Kamala Hutauruk was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and completed her bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Indonesia. Building on her background in architecture, she moved to NYC to further her training and experience, completing a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design at the New York School of Interior Design in 2006.

Following the completion of her MFA, Kamala began working with the award-winning team lead by Karim Rashid, where she became the director of the interior design department. In her role as director, Kamala led the design team in boutique hospitality projects around the world such as the NHOW Hotel in Berlin, Poli House in Tel Aviv, Prizeotel in Hamburg, Park Inn in Amsterdam, and Temptation Resort in Cancun. She then joined several other leading firms in NYC, working with top hospitality brands such as the Hilton Curio in Nashville, W Hotel in South Beach, Yotel in Washington, Moxy hotel in New York, as well as designing and managing residential projects throughout the city for private clients.

Informed by her years in architecture, Kamala seeks to create interiors that are not just aesthetically beautiful, but also functional. It is not just designing for the sake of making sexy images on Instagram: it needs to be a space that creates a better environment for the people inside it.

Kamala’s design approach is about creating a space that functions well, delivers a sensory experience, and immerses people in a completely different state of mind upon entering the space. She aims to make a statement in her work – it needs to tell a story.