Childhood days

My pathway to a career in design was heavily influenced and shaped by the experiences I had during childhood and early adolescence. I was born and raised on the East Coast between Florida and New Hampshire and spent my time in the early 80’s surrounded by bold wall paper, layered and formal furnishings, chintz and saturated color. This led me to develop a love for many different design elements. Between the fashions and trends of the 80’s and the fact that my mother also loved design and had a knack for creating beautiful spaces, it was a natural fit for me to follow in these footsteps. I learned a lot from her and have carried these memories and experiences with me ever since.

I originally came to Dallas, Texas, to attend SMU and completely fell in love with the city. I found the people here to be warm and welcoming, and there was a level of sophistication exuding from the individuals and families living in Dallas that I became enamored with. From personal style to home interiors to social settings, the people of Dallas are very well put together. The culture is ripe with entertaining and gathering with friends and family which is also something I love. Furthermore, the fact that entertaining and hosting social gatherings is such a deep part of the Dallas culture, means that you have to get everything together in your home in order to host a fabulous party. Dallas also has a variety of styles, so everything isn’t the same. There is always an element of excitement.

How my education influenced my career

I ended up graduating from SMU with a degree in English and a minor in Art History. My love for art is another factor that helped propel me into a career in interior design, as it encompasses disciplines of architecture and modern art, giving me a more thorough and well-rounded understanding of design as a whole.

During undergrad, I spent a semester in Spain learning a tremendous amount about Spanish art. It just so happens that SMU has a large collection of Spanish art in their museum, so I was able to continue nurturing this knowledge and interest and all the ways it overlapped with home interiors even after my return. Shortly after completing my degree, I attended design school at El Centro. Although my time here was valuable, I gained the most knowledge and greatest amount of expertise through the experiences working with other designers in Dallas. Design school gave me the technical basis I needed but didn’t necessarily influence the way I began to pull things together.

During the early stages of design school and my career, I interned at Wilson and Associates hospitality firm and then had the opportunity to work for Emily Summers. I established a true niche by working for Lisa Barfield who specialized in couture drapery design and fabrication. By gaining the detailed knowledge about window treatments, I was able to start with a project designing windows, and then ended up designing the client’s entire home.

Forming Roz Murphy Design

In 2001 I went out on my own and have continued to work hard to develop my business at a steady pace. My business, Roz Murphy Design, is multifaceted. I specialize in high end residential design and new construction. I will also work on my client’s executive offices, vacation homes and have worked on hospitality projects such as a country club restaurant and golf shop. Developing strong relationships with my clients is crucial and something I prioritize. My objective is to listen to the design goals of my clients, and ultimately create a space that they love and reflects their style and personality.

I am honored to work in such a dynamic community of designers in Dallas and beyond, and excited about what the future holds. In addition to continuing my work in Dallas, I am also expanding to do more vacation homes and homes outside of Dallas. This will be a fun, new and exciting challenge for me and I am enjoying every minute of the journey.