PublishedSep 26, 2019 4:38 PM EDT (a truly fowl day for design)
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. (Birds of a feather shop together.)
Sign Up for Domino’s Newsletter (it’s a hoot—or a chirp, if you will)
By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to ourTerms of Useand acknowledge the data practices in ourPrivacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. (You’re free as a bird.)
It takes a seriously well-groomed eye to layer lucite accents, an antique-inspired gilded mirror, and bird-emblazoned wallpaper into 190 square feet—andDee Murphypulled it off with the kind of aplomb that makes the rest of us look like amateurs.
The LA-based designer’s signature is a modern-meets-vintage mashup that produces the kind of effortlessly collected spaces you assumed only existed in the fever dreams of coolCalifornia homes. But while her aesthetic usually tips its hat to her beloved home state, Murphy swiped inspiration from an entirely different locale when dreaming up her dining room: Paris. (Ooh la la, indeed.)
“Our house feels like a European apartment, so I really leaned into the structure of the building and its age as my inspiration,” she explains, referencing the 1920-era home. “You could call it ‘modern vintage Parisian eclectic’—which is a mouthful, but it works.”
Murphy set out to craft a whimsical, warm space that straddled the line between fancy (it is a formal dining room, after all) and livable (it’s also where her family of four inhales every meal). Feeling bold enough to inject some color against the neutral spaces surrounding it, she yanked in pops of pigment from every direction. Shades of blue, swiped from the adjacent living room, set the base, while unexpected blush-pink curtains bring a softer edge. It’s a regular color-party in there.
Beyond the home’s architecture, the wallpaper was Murphy’s other great muse. She knew from the get-go that walls would get papered, and when it came to the pattern, she had a very specific vision. “If you follow my work, you’ll spot a common theme in my wallpaper choices: birds,” she says. “My grandmother had an affinity for them, and I think she passed the obsession down to me. This Cole & Son pattern hit all the right notes, and I was basically delighted the moment it went up.”
The wallpaper sets the tone for the dining room with eerie perfection. Eclectic without being dysfunctional, playful without crossing into ‘kindergarten classroom,’ it anchors a space that’s all about the artful juxtaposition.
Most notably, there’s a serious mashup of vintage and contemporary going on. A sleek acrylic console sits mere inches from mid-century modern wooden chairs. Beneath the aforementionedParisian-inspired gilded mirrorperches a vintage geometric Italian lamp, which throws perfectly pitched shade at the room’s other light fixture—a modern glass chandelier. They’re the odd couple, and they’re thriving.
According to Murphy, the secret to effortlessly mixing old and new is actually slowing down to understand what you already have—and how the newbies will play with it. “I really pay attention to the materials and textures that are either already in the space or that could be an important missing piece of the aesthetic puzzle,” she explains. (In other words: don’t just panic-buy a lamp.)
For example, the dining chairs may be a mix of old and new, but matching wood tones keep the whole gang feeling cohesive. The acrylic console and chandelier were new additions, deliberately chosen to bring the drama without stealing the spotlight from the pattern-heavy pieces. “Lucite and glass are easy ways to add some drama but in a minimal and noncompetitive way,” she recommends. Take notes, people.
While Murphy is hard-pressed to pick a favorite corner (“It’s the only room I haven’t gone back to and restyled,” she admits—one of us, please), one final detail demands attention: thelayered rugs. Neatly centered in the room, they tie the whole scene together with one last flourish of juxtaposition.
“It’s one of the first things people notice when they visit my house,” says Murphy, who notes that one of her most-asked design questions is, quite predictably, how to layer rugs without making it look like a garage sale explosion.
The solution? Go natural. “I absolutely love a textured, somewhat chunky, natural fiber rug underneath any other style—it adds instant warmth and softness. Just make sure it’s large enough so that you have enough of a border around the top piece to make a statement,” she says. “For the dining room, make sure the top rug is a flat weave so you can easily vacuum up the crumbs and clean up the chaos from all that foot traffic.” Practicality: activated.
Layered rugs, layered colors, and layered aesthetics: Murphy’s space has to be one of the coolestdining roomswe’ve ever laid eyes on. We’re officially obsessed—and not even a little sorry about it.
See more on blending old and new (because clearly you’re hooked now):A 1925 Colonial Home Gets an Uber-Modern Face-LiftUnexpected Pops of Color and Vintage Treasures Complete This Chicago HomeHow One UK Blogger Expertly Blends Old and New
Elly enjoys covering anything from travel to funky design (tubular furniture, anyone?) to the latestcultural trend. Her dream apartment would exist on the Upper West Side and include a plethora of mismatched antique chairs, ceramic vessels, and floor-to-ceiling bookcases—essential to her goal of becoming a poor man’s Nora Ephron. You can probably find her in line at Trader Joe’s. You will never, ever find her at SoulCycle.
Learn more about Domino.comEditorial Standards (yes, we have them)
