Murals Painted by Interior Designer Kirsten Pike Bring a Lush Sense of Nature Into This Home

When the pandemic hit San Francisco, a couple decided it was time to leave the city in favor of a 4,000-square-foot home in the Marin County community of Larkspur, where they looked forward to enjoying the hiking trails. The homeowners enlisted designer Kirsten Pike to redo the home’s kitchen, bathrooms, decor and furnishings. “They wanted a nature theme, after having been in the city for so many years,” Pike says. “But they weren’t really fans of houseplants, so that’s where my skill set as an artist came into play. We used murals to recreate nature, with a little whimsy.”

larkspur hallway
A nine-foot floral mural by the designer. The mirror is Cassina, and the cast-stone console table is by Century. The satellite pendants are vintage Mathieu Mategot, from the ’50s. All photos by Paul Dyer Photography.
 
pike larkspur stairs
The curving staircase into the upstairs hallway adds to the home’s organic feel, and is accentuated with a mirror from Cassina.

Pike grew up in Copenhagen and has lived in Northern California since she was an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley. She opened Kirsten Pike Design 13 years ago. Living in a European culture that celebrates both the historic as well as the modern molded her artistic sensibility. “I try to create a daily experience for my clients,” she says. “That means paying homage to the beauty of the past, as well as finding the beauty in what’s being created now.”

The Bedrooms

pike larkspur bedroom
In the master bedroom, two different gray-and-white wallpapers are a backdrop for a Ligne Roset bed and two marble side tables with modern lamps, all of which Pike sourced from Italy.
pike larkspur cabinet
The antique French cabinet in the master bedroom, found on 1stDibs, lends a dignified air to the room.

In this house, marrying past and present involved combining the modern furnishings the couple favored with a few well-chosen antiques. In the primary bedroom, a bed and lounge chair from Ligne Roset contrast nicely with an antique French cabinet found on 1stDibs. A large-scale floral wallpaper plays well with the antique motif wallpaper, which Pike cut and framed in a symmetrical grid, forming a backdrop for the bed. Both wallpapers are in shades of gray and white. The hands-on project that benefited from Pike’s artistic eye and ability to play with scale.

pike larkspur other bedroom
Pike’s unique design shows in the other bedrooms as well. In this room, the wallpapered ceiling creates a tent-like effect with bedding from RH, a pendant from Ylighting and antique African tent poles on the wall.
pike larkspur other other bedroom
In the second bedroom, Pike put wallpaper by Schumacher, a canopy bed from RH, bedding by Vera Wang and a table lamp by FLOS.

The Kitchen

pike larkspur kitchen
Pike built a custom banquet around the Saarinen oval dining table for seating options in addition to the island stools by Blu Dot.

The kitchen uses both natural materials, like a stunning backsplash made from lava stone (Pike had the porous stone sealed so it can be easily cleaned) and references to the outdoors, such as a plaster-lined FLOS Skygarden pendant. “I’ve long loved this iconic pendant, and I knew I would use it in a project,” Pike says. “It’s simple on the outside and ornate on the inside, marrying Old-World craftmanship with a modern form.” The drama of the room established with the textural backsplash continues with a waterfall marble island that has eye-catching dark-gray veining and a custom, steel range hood.

Living Areas Adorned With Murals

pike larkspur living room
A wall mural by the designer is accompanied by a comfortable sofa from Blu Dot and shelves that hold a curated mix of antique jade artifacts and sculptures by local artists.

What continues to catch the eye throughout the rest of the house are the murals Pike painted herself. Using the home’s palette of grays, black, mustardy yellows and white, Pike painted accents inspired by plants and flowers. At the end of the upstairs hallway, an oversized yellow-and-gray blossom pops off a black wall. In the main living room, a 24-foot-long mural combines fantastical flowers with Middle-Eastern inspired buildings—a nod to the husband’s heritage. It all surrounds a bespoke fireplace. A dyed, vintage Persian rug anchors a dramatic coffee table by Phillips Collection and two Hans Wegner Ox Chairs. “My murals are very different with every client,” Pike says. “Some are very precise and linear, but all of these were whimsical and natural. We uniquely tailored this house to the client.”

pike larkspur living area
In the other living area, Pike put in a custom fireplace she designed herself, plus a sofa and lounge chair from Blu Dot, a crystal side table from Luminaire and antique French candlesticks from 1stDibs.
pike larkspur mural 2
Pike’s custom murals throughout the house evoke a back-to-nature ethos with a keen sense of fine art.

This article originally appeared on spacesmag.com.


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Laura HineLaura Hine is a design and style writer based in Chicago. She’s a former editor-in-chief of Better, as well as the Modern Luxury publications CS Interiors and NS.