A writer with a background in journalism and interior design, Megan Murray has crafted a vibrant, fairytale-like home in Hamburg that’s bursting with color, unique furniture, and personal stories. Originally from Nottingham, she moved to London to pursue her dream of writing, working with magazines like Stylist and Soho House before relocating to Hamburg for her partner's career. Her cozy, colorful apartment reflects her passion for interiors, blending various materials in rich hues, lots of books, and a cherished custom chair inspired by the films of Wes Anderson. Megan thrives in creative spaces and finds joy in hosting friends, connecting over ideas, and dreaming of her next adventure!
For those who don't know you, would you like to introduce yourself?
Yes! My name is Megan Murray and I was born in Nottingham, a small town in the middle of England where nothing much happens! As an only child, I always had my head in books and when I got a little bit older, my attention turned to magazines. This is when I really started to learn about the world and dream of escaping my hometown to somewhere more exciting, like a big city with bright lights, where I imagined being a writer – like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City! This brought me to London for my university degree where I studied Journalism and as soon as I graduated at 21, I jumped straight into the world of magazines, working as a writer for a wedding magazine, then a food magazine, before getting my dream job at Stylist. This magazine isn’t as well known outside of the UK but it was a weekly independent with a feminist attitude, which was unusual at the time. Here, I covered opinion pieces on women’s issues, wrote first person features – I was even asked to go to a nudist swimming session once! – conducted celebrity interviews (Mariah Carey is my biggest claim to fame), and covered fashion, lifestyle and travel, with trips to Mauritius to test out a yoga festival, and Vietnam to explore fishing villages. It was an amazing time but I’d always been interested in interior design and felt myself wanting to move further into that world, so I got a job as interiors editor at Soho House writing about the group’s hotels internationally. Today, I love writing about interior design, especially when it collides with travel stories, so that I can interview designers around the world and visit homes, hotels or boutiques in different countries.
What inspired you to become a writer?
As an only child I spent so much time reading and writing to entertain myself that writing felt like the first thing I knew I was good at and as my tastes changed and I got older, I became obsessed with magazines, which amplified even further at the height of Sex and the City. I totally wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw and would watch the episodes over and over, dreaming of creating my own magazine one day.
What brought you to Hamburg?
My partner and I are very different – while my career has always been quite fluid, trying different companies and different roles, he is much more technical and trained as an electrical engineer and is now working in renewable energy. He’s been with the same company for nearly a decade, but as it’s a German company with their head office in Hamburg, he felt that being closer to the head teams would be beneficial for his career. I’d been in London for 12 years and so I was really ready for a change – I wouldn’t have guessed this change would be Hamburg as I didn’t know much about this city then, but we presumed this move would be for a year and then perhaps we’d go somewhere else, or back to the UK, and actually we’ve stayed longer than we first thought. Looking back, it’s kind of hilarious that we moved without even visiting the city – we were so naive to just arrive and hope it would be okay! In the end, it was okay but we learned some hard lessons along the way – such as how difficult it is to get an apartment here. Now that I’m living in Hamburg I’m freelance as there aren’t many English-speaking opportunities so I’m working from home every day and pitching to a lot of UK clients and magazines that I still have connections.
What piece do you have in your flat that is most special to you?
I have a custom–made accent chair which is special to me for so many reasons. First, I followed this British, independent brand, Ceraudo, for years and always dreamed of owning one of their furniture pieces, so to get a chair like this finally felt really grown up. It’s also the only chair they’ve ever done in this print because I asked specifically for this colour and pattern as it reminded me of the Wes Anderson film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Finally, it was a gift from my boyfriend when we moved here, so I’m really grateful to him about that.
We hear that you're passionate about colours and love surrounding yourself with them, whether in your home or through what you wear. Could you share a bit more about that with us?
For me, colour is joy. I think the depth and hue of a colour can translate so many things – it can feel really high-brow and stylish, it can feel homey and comforting, it can remind you of a person, a place or a feeling. Part of me wishes I’d been a colour specialist because the uniting factor of everything I love is always colour – across clothes, interiors but even things like food or a landscape. The easiest way to describe it is that I’m drawn to colour, so this seems to influence my decisions across lots of areas from where I live and what I wear, to where I travel and the restaurants I like. My favourite thing about wearing colour recently is that because Hamburgers tend to dress in monochrome, you can really find the people who like your style because they’ll smile or give a compliment, and it’s a bit like having your own shared little secret. I’ve met a few friends this way!
Can you tell us the story of your flat?
In London, finding a flat quickly often means settling for something too small, cramped, or far from central areas, but at least it's possible. In Hamburg, rentals are much more limited, which I didn’t realize before moving. For six months, my partner and I stayed in Airbnbs, which was depressing. We had few belongings, and even small inconveniences like uncomfortable pillows or lacking proper cookware made things worse.After about seven months, partly thanks to having the required three months of German pay slips, we finally got some viewings. A private landlord in a lovely area offered us a stunning apartment with high ceilings, a balcony, and beautiful period features—something I could only dream of in London. The couple, who owned it for their son but needed someone to keep it warm, were incredibly kind. They mentioned wanting to pass on the good karma from their son’s struggles abroad, and we were deeply grateful—so much so that I hugged them! Although it was tough at first without our furniture, which took three months to arrive from the UK, and buying new items was expensive, the apartment eventually felt like home. Living in a historic building over 100 years old with beautiful old tiles, high ceilings, and large doors truly makes me happy.
What kind of atmosphere did you want to create in your home?
I know that some people love a calming space that they can escape to, but for me, there’s no better representation of who you are than where you live. So, I really see interior design as a form of self-expression and a space that I want to reflect what I find inspiring, that energises me and makes me feel creative which is why I use lots of colour, mixes of materials and patterns and anything that entertains the eye. While I don’t care about feeling calm at home, I do want to feel cosy, so to create a homey, cosy vibe I opted for rich colours on the walls using Bauwerk x Hoxton’s paint collection because the textured element of the paint creates shadows and depth in candlelight, while showing different colours in the day light. I also have two sofas for maximum cosiness and in soft, tactile materials like velvet and boucle, and a mix of soft furnishings like cushions collected from travels and the UK, as well as a knitted blanket that I made myself. To really lean into the cosiness, I’m obsessed with candles and light them all the time, for working, socialising and throughout the evenings – both scented and long, taper candles for decoration. Generally, I’d like people to feel at home in my home, so I also don’t want things to look too precious or neat. I like the ‘lived-in’ look and think a little bit of clutter and mess is nice!
Please finish the following sentences:
The first creative experience I can remember was…
Writing stories with my Dad! Growing up we used to play the game where one person starts the story and you continue it, and then vice versa – mine were always about princesses and castles.
When I need inspiration…
I look to visual references across Pinterest and Instagram to spot trends or see what resonates with me, or get away from everything and do some exercise. I’m not very sporty but there’s something about a spin class that makes my mind go totally blank (probably from exhaustion and being terrified!) and ideas seem to make their way in.
A project I am working on right now is…
I’m launching a book club in Hamburg for internationals. We’re looking at hosting it like a dinner party and have the oldest book shop in Hamburg (Felix Judd – a favourite of Karl Lagerfeld) on board to host special evenings.
When I need to tune out the world around me, I…
Retreat my safe space which is my living room. I love being cosy on the sofa and watching my favourite films – The Lord of the Rings trilogy!
Within the next five years, I will…
Hopefully move to Copenhagen which is one of my favourite cities and pursue some more creative work ventures there, start my own printed magazine and travel to New York.
If money wasn’t an object, I would…
Probably just see the world. I love writing so perhaps be a travel writer but without the constraints of a story being ‘grabbing’ or ‘viral’ enough, I’d just find the most interesting people and stories around the world and tell them.
For me, Hamburg is…
Underrated! Friends in the UK wouldn’t come to Hamburg for a city break but I think it’s beautiful. There’s so much here we don’t have in London like the picturesque architecture (without as many modern building or blocks of flats), the Alster lake, all of the parks and then the coolest districts with great cocktail bars.
The feeling of home for me is…
A space that is reflective of who you are. Everywhere you look should be memories and stories associated to the items in your home. The TWIN sofa speaks to my decor by…it’s unlike anything anyone I know has – it makes my space feel totally unique. The pale shade of blue breaks up the pink theme of the room but the soft, pastel tone compliments the space perfectly. I love that the boucle fabric is on-trend but also cosy, homey and lived in, and I haven’t seen this combination of fabric and colour anywhere else. I love the shape because it’s modern and design-led but will be timeless for years to come thanks to the simple silhouette. And, the seating is so wide, it’s the perfect single bed for when guests stay, even though it’s not technically a sofa bed!
My best clothing/furniture/art purchase ever is…
A velvet, embroidered tuxedo by Alexa Chung when she still had her fashion line in a sample sale.
I feel my best when…
I’m connecting with someone – could be an old or new friend, but I get most animated and excited when I click with someone on a certain topic or idea.
Your five favorite places/activities in Hamburg: