Hand Painted Sign Studio in the Midlands, UK
Murals, Store front, Seasonal windows & Private Commissions.
I’m Allie. I’m the one who paints the signs.
This is the bit where I’m meant to tell you about myself, which I always find a bit awkward. I never really know what people want to know. Do you want my qualifications? A neat little timeline? Or just to know that I’m a real person who will turn up, paint your shop front properly and generally be nice to work with?
So let’s do it like this.
Maybe we’re chatting while I’m painting your window.
I’m a traditional sign painter. I paint by hand. Shop fronts, windows, murals, boards and bespoke signage for businesses and brands. Yes, I do use one of those funny sticks. It’s called a mahl stick and I lean on it so my hand stays steady. It looks odd but it works.
I’ve been self employed for over twelve years. I started out in lettering and calligraphy and for a long time that was my main thing. That work took me to some really great places. I worked with brands like Jo Malone, La Mer, Radley and All Saints, travelled around the UK for events and ran modern calligraphy workshops for about eight years.
A few years ago I made a very intentional shift. I stepped away from wedding calligraphy and leaned fully into signwriting. It felt like coming home. Slower. More physical. More rooted. Work that lives in real places and becomes part of people’s everyday lives.
Life looks a bit different now too. My kids are older and so is my business. I’m steadier than I used to be. More confident in my decisions. Much clearer about the work I want to do and the people I want to work with. I know what I’m good at and I care a lot about doing it properly.
I’ve got two children, Pollyanna and Evelyn. I’ve also got a partner, Luke. He’s a photographer, so our house is full of conversations about light, composition and why there is always something charging on the kitchen side.
When I’m not working, I read a lot. Mostly murder mysteries. I knit too. Yes, I probably did make the jumper I’m wearing.
Allie Paints Signs is built on care, craft and connection. I believe hand painted signage brings warmth and personality to a business in a way nothing mass produced ever can. Whether it’s a shop front, a mural or a single board, I treat every piece as something that deserves time, attention and respect.
If you’re looking for a hand painted sign writer who values quality, honesty and doing things properly, you’re in the right place.
Who am I?
Why do you need a hand painted sign?
What is it about hand painted that makes it so special?
(aside from supporting traditional methods)
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Hand-painted signs? Oh, they’ve got so much more personality than vinyl ones ever could. They’re like little pieces of art, crafted with love and care, meant to stick around for the long haul. You’ve seen those ghost signs, right? The faded ads on old buildings—beautifully weathered, with that charming, vintage vibe that makes you stop and stare. They’ve got history, they tell a story.
Now, compare that to those vinyl letters you see slapped on buildings today. You know the ones—curling at the edges, ripped, and looking sad after just a few seasons. They’re here today, gone tomorrow, and honestly? They don’t hold a candle to the character of hand-painted work. A good painted sign doesn’t just survive; it ages with grace. It becomes part of the place, like it’s always belonged there. Vinyl? It’s just... disposable.
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When you’re creating by hand, directly onto a surface—whether that’s slapping paint right onto a wall or working on a custom-cut piece of dibond to pop up later—you’ve got this amazing superpower: flexibility. You’re not locked into a design that looked good on a screen but suddenly feels off in real life. Nope, you’re in the moment, seeing how things fit, and making it work.
Need to nudge a letter over here? Boom, done. Realize mid-paint that the vibe needs a little more oomph? No problem. It’s all about rolling with it, making changes on the spot to keep everything looking sharp and, more importantly, working for the customer. It’s like being a sign-making ninja—ready to adapt, adjust, and deliver perfection without breaking a sweat.
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Honestly, you’d be surprised at what you can paint on. Got a wall with chips and cracks? No worries—that’s just character waiting to be embraced. I can work with it, and if we’re feeling fancy, we can even turn those imperfections into part of the design. Cracks? They’re basically free texture!
Textured walls, corrugated surfaces—bring it on. If paint can stick, I can make it work. Heck, the quirks of a surface are half the fun. It’s like a creative challenge. Smooth and flat is great, sure, but give me something with a bit of personality, and I’ll show you how even the roughest wall can look incredible. Who needs perfection when you’ve got creativity?
