For Jemma Mcvinish, founder of Muse Residence, interiors aren’t just about furniture and finishes… they’re about feeling. The way a space makes you exhale when you walk in. The memories stitched into vintage finds. The quiet luxury of a home that feels as personal as it does polished.

Her love affair with interiors began long before Muse Residence existed, in a teenage bedroom plastered with High School Musical posters. “In my family, everyone’s room reflected their personality,” she recalls. “What stayed with me was the idea that your space should represent who you are.” Years later, with her own apartment at 18, Jemma poured her earnings into homewares, bringing her Pinterest boards to life piece by piece. “I’ve always been so connected to how spaces feel,” she says. “When your home feels good, you feel good too.”

That emotional connection has become Muse Residence’s signature. Jemma’s aesthetic leans into the romance of vintage, tempered with the clean lines of modern design. It’s a curation that feels at once nostalgic and fresh, a visual dialogue between past and present. “Our generation has done something really special by blending the old with the new,” she notes. “Muse Residence is my way of leaning into that movement.”

Ask Jemma about her process, and you won’t hear about rigid rules or formulaic palettes. Instead, she talks about emotion. “A home really is a sanctuary,” she explains. “It’s in the little things: the comfort of your favourite spoon, the bowl you always reach for, the pillow that feels just right. All of these details are homewares, but together they create the feeling of home.”

For Muse Residence, that feeling is everything. Each piece is chosen with intention, meant to layer into a narrative rather than fit into a strict design scheme. “When you’re mixing old and new, it’s not about perfectly matching,” Jemma says. “It’s about creating a story that feels cohesive through feeling rather than rules.” A mid-century chair might anchor a corner beside a contemporary lamp, and suddenly the space feels storied… soulful, but never staged.

Design by Feeling, Not Formula

In an age where glossy perfection dominates Instagram feeds, Muse Residence champions warmth over flawlessness. “Perfection can feel a little cold,” Jemma reflects. “Soul always feels warm. My advice is to lean into the pieces that mean something to you, even if they’re not picture perfect. Those imperfect elements are often what make a space truly yours.”

It’s a refreshingly human approach in a world that often forgets that homes are meant to be lived in, not just photographed.

The Beauty of Imperfection

What’s Next for Muse Residence

Looking ahead, Jemma is dreaming big, but with the same sense of intention that underpins her design philosophy. “Storytelling will always be at the heart of Muse Residence as we grow,” she shares. “Our dream is to see Muse Residence stocked in stores that align with our vision, and one day, perhaps in a space of our own too.”

Her partner is her biggest sounding board, and together they believe in manifestation and prayer to guide the brand’s next chapter. For now, Jemma finds endless inspiration on Pinterest, sketching ideas for future collections. “Sometimes I end up with more product concepts than I can keep up with,” she laughs. “I’m learning to pace myself and evolve the brand with intention, creating at a rhythm that feels right.”

Muse Residence is less about homewares and more about a way of living - one that honours history, embraces emotion, and revels in the quiet luxury of a space that feels entirely your own.