Bixler Smith Studios is a full service art studio that specializes in decorative painting and design from paint applications to stained glass and commissioned art. Bixler Smith has served the DC Metropolitan area for over 20 years. We provide custom murals, custom mixed colors, faux finishes and designs that are suitable for walls, ceilings, and floors for commercial buildings, hospitality and restoration. We provide to contractors and interior designers with services for their specific jobs. These finishes can be applied to virtually any substrate. Bixler Smith uses paints and finishing products that are "green" compliant, therefore your project will not harm the environment and in most cases we can work during normal business hours.

Bixler Smith Studios takes great pride in maintaining a high level of integrity as we put forth every effort to meet difficult schedules to ensure client satisfaction.

Anna & Joan project manage their staff of fully accredited artists and faux specialists, the possibilities are endless!

Meet Joan Bixler

Joan is a native Washingtonian who now lives in Virginia and has watched the growth of the area since she was a small child.

Joan attended Georgia State University then came home to complete her studies in Commercial Art at American University. She credits those days of cutting, pasting and lining up artwork that forced her attention to detail. She has been fascinated with color and how a color is made of many colors. Understanding color is very important to help our clients make the right decision the first time.

Joan started out doing high-end residences for owners that appreciate painted foliage and flowing fabric. Joan started her company, JM Associates, in 1983 when she painted a trompe l’oeil powder room making it look like built-in panels for NSO Designers’ Show House. For the next 20 years she designed & executed her own work before merging with Anna.

“Joan is one of the best people I have worked with” says Clare Pellerito. She created a garden effect for my morning room by duplicating the stone of our existing fireplace on ajacent wall that matched perfectly. (Featured in Spaces magazine).

Over the years Joan has been asked to paint many things, but the funniest thing she has been asked to paint was a request that Bixler Smith paint rocks at the resort in Loudon, Virginia. The fake boulders actually turned out beautiful and truly looked like actual rocks.

Anna Torre-Smith was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale getting her BA in Graphic Design. Anna's passion has always been color and finishes with color so she was able to combine her art design talent into her own business in 1992 when she opened "Faux Happenings". In 2000 she expanded her business to include "Faux Happenings Institute" where she taught classes, sold products and services for clients of Faux Happenings.

Anna has enjoyed many of the projects she has done over the past 15 years, but the project that stands out the most in her career is the work she did and directed on restoration of Georgetown University's many murals and frescos dating back to the late 1800's.

Anna does research and develops the products for each project; using her skills for color matching and problem solving.

Joan & Anna are trying a new product line in Torranto, Canada - ADICOLOR