Elegant Chinoiserie Mural Stars in a Master Bedroom
A mix of whimsy and tailored elements creates a peaceful balance
Interior designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch’s master bedroom fit that old saying about the cobbler’s kids with no shoes. After living in the 1940s colonial house for eight years without touching it, she finally got around to tackling the room, which lacked storage and had a lot of unused space. A custom-painted chinoiserie wall adds a strong and surprising design statement, while new storage strategies make great use of the dead space.
Hirsch had collaborated with artist Patrick Ganino many times in the past, so she put a lot of trust in his talents when it came to the chinoiserie wall. “It’s a different take on a floral look,” she says. Ganino completed the work on three canvas panels to fit along the entire headboard wall, adding details that fit within the furniture layout. While she let him know how regimented and detailed the painting should be and gave him the trim color to match, she also gave him a lot of creative leeway.
Symmetry around the bed balances out the branches on the wall. The Arteriors Home lamps have an updated midcentury modern look, with color and scale that fit the room just right.
The bed is custom with a linen headboard and gunmetal nailheads. The clean-lined bed and bedding add a look that’s tailored yet romantic, without distracting from the mural.
Browse table lamps by style in the Houzz Shop
The bed is custom with a linen headboard and gunmetal nailheads. The clean-lined bed and bedding add a look that’s tailored yet romantic, without distracting from the mural.
Browse table lamps by style in the Houzz Shop
The couple already had the mercury glass nightstands, which provide a ton of storage. “They are basically filled with stacks of architectural magazines,” Hirsch says. She replaced the original wood tops with travertine marble to lighten up the look and add a more durable surface.
“I am usually not a dumpster-diving type, but I saw this chair on the curb with a ‘Please take’ sign on it years ago,” Hirsch says. Drawn to its midcentury lines and scale, she sent her husband to pick it up. They swiped it from another room in the house and re-refurbished it for the bedroom in a gunmetal gray paint and a Maharam fabric. Along with a modern floor lamp and small side table, the once-dead corner has become a comfortable reading nook.
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“Our room is long and had a lot of space we weren’t using,” Hirsch says. A lack of storage had plagued the couple for years, so she wanted to make the most of the dead space. Across from the foot of the bed is a large linen-wrapped sideboard that serves as a dresser. A wonderful vintage bureau the designer fell in love with provided inspiration for two new dressers, custom designed to fit in right under the eaves and painted to match the trim. A custom tufted white bench provides contrast and a window seat between them. Simple matchstick window treatments add texture without taking too much attention away from the other elements.
“I wanted something that was modern but had a different detail,” Hirsch says of the dressers. Her woodworker created the grooves with a router, and they give the pieces just a bit of Art Deco flair. She opted for simple gunmetal drawer pulls so as not to distract from these details.
One of the dressers meets the headboard wall mural, with leaves from the branches tucking just behind it.
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Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Dream Bedroom
Read other stories about bedrooms
Shop for bedroom products
Master Bedroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch and her husband, Keith Hirsch
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
“We love to sleep in complete darkness and are comforted by dark and moody colors,” Hirsch says. Gunmetal and silvery grays paired with white create a balanced and soothing palette, while a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallcovering with a subtle metallic sheen adds texture. Hirsch replaced the hardwood floor with soft wool carpeting.
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