Words by: Jennifer Murray
Photo Credit: Jennifer Murray

Jennifer Murray, an interior designer with 16 years of experience, shares insights on being a woman in a largely male-dominated industry.

Traversing multi-cultural backgrounds, Jennifer commenced her career working within design-focused architectural firms in Australia. Realizing that her passion lay more so with interiors rather than architecture inspired her to build an interiors department within an architectural firm.

From there her travels took her to London, developing five-star hotels and private residences in Turkey as well as heritage-listed properties in London’s Kings Cross. Her fascination for travel and exposure to varied cultures has led to a career in Singapore, working for The Mill and within the high-end luxury and hospitality market. She is now the Principal (Design) at Evocateurs, an esteemed interior design firm based in Singapore.

Jennifer’s cultural diversity and over 16 years of experience in the industry fuels her passion for creating bespoke solutions that are visual poetries, imbued with a refreshingly cosmopolitan edge in beautifully- wrought expressions of splendor and sophistication.

A recently completed residential space designed by Jennifer Murray and her team.

What are some of the Asian design philosophies that you employ in your practice?

Having been brought up in both western and eastern cultures, I find that the art of creating poetic spaces is embedded deeper in Asian design philosophies. The focus on family values and heritage plays an important role in designing spaces. In our interior design practice, we embrace the idea of evoking memories by focusing on our senses, for instance, water is not just a physical element, it can also create sound, which in turn can create music, which can instantly take you back to your childhood memories of playing in your grandmother’s garden. These are the things as designers we should be focusing on. It’s easy to create a beautiful space but even better to evoke an emotion through that space. I love the quote by Plato, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything”.

A residential space for a couple who enjoys entertaining conceptualized by Jennifer Murray and her team.

As a woman in an industry dominated by men, can you talk about the challenges you face?

I think many industries are still dominated by men so I would say I face the same challenges of many other women in various industries, but as with anything in life communication and understanding is key which in turn will give mutual respect. In the design industry, I have been fortunate to work with both men and women who have encouraged and inspired me.

On the upside, how does being a woman strengthen your role as a designer, especially when it comes to designing spaces that evoke emotional responses?

Being a woman in the architecture and interior design world is a strength on its own. I think that as a woman we are naturally more open to introspecting what evokes our emotions and how we draw from each space, and how we want to feel when we walk into a room.

The Abacus Chair by SUYAB Furniture

Who is your favorite Vermillion wellness brand/creator and why?

It’s so hard to choose a favorite, but in terms of something unique that evokes memories and becomes a talking point I would pick the Abacus Chair by SUYAB Furniture. I love how it triggers memories for the older generations as soon as they walk in the room and sparks stories of their past that they can share with those around them. I truly think everyone has an interesting story to tell and if we can create spaces and objects that help draw these stories out, they’ll never be lost.

Shop Jennifer’s Vermillion favorites below.