When a young couple asked designer Christina Henck, owner of Henck Design, to tackle their home in a historic Philadelphia neighborhood, she pulled out all the stops. See how her approach to this bedroom presents a study in contrasts.
1. Creating a functional space with plenty of storage and cozy textures were major considerations for this master bedroom. The clients vocalized a wish for a comfortable atmosphere and some great case pieces to stash her fabulous off-season wardrobe. My team and I elevated the space with soft elements that feel very reassuring. Plush rugs, upholstered goods and delicate textiles really complete the space to give a soft, clean look.
2. My design approach for this space in a word? Contrast. Contrasting elements like smooth versus fluffy give a tactile satisfaction. Light and dark tones keep the eye moving around the room, which prevents the space from growing stale over time, and warm walnut wood tones offset the deep blue walls with a warm-versus-cool complementary color story. I wanted to create a space that was energetic without being too over the top. There’s a lot of movement in the art, wood grains and even the rug that resembles a white marble look, which continues flowing patterns in the space.
3. There’s a lot going on in this room, so it was critical to balance elements with scale. A space can become overwhelming and out of balance when there’s too many small elements. I had to make sure that the strong focal points in my design were subtle in their delivery, so as not to disrupt. Every item I specified for this space was a little oversized to fit the proportions of the expansive room. Once I knew that contrast was the key, and what my palette was for the space, I really focused on layering. Instead of using a typical furniture layout, I really wanted to layer pieces, one in front of the other. The most important part of my process is making sure that elements in my interiors unfold to tell a story. That’s what I’m really here to do.
