World-Famous Photographer’s Master Suite Home Retreat
As Featured in Elle Decor & Wall Street Journal
Elle Decor Article
Decorating Tips to Steal from Photographer Gray Malin's Stunning Bedroom Redesign
See how the picture-perfect West Hollywood space came together with the help of Shana (Wardle) Bianchi.
It's no surprise that fine art photographer Gray Malin's bedroom redesign would be nothing short of Instagram-worthy. After all, he's become insta-famous for his stunning aerial shots of exotic beaches around the world (oh, and he grew up with a mother who worked as Mademoiselle's interior design editor).
Malin had two major goals for his West Hollywood master bedroom suite. He wanted it to reflect the relaxed vibe of Lyford Cay, a members-only club in the Bahamas, and color had to be incorporated in a tasteful manner. To make this happen, Malin enlisted designer Shana Wardle (Bianchi), a former art director for companies like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Tory Burch. Together, over the course of four months, the creative duo crafted an inviting master bedroom suite filled with beige tones offset with strategic pops of blue, bohemian accents, and a selection of custom furniture. "I am known for creating photos that whisk people away and make them happy," Malin says. "This room is like stepping into one of my photographs."
There's nothing like furniture that truly reflects your decor style and layout of your home. For this reason, Wardle opted for a number of custom pieces, including an upholstered bed from The Beautiful Bed Company, dressers from Oomph, and a lacquered credenza from The CEH. "Even though the room has custom elements, it doesn’t feel like a museum," Malin says. "It feels like a room you can live in."
To ensure that the look remained cohesive, Wardle customized the dressers, painting them in a blue hue to complement the shades used for the fireplace and bedroom doors. The credenza, which is positioned near the suite's balcony, is covered in the same neutral grasscloth as the wallpaper. "With custom furniture, you can always find ways to get creative with your budget," Malin says. "Custom furniture really helped to tie the space together. It also added these micro-moments of style to the room."
Being a photographer, it was challenging for Malin to select the right pieces for his bedroom, but he was sure about one thing—they had to be "very calming and minimal." Along with shots of Whitehaven Beach in Australia and a scene of volcanic rocks in Hawaii, Malin settled on a triptych photo, which is ideal for large spaces of this nature. "We encourage clients to put them (triptych photos) over longer sofas that need that width," Malin says. "It is really powerful and transports you."
The mix of photographs throughout the space certainly adds to its welcoming feel. "I feel like I'm on vacation in Italy when I am in this room," Malin says.
Carving out a sitting area in a sizable bedroom is one of the easiest ways to make it more inviting. "The room is very large, and as great as that sounds, at the same time, it felt like a yoga studio," Malin says. "It was so bare."
Wardle used the sitting area as an opportunity to play with texture by layering a soft blue rug over two larger jute designs. Other highlights of the space include an off-white slipcovered sofa, two powder blue slipper chairs, a patterned garden stool, along with jute benches and a chandelier from Serena & Lily. "The sitting area really completes the space. I have someplace to put on my tennis shoes, pet the dog, and read the paper on the weekends. It really cozies up the large environment."
Written by
Monique C. Valeris
Home Design Director
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."