Meet Erin Murrock, Revival Design Challenge Winner

We got the chance to learn more about Erin recently to celebrate her win. Check out Erin’s winning design for our Revival design challenge. We're excited to share more about her design journey, what inspires her, and a few of her favorite things at the moment.

Keep scrolling to learn more about Erin!

Describe yourself in 3 emojis.

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Briefly tell us about your design journey.

Connecting the dots from my interests over time, design has been an undercurrent of my life, from being drawn to old neon signs and branding from restaurants and cafes, to soaking in architecture and design in hotels, restaurants, stores, and old buildings while traveling. One of the first times I remember feeling fascinated with using design to evoke a feeling or mood was when I stayed in a hotel in Nairobi that felt so airy and lively with lush plants and modern light fixtures across the area. The combination of the overall look of buildings, spaces, and interiors, as well as the small details like ceramics, tiles, lights and glassware makes interior design so exciting to me.

Despite this interest, professionally I did not go the creative route! I studied languages in college, then started working as a research and evaluation specialist for international programs. I’d considered taking on interior design as a career previously, but I was unsure of how I could make the leap given that I didn’t have an arts or design background.

I now have the time and interest to pursue my creative side and consider ways of pursuing creative-focused side businesses. I’ve recently moved into my own apartment for the first time and I’m using this time to experiment with different combinations of colors, textures, and lights to create different stories and moods for each room and refine what I like and don’t like.

Joining Spoak has been an amazing way for me to get serious about this interest and learn more about the creative and business sides of interior design, by seeing what services other designers provide and creating mock-ups of rooms and mood boards from images and concepts that speak to me.

What do you do on your time off to recharge creatively?

Taking walks in nature, listening to music, roller skating, and steam rooms and saunas whenever I can! I also love catching up with my reality shows. Mob Wives and Vanderpump Rules have saved me this year!

Tell us about a designer or artist you love. What about them and their work are you drawn to?

I love modern, chic but fun interiors with bold colors and textures interspersed. Some of my favorites are: Sarah Sherman Samuel, Leanne Ford, Marissa Zajack, Sdelaem Remont, Eny Lee Parker, and Celine Hallas.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Taking walks and listening to music! I love having the freedom to stop and take in the details of interesting old buildings, homes and stores in my neighborhood, and appreciate the trees, plants and flowers throughout the parks and walking trails nearby. The same goes for when I’m traveling - I most enjoy discovering the architecture and design of the streets, neighborhoods, buildings, metro stations, restaurants, shops, and hotels of cities I’m visiting. I especially love brutalist and socialist architecture from the post-WWII era in Eastern Europe. So many striking buildings designed for a new world with new ideologies of public life. That included a lot of spaceship-like buildings! I also love finding glassware and ceramics that use vibrant colors and interesting shapes. I’m enjoying all the interior design accounts popping up on my Instagram - a particular favorite are the altbau-tagged apartments with fun, wavy shapes and vibrant colors and flowers.

What's the best thing you've consumed recently?

I recently visited Lisbon and really soaked in all the tiles and pastel colors that adorn the buildings around the city. I also had a heavenly sweet potato gnocchi at an Italian restaurant there that has probably been the best meal I’ve had in months!