BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT

There is the interior design of one’s home, and then there is interior design—the mindful cultivation of one’s inner self to enhance a stronger connection with core intentions and values. Sandra Casparriello is on a journey to integrate both.

Since founding S.C. Murphy LLC 12 years ago, Casparriello has been an active fixture in the design world— manufacturing fabric, wallpaper, rugs, and furniture and beautifying residential and commercial spaces on the North Shore and far beyond. “On every project, big or small, I learn my clients’ aesthetic preferences, get to know who they are and what they love, and then communicate that in the custom designs,” she explains.

Her interest in design began as a young girl growing up in the Philippines in expat-rich Manila. Here, Casparriello saw firsthand how construction and design would ebb and flow, reflecting the desires of different demographics and cultures from all over the globe. More importantly, she realized, even then, that to be a creative “maker” was a source of empowerment and a means for social change.

Her latest island project was a stem-to-stern renovation in the Virgin Islands, where she also helped islanders rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. “From the roof to the driveway and everything in between,” says Casparriello. Each aspect of the project was co-created between Casparriello and her clients and then custom-made.

But this productive season was preceded by a difficult time of lessons and change. The COVID pandemic and its chaotic aftermath threw much into disarray, forcing Casparriello into a major life review. “I used the principles and processes of my interior design practice to re-evaluate my life,” she recalls, “and discovered that there were many areas of constriction, restriction, negligence, and struggle that were holding me in negative thought patterns, inhibiting my ability to fulfill the authentic, happy, peaceful, and truthful life I strived for and dreamed of as a child.”

As she sought to reconnect to a fulfilling life, Casparriello happened upon Into the Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty. In this award-winning memoir, Dr. Doty, a neurosurgeon and entrepreneur, depicts how he reshaped his life through the transformative power of mindfulness and compassion and founded the Center for Compassion and Altruism at Stanford Medical Center to help others harness these powers. Reading the book compelled Casparriello to learn how to open her heart “to use the magic of love in my life to be a positive influence in the world. So, I closed the book and immediately signed up for an 8-week course at the center,” she says.

There was much to learn. Chief among the wisdom? “I learned to let go of the negative dialogues in my life through a process of self-compassion and mindfulness,” she says. “And as I become more aware of ‘being’ with myself in a compassionate way, I was able to recognize and experience a stronger connection with my deeper core values and intentions.” Things like expanding her vision for her family, creating a more fulfilling work/life balance, and being a more valuable resource to her clients and design partners.

For Casparriello, this includes a regular meditation practice, yoga somewhere in the week, prioritizing health and time with her two kids, and being attentive to client and work opportunities in a new and deeper way.

“Training the mind toward a more compassionate, resilient, and authentic life is so vital. It rebalances our over-developed habit of ‘doing’ with one of ‘being.’ Life changes naturally stem from that. I want this for everyone be it through interior design or interior design,” she concludes.

For more information visit, scmurphyllc.com.