When painter Sam Simon was young, he was fascinated by a porcelain deer figurine in his grandfather’s foyer, the type of kitsch object that now commands inflated prices in the antique shops lining East 9th Street.

That same deer currently resides on a bookshelf in Mr. Simon’s Chelsea home, “next to a sculpture of Gizmo,” and lives a kind of third life as a subject in the clever children’s murals that Mr. Simon has been painting since 1996 in residences from Boston to suburban New Jersey to the Upper West Side, as well as in commercial locales such as Macy’s and Toys ‘R’ Us.

Indeed, Mr. Simon’s ability to channel his inner child – with a dash of downtown flamboyance added to the mix – may very well be the key to his success. Mr. Simon’s stylistic imprint is part 1930s-era children’s illustration and part 1960s groove – imagine Dick and Jane wandering into Wallpaper magazine.

“I grew up in the 1970s,” the 33-year-old artist said. “But because my brother and sister were seven and eight years older than me, I had a lot of children’s books from the ’60s hanging around. And that aesthetic really affected me – even the look of the “Brady Bunch” house, which, coincidentally, looked like the house I grew up in.”

Mr. Simon began as a student of animation and video production at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which led to internships at Disney and MTV. But Mr. Simon decided that animation wasn’t his calling. “I just didn’t have the patience,” he said. Focusing instead on mural painting, to promote his work Mr. Simon would draw chalk murals in front of toy stores in his native Boston, for free, then stand by and give out his number to “anyone who would talk to me.” Business grew steadily and was helped by a high profile commission from Bellini Baby and Teen Furniture, a job that helped Mr. Simon make a move to New York in 1999.

His path to success wasn’t without its challenges. Soon after Mr. Simon arrived in New York, he showed his portfolio to Patricia Field, the downtown clothier who added her sartorial imprimatur to “Sex and the City” as stylist. She “made me feel like a bug,” he recalled. “My designs were a lot less sophisticated back then,” Mr. Simon admitted.

Fortunately, others admired Mr. Simon’s murals, and his business has been a success. Besides his site-specific work, Mr. Simon also produces a line of customizable paintings on canvas, which are available in the children’s section of ABC Carpet & Home as well as through the painter himself. The canvas pieces start at $250-$300, although one unusually large painting at ABC sells for $2,800.

Mr. Simon’s services can also be commissioned through Bellini Baby and Teen Furniture’s Manhattan, Stamford, Conn.; Scarsdale, N.Y.; and Long Island stores. Prices for Mr. Simon’s site-specific murals depend on the size and complexity of the project, but generally start at $1,000.

Children’s murals make up the bulk of Mr. Simon’s business, but he’s also does general painting projects, such as creating graphic stripes lining a hallway or wildflower detailing around a country-house fireplace. Stylistically, he’s flexible. But he won’t do everything. “I’ve walked away from several jobs that wasn’t a good match, or it was a project I wasn’t excited about,” he says. For example? “Somebody who wants a big Barney on their wall. Or sports. I won’t paint sports unless I can treat them in some really abstract, design-y way – or, like, paint them pink.”

Mr. Simon’s clients seem to be tickled by his creations – though it’s often years before they can express their appreciation. “I tend to work with a lot of expecting parents, and I get many, many letters from mothers telling me that their child’s first word is something I’ve painted on their wall. Or if I’ve painted a tree with three different animals in it, it’ll become the child’s ritual to say goodnight to them before going to sleep.”

When prodded to define his typical client, Mr. Simon responded, “a Charlotte” – meaning the marriage-minded art-lover played by Kristen Davis on “Sex and the City.” “And occasionally I’ll get a Carrie,” Mr. Simon said, alluding to the more adventurous character played in that series by Sarah Jessica Parker. “Actually, she’s usually an ex-Carrie.”

“I love my clients,” he said. “And if they’re mean to me, I have a way of getting really busy.”

Mr. Simon’s resourcefulness is reminiscent of his professed idol, Andy Warhol. “I think he’s brilliant,” he said. Mr. Simon’s other inspirations include Japanese anime, Art Deco design, and Dolly Parton. “I just love her her brightness, her great energy, and her courage to like things that are beautiful and fun. I think she might be turning into my spiritual guru – I’m not sure,” he said.

Mr. Simon can be reached at 212-358-3435 and through www.samsimonprojects.com. “But I’m psychic,” Mr. Simon said, “so you can think about me really hard and I’ll just show up.”