Renaissance meets contemporary craft in Opal’s identity for Murphy & Moore’s interior practice

Murphy & Moore, the architectural interiors practice of sisters Rebekah and Katherine Moore, specialises in creating bespoke spaces rooted in historic details. Their St. Louis-based family practice focuses on highly custom kitchens and bathrooms, engineering furniture-like cabinetry down to the finest detail. When the sisters approached Ohio-based studio Opal for their company’s identity, they brought with them stories of antique pieces collected from European travels and a deep appreciation for thoughtful design that honours the past. “From our first meeting, they shared a romance for an era which deeply inspires their work,” explains Christine Wisnieski, Founder & Creative Director at Opal. “We asked ourselves, ‘how can we reflect the quality and aesthetic of their work?’ and began research and typography exploration with that in mind.” The resulting identity centres on a Renaissance-style serif that captures both the sisters’ craft and their reverence for historical detail. Opal selected Reckless Neue by Displaay for the wordmark alongside a custom ampersand. “We wanted the letterforms to be classic and elegant,” Wisnieski notes. “Reckless Neue offered a bit of ornamentation – its letters are both refined and trustworthy.” It extends to headlines throughout the brand, paired with Adobe Caslon as a secondary typeface in regular and italic weights. This pairing creates a seamless foundation for detailed information while maintaining the identity's graceful precision. The system includes both a logomark and seal, each solution driven by specific end uses. The logomark sits comfortably atop the image-dominant website, while the historic-style seal draws inspiration from family crests for use on cabinetry, hardware and textiles. “We wanted both to feel of quality and reminiscent of the details within the sisters’ work,” adds Wisnieski. In print applications, both marks are embossed, adding another layer of elegance to the refined system.