A Work of Art

Design by Murphy Maude Interiors | Story by Terri Glazer | Photography by Annabella Charles

“It was important to us to show that design can be accessible; it's not just for the very rich or very few.” These words were Leslie Murphy’s guiding principle as she furnished the Art Haus in the recent Vesta Home Show. 

The house represented a departure from those in previous shows; the John Duke Homes entry came in at just over 3,600 square feet. The size of all five houses built for this year’s installment of the annual Vesta Home Show was more modest than in the past, when floor plans often doubled that number.

Murphy, the owner and creative director of Murphy Maude Interiors, says the name Art Haus came about at the start of the design process as she made a commitment to include a creative work in each room. She says, “There’s something either from a collaborative artist who we work with or a piece from our new textiles line that is based on original and local art; there’s a little bit of art or something through the lens of art in every room.”

Built around collaborating with partners in the Memphis art community, Mable Originals is named for her grandmother, Murphy says. “Mable taught me that everything should have a heart and a soul. Don't just throw a picture on the wall, allow it to have some meaning and give the layers to the space that give it a personality and show some history.”

Simple, unadorned lines and a black-and-white palette with natural wood accents set the mood on the home’s exterior, creating a clean and bright backdrop for artistic design. The gallery-like feel surrounds visitors from the first step inside the iron-and-glass front door, where a marble tile floor inlay dresses up the scene. Murphy says the contemporary take on a classic design element adds a bit of elegance. “The house has a more casual, open plan, but we wanted to give this entryway something special and a unique little pop.” 

Drama comes from the ceiling, lined with a custom wallpaper in atmospheric white, gray and black shades. The mural began as a watercolor created by one of Murphy Maude’s in-house artists. The firm’s art department enlarged the painting and turned it into a repeat, giving birth to a product that can now be recreated for other clients in custom colors. The pattern, along with other wall coverings, murals and giclee prints of some of the original paintings found in Art Haus are available through Mable Originals, the newly launched sister company to Murphy Maude.

The entryway blends into the dining room, where more interest comes from an arched alcove on the far wall. The niche is painted in Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams, one of a group of saturated colors that reappears throughout the decor. “We worked to pull the deep, dark blues and grays across the whole home,” says Murphy, pointing out that the blues in this palette are not the same ones that have been used time and again in recent design. “We’ve seen blue cabinets for a while, but not this dark, almost gray navy tone. It feels a little bit more warm— deeper and richer. It was important for us to show how it pairs really well with natural hues, organic elements like the raw woods, and the grays.”

The dining room opens into the home’s main living area. While the space isn’t huge in size, it has an airy feel thanks to a vaulted ceiling and a mostly white palette. A contemporary limestone fireplace leaves plenty of room above for a striking piece of original art by Lisa Mack. On either side, recessed natural wood shelves pop against an almost black background, punctuated by modern three-light sconces.

Project manager Caroline Harris, with help from members of the MMI design team, outfitted the room with pieces from the Owl’s Nest, Murphy Maude’s new express furniture program. Both budget friendly and quickly accessible, the line also remains true to the firm’s design aesthetic. A pair of white sofas face one another, supported by wooden legs with a hint of mid-century panache. The low-slung marble coffee table between them plays off the whites of the sofa upholstery as well as the dark grays of the rug beneath it. Side-by-side white boucle S chairs add to the artistic flair.

Rich, dark color reappears in a big way in the kitchen, where the cabinets are bathed in a tone that appears sometimes blue/sometimes gray. Offset by white Cambria quartz countertops and a waterfall island, as well as an abundance of natural light from the double window over the sink, the dark cabinets bring just the right degree of bold color to the space. Brushed brass blends beautifully in the hardware as well as the over-island vent hood. “Since we were going to have a hood in the middle of the room we thought why not make it such a beautiful focal point that it deserves to be there? That's how this concept was born,” Murphy recalls.

Black, white and natural wood marry perfectly in the adjoining breakfast area. A chic oval dining table is surrounded by an L-shaped white leather banquette. A pair of mod black-on-black chairs completes the seating. The nook’s one solid wall is the perfect home for an oversized equine photograph by Georgia artist Brandon Luther.

Murphy extended the concept of design into the laundry room, where large black hex tiles accentuated with white grout set a stylish mood. Plain white cabinet door faces are zhuzhed up with handsome wallpaper. Even the most utilitarian space in the house has art. A group of Wall Play mini sculptures brings to mind a beehive on the laundry room wall—perhaps a reminder to be busy bees while doing housework?

The home office may be small in scale, but it is huge on design. The star of the show is the Mable Originals wall mural. Says Murphy, “It shows that regardless of the size of a wall you can use a framed mural. It’s a great way to add interesting drama. If you don’t have the budget to do a full gallery wall of art, put up a mural and frame it. Approachable and attainable.”

A global vibe permeates the downstairs guest room. “We like to incorporate texture and a feeling that maybe you’re not in Memphis, you’re somewhere on vacation,” Murphy explains. Stylized birds take wing on the accent wall, proving that a small amount of wallpaper can make a big impact. Art appears not only in the form of a painting opposite the striking black platform bed, but also through the craftsmanship of the set of shell and rope necklaces grouped above the headboard. Ceiling mounted pendant lights illuminate the bedside, as do lamps that bring to mind the look of tribal drums set on side tables.  

The attached guest bath is a study in the use of classic, reasonably priced elements to achieve a custom, high-design effect. On the floating vanity Murphy added metal fretwork on the standard shaker-style door fronts to create a modern focal point. Combined with penny tile, one of the designer’s favorite products to maximize bang for the buck, and tumbled stone in a herringbone pattern, the space makes a statement without breaking the bank. 

The primary suite is part museum piece/part relaxing retreat. Here, Murphy once again turned to a supersaturated paint color, Benjamin Moore’s Raccoon Fur. It sets off the custom piece of art by Memphian Kyle Taylor that serves as the headboard. “It really is about making art into everyday things that you can live with—not just something that you look at but something you experience. This was a great example of that,” says Murphy. Simple furnishings allow the piece to take center stage, rivaled only by the overhead light fixture. A grouping of three sets of brass rods at random lengths accentuated by lighted crystals is a work of art in its own right. Set against the backdrop of the dark gray ceiling, the lights produce a stunning effect.

More oohs and aahs are in order in the primary bath, where natural elements appear in a luxurious environment. Black stone and unstained maple pair with gold accents and, of course, original art. “It’s a great way to bring the outdoors in and make nature a part of your everyday experience so that you feel calm and soothed,” Murphy says.  

The entire house has the feel of a work of art, but its real beauty lies in the fact that its design and furnishings are not out-of-reach show house concepts to which most homeowners can only aspire. “This whole project was about design being approachable and attainable, yet in a really elegant way,” Murphy says. “You don’t have to have a mansion and an unlimited design budget to have a look that’s cohesive and beautiful.”