A Toronto artist is aiming to tackle the homelessness crisis by beautifying neighbourhood homes and businesses across the city — one brushstroke at a time.
Lee Romberg is the creative mind behind “Painted Doors of Toronto,” a new venture that raises money for homeless shelters through the design and installation of carefully crafted door art and wall murals.
Romberg, a full-time artist, works with homeowners and businesses to customize an expressive concept that suits the property’s particular needs and surroundings. Pop culture tributes, geometric patterns and bold designs have been slowly popping up around downtown since he began unleashing his work after COVID-19 restrictions lifted.
Whether he’s painting front doors, sheds, garages, retail doors, or wall murals — both interior and exterior — Romberg said each piece is completely unique and never duplicated.
“A door is very personal, so my job is to come up with something cool and appropriate for the surroundings, the space and the people,” he told TorontoToday. “That can range from sophisticated and elegant in a design context, or it can be whimsical and fun.”
“I ask a lot of questions of people if they’re open to it, because the more I understand of them — the better I can do,” he added.
As part of the citywide initiative, 15 per cent of the profit Romberg makes from every commission gets donated to a shelter in or around the customer’s neighbourhood.
A recent study from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario found that more than 80,000 people are experiencing homelessness across the province — up at least 25 per cent since 2022.
As TorontoToday reported last week, the city’s warming centres have been operating at or near maximum capacity since the start of the year. Meanwhile, more than 800,000 families in the GTA are currently experiencing poverty, according to United Way Greater Toronto.
Recognizing the issue has gotten far out of hand, Romberg felt compelled to do something about it.
“This project started from a frustration of seeing the sheer presence and prevalence of the growing problem of homelessness,” he said. “[Painted Doors] is a win-win for everybody. It beautifies a person’s space while helping, in some small way, this prevalent problem that doesn’t seem to be getting better.”
Drawing since he was five, Romberg has fond memories of taking painting and sculpting classes at the Art Gallery of Ontario throughout his childhood and teenage years. He eventually had the opportunity to provide instruction there.
Advised by his parents not to pursue art professionally, much of Romberg’s adult life was spent working in other creative industries like film and fashion. Art took a backseat for a significant portion of his life as floor art became a hobby on the side.
But when the pandemic put the world on pause in 2020, he had the chance to reflect on what made him happiest in life. It wasn’t long after that Romberg rediscovered his true calling.
“At my core, I am an artist,” he said. “With a bit of rebellion involved, I had to relearn and reacquaint with the things I was dissuaded from doing. I started [these installations] about three years ago with the skills from throughout my whole life.”
Evident in many of Romberg’s commissions is his love for pop culture. Recreating iconic movie scenes and bringing nostalgic video games to life fuels his passion for the craft, and ultimately, the fight to eliminate homelessness in Toronto.
“I’m a music and film lover, so a lot of my work by default would be inspired in some way by that,” he said. “Throwbacks, video games — it can build from that. On the other hand, it doesn’t always lend itself to the space. A lot of my work tends to get geometrical and very painstaking, but worth it in the end because it looks very striking.”
Romberg recalled one of his bigger projects where he had the chance to design and paint a Dire Straits love mural at a music store in The Beaches.
“I thought, ‘Nobody had seen these characters in forever, wouldn’t it be cool to have them?’ A lot of people in that neighbourhood are of the age who would have remembered that band, so they were really jazzed by it. That’s the reaction I want — it has to be spectacular,” he said.
Eventually, Romberg would like to develop a map that tracks all the painted doors and murals he’s completed since he returned to Toronto’s art scene three years ago.
Residents interested in having their door or wall commissioned can contact Romberg for more information. Pricing depends on the level of detail, amount of coverage and surface prep requirements, he said.
“It takes a village — and it starts with you,” he said. “Anything is possible, and I love a challenge. I want more beauty around, and this is a great chance to do that where everybody benefits.”
