A Subtle Illusion Preserves Pewabic’s Iconic Chimney

Pewabic Pottery
10125 E. Jefferson Ave.
Detroit
Sept. 3, 2026

Did anyone notice that one of the city’s most valued cultural treasures got a paint job earlier this summer?

It’s like failing to notice that your sweetheart did something new with their hair.

The chimney of Pewabic Pottery’s Jefferson Avenue headquarters is one of those low-key icons of Detroit. For years, it was adorned with oversized Pewabic tiles with their signature iridescent glaze. It was part billboard for their well-known product. It was part beacon and attraction on the city’s humble eastside skyline.

A photo of the tiles falling off of Pewabic’s chimney at their Jefferson Avenue headquarters.

Those tiles, however, were doomed. They were falling off and shattering on the ground below. It’s a costly and tiring thing to keep outfitting a building that dates back to 1907 with fresh tiles.

Kelly Golden uses the trompe l’oeil painting method to recreate Pewabic's iconic tiles on their chimney.

That’s where painters Sadie Heisler and Kelly Golden stepped in with a crafty solution.

Why not paint the chimney to imitate and recreate Pewabic tiles? No more cracked tiles. No more replacing them as they fell and shattered. Considering you can’t actually climb up and get up close to the tiles themselves, it’s a brilliant plan.

Soaring about Pewabic on a lift, Heisler and Golden used a trompe l’oeil approach. It’s an ancient decorative painting technique seen throughout the world where paint is used to create a visual illusion of depth.

Sadie Heisler uses the trompe l’oeil painting method to recreate Pewabic's iconic tiles on their chimney.

“This job was the perfect opportunity to implement this technique, to create a subtle illusion of those iconic ceramic tiles,” Heisler told Midbrow.

So subtle, in fact, that no one really noticed. That’s how convincing the paint job is.

It's a massive feather in the cap, however, for two painters who get to be part of Pewabic’s legacy. It’s also a clever approach to historic preservation that keeps the essence of their headquarters intact.

A detail of the paint job on Pewabic’s chimney.

“My favorite thing about working on historic buildings is how each structure is imbued with a singular personality and history,” says Heisler. “Throughout the process of working on a project, you become familiar with its past and form a connection with all the craftspeople who came before you. It was a true joy to honor Pewabic’s legacy!”

Here’s to bringing a little more notoriety to a crafty execution on the city’s east side.