“I just got sucked in when I saw a guy doing gold leaf on a window in downtown Los Angeles,” says Pat Nunnari, founder of King Street Sign Co. “It mesmerized me. I was doing branding and animation at the time, and I’ve always had an eye for typography, so I took a course. I linked up with an old-time sign painter, and he showed me the ropes early on.”
With an MFA in graphic design and a deep hatred of vinyl signs in his back pocket, Newburgh native Nunnari was well-positioned to launch his vintage signage company when he moved back east from California in 2013. In his hometown, a Liberty Street renaissance was afoot and opportunities to upgrade branding abounded.
“When I got back here, I didn’t want to stay in Newburgh,” Nunnari admits. “It was sort of an interim thing.” But then he met his wife and the both of them launched businesses locally (he signs, she eyelashes), and over a decade later he hasn’t left. “Now I feel really tied,” he says.
Those early days of King Street were humble—just Nunnari in rented studio space at Atlas Industries, a small collection of brushes, and a can of 1 Shot paint. But the city’s business corridor was changing fast. “As Liberty Street grew, there was a need for signage instead of companies just putting up shitty vinyl,” he says. “It was a good opportunity to expand on traditional hand-painted signage.”
Gilded Age
King Street Sign Co. found its first major moment through now-iconic Newburgh bar/restaurant Ms. Fairfax. “The owner was talking to a friend and casually asked, ‘Do you know anyone that does gold gilding?’ and my friend said, ‘As a matter of fact, I know a guy.’” The bar happened to be just steps from his studio. “That was the beginning of signage in Newburgh,” he says. From there, commissions cascaded down Liberty Street and across the bridge to Beacon—restaurants, wine shops, cafes, and boutiques. “It all made for good expansion on what at the time was just me in my studio trying to get it to be something.”
Though many of the original businesses Nunnari made signs for have been replaced, the momentum they generated propelled King Street beyond city limits. “It’s grown way outside of Newburgh,” he says. “Now we’re in most of the Hudson Valley and now a bit into the city too.” Recent work includes a gelato shop in Kingston, Moonrise Bagels in New York City, and an ever-expanding roster in Beacon. “We’ve done Wonderbar, The Station, Piggy Bank, Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company, Witch Hazel, Stella’s, The Chisel barber shop and salon, Moreish,” he says. “Driving down Main Street is like a real-time, live portfolio—it’s pretty cool.”
Among the dozens of projects, one stands above the rest: Graceland Tattoo in Wappingers Falls. “We painted everything—from wall signage to windows, gold leaf, big stuff,” Nunnari says. “A classic, traditional tattoo shop—that is my favorite.”
Starts with a Sketch
Today, King Street offers a full suite of old-school craftsmanship: gold leaf, hand-painted signage, wall murals, hanging blade signs, contour-cut wooden logos, and commercial vehicle lettering. “Flatbed trucks, trailers, whatever you need,” he adds. The studio has also produced some of Newburgh’s most recognizable public art, including the Welcome to Newburgh mural created with community organizer and cultural center The Fullerton. “That was a huge one,” he says of the massive mural.
Long before ending on a wall, window, or shingle, the design process begins on paper. “I’ll hand-sketch on 11-by-17 and scan it into the computer so I can put together a digital mockup for them to approve,” Nunnari explains. While he draws heavily from traditional lettering styles, he doesn’t impose a single aesthetic. “I do like to apply my own twist on things, though I try and meet in the middle,” Nunnari says. Many clients arrive with standard computer fonts—too generic and out-of-the-box for his taste. “I do try and heighten their design if needed.” Instead, in most cases, he creates custom lettering that clients can later use across apparel, branding, and merchandise.
Speaking of merch, in 2020, Nunnari and his wife purchased Newburgh custom apparel company Colorcube, which he now runs out of the same studio as King Street. “If we just painted a client’s storefront, they have the option to expand to custom apparel with screenprinting and embroidery since I already have their graphics,” he says. “King Street and Colorcube are two stand-alone brands, but they complement each other really nicely.”
Deeper into Tradition
These days he is leaning even deeper into tradition. “I want to push reverse glass signs. I want to expand to glue-chip signs. I want to expand in a backwards way and do even more traditional, antiquated styles of signage to keep it all alive.” Back to the drawing board, literally. “I’m so sick of working on the computer,” Nunnari says. “I love the idea of drawing out a sign and bringing it to life in a more traditional way.”
He credits much of his training to generous craftspeople—Los Angeles sign painters who passed down knowledge from LA Trade Tech, and Bob Gamache, a New York gold gilder who let him film and take notes while he worked. “He basically showed me everything I know,” Nunnari says. Gold leaf, he admits, is still “brutal” for beginners. “But once you get the hang of it, it’s totally fine.” In carrying on the tradition of artisan apprenticeship, he has taught everything he knows to freelance sign painter Corradina Medulla of Vandal Sign Co. over the past four years.
For Nunnari, signage is more than commercial decoration—it’s a craft rooted in history, patience, personality, and place. “I think vinyl signage sucks,” he says, pulling no punches. “To have a hand-done aspect applied to your storefront or brand adds so much more of a genuine feel.”
