The Station House Restaurant wants your seafood experience to be both experiential and sensory. And they want you to see it right up front.
That’s why the entrance to this iconic restaurant has been transformed into a vivid underwater dreamscape. Local artist Tom D’Auria was given the task of taking the sea and transporting it to dry land.
His illustrious seafaring mural is a visual passage beneath the sea’s mysterious landscape. The best part is that you don’t have to change clothing to take this deep dive.
That’s because D’Auria has painted a seascape that wraps around the building’s exterior and flows down the entrance ramp.
This seafaring wall is more than just a mural to D’Auria. “The mural is an immersive experience of marine life that matches the atmosphere and energy of the restaurant.”
But to D’Auria the sea is no mystery.
He grew up in Boynton Beach and lives in Lake Worth. Though he spends much of his time on land, he is deeply connected to the water that inspired his youth.
“As a born Floridian I explored the lakes and canals with friends.
As I got older, I drove up and down the coast; fishing from piers, jet-ties, or off the beach.”
He also grew up in a home where the walls were decorated with paintings created by his father and uncle. It is this artistic heritage that cast a spell over this young man. “I come from a long line of artists and craftsmen, and I was greatly influenced by it from an early age.”
D’Auria attended Bak Middle School of the Arts, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ringling College of Art and Design.
He has created artwork for Columbia Sportswear’s PFG line and paints murals throughout South Florida.
For The Station House Restaurant he brings the same fervor and artistic reverie to transport the sea to dry land.
He does that by blending realism and expressive brushwork and creates marine scenes with movement, texture and energy.
The underwater world comes alive with creatures suspended in motion with thematic and realistic colors.
Giant lobsters, tropical fish, coral reefs, sea turtles, sharks, octopus, and massive groupers move through the azure blue waters in front of you.
“I really wanted to create a dimensional mural on the walls so it feels like you’re actually standing on the floor of the ocean,” said D’Auria. “It’s not just a decorative wall. It’s a fully immersive experience.”
It sure is.
Despite structural obstacles and architectural elements, fish manage to glide around in D’Auria’s world. Coral formations frame the scene and a giant lobster guards the entrance, while sharks and tropical fish swirl through an imaginative ocean current.
Even the access ramp is part of this underwater journey as sea life winds its way toward the entrance. It transforms ordinary walls into an artistic composition.
Every surface had to be considered, D’Auria muses. “We figure out the exact sizing and scale beforehand so everything flows naturally together.”
Even the television was concealed by a custom panel and painted to blend in. Every structural element has also been integrated into the oceanic scene.
Known for his vivid expressionistic style, D’Auria blends realism and fantasy to create marine scenes with movement and energy. His underwater worlds are suspended in motion while layers of color create remarkable depth and atmosphere.
Like the lobsters served inside the restaurant, D’Auria himself is homegrown and adaptive.
This seascape project is a collaborative effort involving fellow artists Lauren and Nick. The longtime friends have known each other since childhood. All three studied visual arts under Patrick Fallon at Bak Middle School of the Arts. It was Fallon who recommended D’Auria for this mural, making the collaboration a meaningful full-circle moment.
Years later, those same artistic fundamentals helped bring one of D’Auria’s most ambitious mural projects to life.
D’Auria and his team meticulously prepared all surfaces before the painting began, an essential process in South Florida’s coastal climate.
The walls must be cleaned, sanded, and primed so the layers of durable acrylic paint properly adhere and withstand heat, humidity, and salt air.
The team then builds layers that create the mural’s atmospheric movement and dimensional quality.
Coral formations appear sculptural. Fish seem suspended in ocean currents. Shadows and highlights create the illusion of depth across every surface.
D’Auria credits the restaurant ownership for embracing the artistic vision from the beginning. “Working with a creative owner helps the process become so much more collaborative,” he said.
The transformation extends far beyond the mural itself.
The Station House has also undergone a facelift of sorts. The changes are designed to preserve the restaurant’s relaxed coastal spirit while modernizing the dining experience.
A longtime staple in Lantana for over 33 years, The Station House Restaurant is known for fresh Maine lobster, homemade seafood dishes, and more. Recent updates include new flooring, booths, stained-glass accents and refreshed interiors designed to create a more intimate atmosphere.
The restaurant also unveiled a new private dining space called the Ocean Room, that seats up to 65 guests for business meetings, family gatherings and special events.
This new marine-inspired room features textured wave-tiled walls, stained-glass details and a handcrafted wood bar. The ceiling follows the outdoor-indoor theme. Designed to resemble an open blue sky, the ceiling light shows drifting clouds and soft illumination.
General Manager Tim Kay said the renovations were intended to create a welcoming flow, while maintaining the restaurant’s approachable identity.
“It’s fine dining, but you can come in shorts and a T-shirt. We are always happy to serve you.”
In a city so deeply connected to boating, fishing and marine life, D’Auria’s mural resonates as both fantasy and familiarity.
It’s a vibrant love letter to the South Florida coast, and to the restaurant that bears witness to its culinary greatness.
THE STATION HOUSE RESTAURANT
(561) 801-5000
233 W Lantana Rd.
Lantana, Florida
thestationhouse.com
