I’m Inna Shears, a classically trained architect and artist creating immersive, human-centered environments through evidence-based design. With 25+ years transforming commercial and residential spaces, I work across hand-painted murals, decorative and faux finishes, gold leaf, and whole-space color design—bringing cohesive, period-aware artistry to everything from flagship retail concepts to therapeutic art in senior living settings. My approach is grounded in measurable human outcomes for diverse audiences, including wayfinding support, reminiscence experiences, and wellbeing-focused environments for residents with memory care needs, as well as unified, color-flow-driven spaces for children. I trained in Russia at the Academy of Architecture in St. Petersburg and have been working in the United States since 1991, partnering with architects, interior designers, builders, and design teams to deliver complete installations on schedule.…

Inna Shears

Pro

I’m Inna Shears, a classically trained architect and artist creating immersive, human-centered environments through evidence-based design. With 25+ years transforming commercial and residential spaces, I work across hand-painted murals, decorative and faux finishes, gold leaf, and whole-space color design—bringing cohesive, period-aware artistry to everything from flagship retail concepts to therapeutic art in senior living settings. My approach is grounded in measurable human outcomes for diverse audiences, including wayfinding support, reminiscence experiences, and wellbeing-focused environments for residents with memory care needs, as well as unified, color-flow-driven spaces for children. I trained in Russia at the Academy of Architecture in St. Petersburg and have been working in the United States since 1991, partnering with architects, interior designers, builders, and design teams to deliver complete installations on schedule.…

Available to hire

I’m Inna Shears, a classically trained architect and artist creating immersive, human-centered environments through evidence-based design. With 25+ years transforming commercial and residential spaces, I work across hand-painted murals, decorative and faux finishes, gold leaf, and whole-space color design—bringing cohesive, period-aware artistry to everything from flagship retail concepts to therapeutic art in senior living settings.

My approach is grounded in measurable human outcomes for diverse audiences, including wayfinding support, reminiscence experiences, and wellbeing-focused environments for residents with memory care needs, as well as unified, color-flow-driven spaces for children. I trained in Russia at the Academy of Architecture in St. Petersburg and have been working in the United States since 1991, partnering with architects, interior designers, builders, and design teams to deliver complete installations on schedule.

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Language

Russian
Fluent
English
Fluent
French
Beginner
Ukrainian
Advanced

Work Experience

Architect, designer, artist at Fauxnuvo design studio
June 20, 1997 - Present
Business owner at Fauxnuvo design studio
June 20, 1997 - Present
Founder & Principal at Fauxnuvo Design Studio
January 1, 1997 - Present
Founded and lead an independent studio delivering custom murals, decorative finishes, environmental art, and illustration for commercial and residential clients nationwide. Collaborate with top builders, architects, interior designers, and design firms to translate client visions into finished environments — with a 25+ year record of satisfied clients across a 25-year career. For the past decade, designed and installed hand-painted murals and therapeutic art across senior living and memory care communities (in partnership with Grand Living LLC), applying EBD principles to support wayfinding, reminiscence, and resident wellbeing. Create immersive children's environments — large-scale murals paired with coordinated color flow that unifies entire spaces. Manage installation logistics end to end, coordinating with general managers and large construction teams to deliver every project on schedule under pressure. Adapt fluidly to varied client tastes and period styles, drawing on formal

Education

Bachelor of Architecture at SPB Academy of Architecture
September 19, 1986 - June 2, 1991
Master of Fine Arts at SPB art school
June 20, 1980 - June 20, 1985
Coursework in History of Art at State Hermitage Museum & Museum of Russian Art, St. Petersburg
December 1, 1986 - December 1, 1990
Professional degree in Architecture (5-year program) at Academy of Architecture, St. Petersburg
January 11, 2030 - September 20, 2026
Diploma, Specialized Art School at Highly selective fine-arts institution (name not provided)
January 11, 2030 - September 20, 2026

Qualifications

Adobe Photoshop
June 20, 1997 - June 20, 2026
Five-year professional degree in Architecture
January 11, 2030 - July 2, 2026
First Place, city-wide student architecture competition, St. Petersburg
January 11, 2030 - July 2, 2026
Coursework in History of Art
January 11, 2030 - July 2, 2026
Fine Art School Diploma
September 1, 1981 - August 1, 1985
Evidence-Based Design (EBD) practice (evidence-based design principles)
January 11, 2030 - September 20, 2026

Industry Experience

Professional Services, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Healthcare, Education, Retail
    Poster design
    Designed and hand-painted a custom collector's library celebrating the owner's personal treasures. The centerpiece — a mural styled as a vintage circus poster — serves as a backdrop to an antique carousel horse, developed from initial sketch through final painting. Overhead, each section of the coffered ceiling features a hand-painted reproduction of a vintage banknotes drawn from the owner's collection. see a complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin DecorativePainting HandPainted MuralArt Muralist CeilingArt InteriorDesign CustomMural FineArt Craftsmanship BespokeDesign VintageCircus designer…
    "Watercolor" mural
    Designed and hand-painted a dramatic, oversized floral composition for the focal wall of a formal dining room in a senior living community. Rendered in a soft, watercolor-inspired palette of blues, greens, and whites, the lush botanical design is scaled to command the room — anchoring the space as its visual centerpiece while bringing a sense of calm, airy elegance to the residents' everyday dining experience. Conceived to feel both refined and welcoming, the mural transforms the formal setting into a serene, uplifting environment. See a complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin Mural MuralArt HandPainted Muralist FloralArt BotanicalArt SeniorLiving EnvironmentalArt InteriorDesign FineArt Craftsmanship WatercolorMural designer…
    Texas Horizons
    Designed, hand-painted, and installed a sprawling 40-foot mural for the dining room of a senior living community, depicting a sweeping vista of the Texas landscape. Painted on canvas in-studio and delivered and installed on location in Texas, the composition was developed from detailed sketches and coordinated closely with the room's upholstery and drapery for a fully unified palette. Conceived with the residents' experience in mind, the mural brings a calming, expansive sense of place to the dining environment — turning a shared everyday space into an immersive, comforting backdrop. see a complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin Mural MuralArt HandPainted Muralist CanvasMural LandscapeArt SeniorLiving EnvironmentalArt InteriorDesign FineArt Craftsmanship CustomMural designer…
    An Immersive Woodland Where Every Child Writes the Story
    Designed and hand-painted an expansive, whimsical woodland mural for the entrance hall of an early education center, developed from initial sketch through final installation. The composition spans the entire entryway — wrapping across numerous walls and climbing a grand staircase to the level above — creating a single, immersive environment that unfolds as children and families move through the space. Conceived with young audiences in mind, the mural transforms a large architectural volume into a warm, engaging, and welcoming first impression. See a complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin Mural MuralArt HandPainted Muralist EnvironmentalArt ChildrensSpaces EducationalDesign WoodlandMural CustomMural FineArt Craftsmanship ImmersiveArt illustrator…
    marketing materials
    Illustrations of designing/layouts of various marketing materials. see complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin…
    Custom mosaic
    Designed and executed a full-scale custom mosaic — a life-size peacock — for a private residence, rendered in art stained glass and a variety of natural stone. Developed from a full-color, full-scale rendering through to final installation, the design breaks from traditional mosaic convention: many individual pieces are dramatically oversized, some nearly three feet long, precision-cut on a waterjet saw. The result is a bold, architectural interpretation of the mosaic form, where each sweeping glass and stone element reads as both fine art and structural composition. See a complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin Mosaic StainedGlass CustomArt FineArt DecorativeArt ArchitecturalArt StoneArt Craftsmanship BespokeDesign InteriorDesign WaterjetArt CustomInstallation designer…
    Someone's Always Home
    Designed, hand-painted, delivered, and installed a series of trompe l'oeil "window" murals lining the hallway of a memory care community, each offering a glimpse into a warm, cozy interior beyond. As residents pass by, the illusionary windows invite a gentle peek into inviting rooms — several with a dog or cat lounging contentedly — adding moments of comfort, familiarity, and quiet delight along the corridor. Created with evidence-based design principles in mind, the murals ease wayfinding and spark connection, transforming a clinical hallway into a reassuring, homelike environment. TrompeLoeil Mural MuralArt HandPainted Muralist MemoryCare SeniorLiving EnvironmentalArt EvidenceBasedDesign InteriorDesign FineArt Craftsmanship designer. see complete portfolio at https://www.twine.net/signin…
    Cass Gilbert mansion
    Restored and recreated the original hand-painted wall coverings throughout a late-1800s mansion designed by architect Cass Gilbert. Working from surviving fragments and historical evidence, conserved the intact decorative painting and rebuilt lost or damaged sections from scratch — matching the original palette, motifs, and period technique to return the interiors to their historic appearance. See a complete portfoplio at https://www.twine.net/signin HistoricRestoration DecorativePainting HandPainted MuralArt Muralist WallCoverings InteriorDesign HistoricPreservation FineArt Craftsmanship PeriodDesign…