the painted buildings in the evening, a bright blue “sky” complete with white, fluffy clouds and a tree made from etched concrete, a combination of real and concrete branches and decorative leaves.
“We gutted the whole thing pretty much,” Veronica said.
The Axelsons added to their business last year, by taking over the space, which formerly housed Design Center, and almost doubling the size of the location. The couple invested about $100,000 into the addition, which allows them to offer private parties and add pizza, some appetizers, beer and wine to their menu.
When decor for the new dining area came into play, Michael knew just who to turn to.
“We knew we needed to get going on it and we knew we needed to find Dave,” he said.
Michael first met Dave when he worked the ovens at the Washington Michael’s location in the mid-1990s.
“I think Mike saw that I was a little challenged as far as that goes,” Dave said. “I remember him saying, ‘You need to go paint.’ That was good advice.”
“I could tell when he was working for us that it was not his passion,” Michael said. “I knew Dave was creative and I just knew he was miserable.”
Dave took his boss’s advice. Locally, he has painted a 9-11 tribute mural on the side of Peoria’s Berean Book Store, as well as murals at OSF Children’s Hospital, local churches and Morton’s Lettie Brown Elementary School.
However, he said the mural at Michael’s was the most involved and time consuming to complete.
“This was like a three-ring circus every day,” Dave said. “We had two or three construction crews going all the time.”
With the help of these crews and a few friends and his wife, Dave completed the project in about three months.
Dave’s paint brushes have also graced the Washington and East Peoria Michael’s locations, although the interior of the Germantown Hills location, he said, is by far the most extravagant.
“Washington is jealous of us,” Veronica said. “It’s ready for an update too,” Michael said eyeing Dave.
Veronica said customers tell her they cannot believe a space like this exits in Germantown Hills.
“We wanted it to be a comfortable place where people can come and spend hours,” she said. “We want people to be able to sit and visit with each other and enjoy the scenery.
“It was just a blessing to get this space. Our customers love it. We love it.”
