If you take a walk around South London, chances are you’ll pass a shop sign created by Trin Brierley – a local sign painter who designs and paints bespoke signs entirely by hand.
Based in a studio in Peckham, Trin discovered her love for sign-making whilst working as a professional mural artist.
Drawn to the precision of hand-painted letterforms and the allure of gold leaf, she soon set her sights on turning the hobby into a full-time practice.
Pubs, restaurants and small businesses approach Trin for a truly unique and high-quality transformation – with a shop’s signage often being the very first thing people see.
Traditional hand-painted signs are far more durable than modern vinyl surfaces, which took over traditional sign-writing 30 years ago but peel and deteriorate over time. Using high-grade sign-writing enamels, Trin chooses quality.
She describes hand-painted signs as a welcome tribute to the traditional method of sign making, offering artistry and uniqueness all in one.
Trin also incorporates touches of 23ct gold leaf for a more premium finish, another traditional process prized for its longevity. Once applied to a shop front, gold leaf remains fixed in place and the only way to remove it is to paint over it entirely- in this sense, her signs are built to last.
Also drawn to bold colours and patterns, her work is unmissable on the High Street.
Originally from Barry in South Wales, Trin’s first love was textiles. She moved to Telegraph Hill ten years ago for a screen-printing role, settling near the much-loved Skehan’s pub.
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In 2021, she took her sign business full time, after starting up during lockdown when she would make inviting A-boards for pubs and restaurants needing to display lockdown information.
She shared: “It’s been an amazing way to meet people in the community, especially when Covid was happening. It started as pay what you can afford and grew from that.
“There’s something about drawing letters,” she continued. “There are rules, but also no rules as the same time. There’s always so much to learn.”
One of her favourite projects to date is Bespoke Windows in East Dulwich. Entirely hand-designed, Trin describes the commission ‘a learning curve and a big challenge’, but one she took on with enthusiasm.
Bespoke Windows’ finished sign features white gold lettering, with a subtle three-dimensional effect running through the centre of each letter.
Asked how the process works, Trin says it varies. Some businesses come to Trin with an idea of what they are looking for, but others give her creative licence to make her own interpretation.
Her work includes Chilli and Garlic in East Dulwich – a bold electric orange, green and white fascia featuring gold leaf detailing and a hand-painted window splash.
She has also worked on Vintique, a mid-century antiques shop, creating bespoke, hand-designed lettering painted directly onto a bright blue brick wall.
Near Battersea Park, London Recumbents commissioned Trin to produce a range of hand-drawn and painted signs, each cut, finished and applied entirely by hand.
A lot of businesses start out with a simple A-board, one of the triangular signs that stands outside a shopfront. Others,opt for more elaborate fascia signage.
Trin mainly works solo, but has a handful of trusted people within the sign writing community whom she can call upon for extra hands.
Simple designs can take just half a day, whereas more complex designs with 3D lettering and drop shadows may take a couple.
Although she does spend a lot of time up a ladder, a large part of the working week is also spent prepping enamel, sketching design and preparing equipment in her Peckham studio. Her approach offers a welcome return to craftsmanship in an increasingly uniform high street.
After a decade in South London, Trin says she loves calling the area home – with her vibrant, hand-painted signs now forming a vital and characterful part of the local streetscape.
To enquire about signage options, contact [email protected].
@trin.paints.signs
www.trinbrierley.com
