Rooms Wrapped in Famous Paintings is Jon Rafman’s Brand New Paint Job (BNPJ) series, in which digital artist Jon Rafman covers 3D interiors, cars and furniture with the work of modern masters. It began as a blog around 2010, used amateur models from Google’s 3D Warehouse, and was shown at The Armory Show in New York from March 6 to 9, 2014.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist | Jon Rafman, Canadian digital artist |
| Project | BNPJ, or Brand New Paint Job |
| Method | Famous paintings applied as wallpaper, drapes or carpet to 3D models from Google 3D Warehouse |
| Earliest dated examples | 2010 (Modigliani Tavern, Keith Haring Lobby, Jasper Johns Oval Office) |
| Gallery shows | The Photographers’ Gallery, London, January to March 2013; The Armory Show, New York, March 2014 |
| Website | brandnewpaintjob.com |
The art on the walls
We see art every day without realizing it, and we are used to famous paintings hanging on museum walls. Rafman asks what happens when the painting becomes the wall. In BNPJ he uses modern paintings to wrap entire rooms, and the results are titled like a real estate listing gone wrong: Modigliani Tavern, Keith Haring Lobby, Juan Gris Study, Jasper Johns Oval Office, Matisse Boy’s Room and El Lissitzky Video Editing Suite, among other 2010 and 2011 works. Our original set of rooms featured painters such as Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marc Chagall and Picasso, with Monet among the inspirations.
The rooms are 3D models taken from Google’s 3D Warehouse, an online library where people who use the SketchUp modeling tool upload and share their projects. Rafman does not build the rooms himself. He selects objects and interiors, then covers them with paintings as wallpaper, shrink-wrap, drapes or carpets. The model library is still around: SketchUp now offers it as 3D Warehouse.
How the rooms look
Quite modern and avant-garde. A lot of color is used to create these rooms, with strong yellows against electric blue and fresh white. Soft pinks and reds give some of them warmth while mixing with the stronger colors. Not every room is bright: the artist also plays with darker blues and greys, and uses lines to build texture across the surfaces.
Rafman’s work centers on what art means in the contemporary world. He says:
“I’m exploring the line between art and design”
The designer describes the project as:
“BNPJ Interiors started off as a play on interior design chic”
“Historically, the greatest fear of the painter was that his work would become design objects.”
That last line is the joke. Rafman takes the painter’s nightmare and turns it into a house tour. Would you study in such a colorful and busy room, or ride a psychedelic train?
Where the work was shown
A reworked version of the project, titled Brand New Brand New Paint Job, ran at The Wall in The Photographers’ Gallery in London from January 18 to March 25, 2013. Our original coverage also placed his work at The Armory Show in New York from March 6 to 9, 2014.
The artist is well known for his Google Street View photos, the project called 9-Eyes. He has also shown at major biennials and museums. Check out more of his work on his official website.
What do you think of the rooms? We hope you enjoyed the article, and do not forget to share it with your friends.
FAQ
Who made the rooms wrapped in famous paintings?
Canadian digital artist Jon Rafman made them as part of his Brand New Paint Job (BNPJ) series.
Where do the 3D rooms come from?
They are amateur models from Google’s 3D Warehouse, a library where SketchUp users share their models. Rafman applies famous paintings to them.
Which painters appear in the rooms?
The series includes works after Modigliani, Keith Haring, Juan Gris, Jasper Johns, Matisse and El Lissitzky, and our original coverage listed Bacon, Basquiat, Chagall, Picasso and Monet.
When was the project shown?
At The Photographers’ Gallery in London from January to March 2013 and at The Armory Show in New York from March 6 to 9, 2014.
Is the project a real interior design product?
No. It is an artwork about the line between art and design. The rooms are digital images.
Last updated: October 2026.
