Ever since I was a kid I've cared about recycling, I even started a save the planet club at primary school.
Young British designer Zoe Murphy, creates imagery inspired by her seaside home town of Margate, and uses it to print on to recycled interior products. Her work was short listed for BBC New Designer of the Year Award and promotes 'loving what belongs to you' by re-using furniture and textiles in an ethical and up beat fashion.
Describe your work in one sentence.
Recycled hand printed furniture and textiles.
What's the most important thing you've learnt in your line of work?
A: If you have passion for what you do your much more likely to be successful.
B: And however long you think it will take you to do something it will normally take you twice as long.
What attracted you to your chosen field?
Ever since I was a kid I have cared about recycling, I even started a save the planet club at primary school. It has been a natural progression into re-using furniture and I use it as a way of expressing my views on mass production.
Tell us about your best project to date.
My most exciting project to date has been working with Libertys in London and creating some bespoke pieces for them. They are a wonderful ambassador for my work and selling with such an established retailer has been a thrilling experience.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
The number of hours that I put in. I really love what I do and care about my products, and so I put 110% into making the things I do. I think that this is something people can see when they come across my work.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I hate being followed up stairs.
If you could work on any project for any company/organisation, what would it be and who would it be for?
I'm really keen to start working with other designers, i.e. Fashion/Product designers. I think there is a lot of talent in the industry at the moment. I would love to find some people that have a similar ethic to me but in different fields to work with on some new projects.
Who inspires you and why?
I love the work of photographer Martin Parr, for me they narrate British culture very well and force people to look at what is familiar to them in a new way.
What's your favourite bit of kit?
My router.
What frustrates you the most about your job?
The lack of hours in the day to get everything done I would like to.
What pearl of wisdom can you offer to someone thinking about starting out in your industry?
Make sure that your heart and soul is in it because otherwise it's difficult to pull through the bad bits, and there are always some. Have a very good plan in place for setting up and then be ready to make changes to it when things turn out completely different to how you expected them.
If you could have ONE super power, what would it be?
The power to manipulate woodland animals to do my work in the evening when I went to bed. (They would want to do it; I wouldn't be forcing them, not like slavery.)
What do you like about Creativepool?
It gives opportunities for creatives to share their work easily with potential employers. It is a well-used site providing opportunities for employment in the creative industry, one that is often hardest to enter.
What's your favourite song of all time?
Your song. Elton John.
And finally, what can a prospective customer expect from you?
Considered design, recycled and ethical furniture with upbeat 50' style imagery.
Visit Zoe's website to see more of her work.
If you want to be in the spotlight, email us with examples of your work or a link to your Creativepool profile.
Words: Ross Nichols - Marketing Manager, Creativepool
