From life drawing to furniture design, interior designer Brian Murphy is the kind of artist that takes his inspirational cues from anything and everything that awakens his curiosity and engages the senses.
"I am, and always was, an artist. Art keeps me interested in everything I see. Creating an environment that excites the senses and stimulates the mind has become a life long quest," says Murphy.
His quest began with working as a landscape designer for decades and later, as a father and husband, making the transition into interior spaces. A member of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario, Murphy has over thirty years of experience and now heads Brian Murphy Design & Associates Inc. in Toronto.
From residential projects in Rosedale and The Bridle Path to commercial projects for the Four Seasons Hotel and the Westin Harbour Castle, Murphy has designed interiors and exteriors, some of which have been featured on HGTV.
Regarding his design esthetic, Murphy says, "I am a rationalist and a modernist. With the work I do, I always try to create a maximum visual impact with a minimum amount of structure. I try to use light, lean, clean lines with lots of flair."
Part of Murphy's appeal comes from his willingness to customize furniture to perfectly fit the space he's designing. At the new Vibra Juice fitness centre and juice bar in the Beach, Murphy's dramatic sense of colour and tailor-made furnishings were employed for full effect. The space's retro-futuristic design plays into the beach theme -- cool, refreshing oceanic blues with bursts of pop-art orange intermingled in the sleek design.
"I wanted something exciting and different. This design works in the Beach -- it's modern, fresh and clean," he says.
Never content to sit on his accomplishments, Murphy's creativity has led him to become an author, television and radio personality. His motto, "Life begins at 50," will likely see Murphy set his designs on an ever-increasing set of new creative endeavours.
