With plenty of texture, DC interior designer David Anthony Chenault turned a bedroom into a little sanctuary.David Anthony Chenault’s signature style works perfectly in this bedroom.

There’s no mistaking David Anthony Chenault’s (davidanthonychenault.com) aesthetic. The longtime DC interior designer creates magnificently moody and uplifting spaces that are at once edgy and comfortable. We’re smitten with Chenault’s recent bedroom project, so the affable visionary broke it down for us.

What was your inspiration for this bedroom?

My clients—and the space itself. The only brief was that the space be boldly dramatic and a little dark, which gave me the freedom to create the space with the drama it needed. The room features a 24-foot arched ceiling. The source of natural light and shadow created felt more like a Caravaggio painting, so we ran with that.

Texture is a big part of your designs. How did you make your choices here?

The Christian Benini wall mural, produced by Italy’s Wall & Decò (wallanddeco.com), depicts an etched peak of a baroque church and creates the perfect backdrop for the space. The custom bed covering with handstitched details was made using a metallic waxed damask from Vervain for Fabricut (fabricut.com). We imbued it with floral accent pillows from Osborne & Little (osborneandlittle.com), and wall sconces by Visual Comfort (visualcomfort.com), bed shears by Fabricut and four-layered velvet artisan walls by Twin Diamond Studios (twindiamonds.com). All of these textures and colors, combined with the client’s own family antique bedside tables, blend seamlessly to create the ambiance of the old world.

You love rich colors in your work. Please tell me about the selection of these gold lamps.

Yes, guilty as charged! The gold lamps are spectacular and were created by an artisan we found on 1stDibs (1stdibs.com). They’re crafted from a plasterresin mix, with gold and silver leaf for its finish. The drama does not end there— the upper portion of the lamps turn into human faces.

Your work often blends classical art with modern sensibilities. How did that manifest here?

Often, I let the space tell me what it needs. This bedroom speaks to a bygone era, belonging to Caravaggio, who, perhaps single-handedly, created the Baroque style and movement. Above all, he broke away from the rules that artists had adhered to for centuries. That spoke to the rule breaker in me, and this memorable and timeless bedroom came to life.