{"id":814009,"date":"2026-10-26T02:17:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T02:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/814009\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T02:17:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T02:17:02","slug":"it-was-time-to-follow-my-dream-this-designers-home-was-her-first-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/814009\/","title":{"rendered":"“It Was Time to Follow My Dream” \u2014 This Designer’s Home Was Her First Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

art<\/a> director in advertising and Patrick was a second-year carpentry apprentice.<\/p>\n

In search of a place of their own and somewhere to experiment, they found it in the hills of Australia\u2019s Yarra Ranges, an hour\u2019s drive from Melbourne. From the moment they stepped inside this modern home<\/a>, they knew it was the one. “It felt like a treehouse, sitting above a canopy of gum trees,” says Ruby. “It was so stunning we named it The View.”<\/p>\n

\n

\"Corner\n<\/p>\n

“Originally, when you walked in, there was a hallway that blocked the view,” says Ruby. “We knocked down a wall and now you walk in and see the treetops through the window.”<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

The early-1980s structure was far from finished. The lower level had no connecting staircase<\/a> and consisted mostly of an exposed frame carved into the hillside \u2014 a deal-breaker for many buyers, but the Shields saw it as the perfect project for Ruby to express her interior design instinct and for Patrick to gain hands-on experience.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Kitchen\n<\/p>\n

“From the kitchen island<\/a>, you can do your dishes and look out to the canopy of gum trees,” says Ruby.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

The project reached a turning point during Covid. “I took Kelly Wearstler\u2019s masterclass and realized it was time to follow my dream,” says Ruby. “I loved interior design<\/a> and wanted to do it all the time.” By the end of the renovation, she had launched her design practice, Studio Shields<\/a>, with their own home as its strongest manifesto.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\"Flos\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Heal’s<\/p>\n

Flos Seki-Han Pendant Light<\/p>\n

Flos’s suspension light is an elegant alternative to Studio Squire’s own design above \u2014 and it’s a timeless piece that adds richness to a scheme.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Dining\n<\/p>\n

One wall here is lined with glossy, tactile green tiles. “This adds another texture to the space,” says Ruby. “It\u2019s about layering, and it adds light and color.”<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

Living in the house meant tackling one room at a time. Together, Ruby and Patrick designed and made everything, from the smallest details such as the brass twisty handles<\/a> to the sculptural joinery. “We had to think hard about how to make things interesting, how to elevate our budget,” explains Ruby.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

\n

\"Blue\n<\/p>\n

“We advocate using reclaimed materials because it means we\u2019re being more sustainable<\/a> in our construction of bespoke pieces,” says Ruby of the entrance space.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

The challenge of making the most of limited funds was probably a blessing in disguise, as the results speak for themselves \u2014 not least in the precision of Patrick\u2019s craftsmanship. “I call him ‘Perfectionist<\/a> Pat’,” says Ruby. “He\u2019s a stickler for all those fine details. I give direction, and he just makes it so much more perfect. It\u2019s what makes us the best team.”<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\"Harvest\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Ferm Living<\/p>\n

Harvest Wall Rug – Small – Natural<\/p>\n

Emma Shepherd’s woven wall hanging captured our hearts in this space \u2014 this Ferm Living design offers a similar dose of texture.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Dark\n<\/p>\n

The main bedroom features a Murano pendant (not shown) hanging above one bedside table and a floor lamp next to the other. “I like the asymmetry of having a higher light and a lower one. It adds movement and creates a really beautiful lighting effect,” says Ruby.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

In the main bedroom<\/a>, one of Patrick\u2019s bespoke pieces stands out: a carved headboard<\/a> made from reclaimed wharf timbers. “We called it ‘Where Dreams Subside,’ because it\u2019s such a beautiful backdrop to fall asleep to each night, with its little redwood flowers notched into the timber, like a meadow,” says Ruby.<\/p>\n

The Livingetc newsletters are your inside source for what\u2019s shaping interiors now – and what\u2019s next. Discover trend forecasts, smart style ideas, and curated shopping inspiration that brings design to life. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the curve.<\/p>\n

“I consider myself a bit of a bowerbird with objects,” she adds, referencing the native Australian bird known for collecting vivid, colored items to build its courtship structure. “It\u2019s about finding those unique, weird pieces<\/a> to combine into a narrative.”<\/p>\n

\n

\"Caramel-colored\n<\/p>\n

“For the guest bedroom<\/a>, I came up with the wild idea of having the rug under the bed run up the timber headboard,” says Ruby. It\u2019s a great solution for making this space feel extra cozy and welcoming.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

Perhaps the home\u2019s most defining element is its bold color palette, drawn from the landscape on a sunny autumn day: muddy browns, tinges of rust, shades of green and a splash of electric baby blue on the ceiling \u2014 something cool to energize the saturated tones<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\"Folk\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

TOAST<\/p>\n

Folk Cotton Patchwork Quilt | Cornflower Blue\/terracotta<\/p>\n

Odditi’s printed Avant Garden bedding<\/a> looks like a textured bedspread \u2014 so go a step further with a quilted design that’s thick enough to cozy under through winter.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Bathroom\n<\/p>\n

The bespoke wavy timber vanity in the bathroom<\/a> is the kind of detail that makes this home so interesting. “I think it\u2019s really lovely when your eyes can linger on a space and you keep discovering things you hadn\u2019t noticed before,” says Ruby.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Martina Gemmola\/Living Inside. Design: Studio Squire)<\/p>\n

Looking at the Shields in their home, there\u2019s no doubt it\u2019s where they belong. The warmth, the eclecticism, the layered textures all mirror their personalities. “That\u2019s one of our key drivers,” says Ruby. “A home should feel completely, unabashedly like its inhabitants.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For more inspiring home tours and design ideas, subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter For seven long…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":814010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-814009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=814009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/814010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=814009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=814009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=814009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}