I actually left school to pursue design. It was always in my blood. We moved house a lot when I was a child, and I always loved moving day, setting up a new home and configuring the furniture. I got a little sidetracked after leaving school in the fashion world, working in luxury fashion for Gucci, Tiffany & Co. and Chanel in visual merchandising roles.

I think this gave me a strong education in design more broadly, particularly when it came to shape and form, colour and texture and, of course, luxury. I decided during this time to return to my studies, ultimately completing my education in interior design and subsequently starting my own practice.

I think I’ve had a few defining moments. One was a project we did called Ocean Cosmetics, which was hyper-conceptual and inspired by the Thierry Mugler Angel perfume bottle. It was really well received and won several awards. It really put the office on the map in a way we hadn’t experienced before.

Another came from our work for menopause specialist Dr Fatima Khan. This project was so important in a sociological sense as well as from a design point of view, and really contributed to the conversation around how design and medicine can interact, particularly in women’s health. It has led to a lot more work for us in that space.

This is the question all interior designers get asked at dinner parties, and it has always been a hard one for me to answer. I think my signature style is very formulaic in the way we apply materials and shapes in particular. There is a style that permeates all of our work, but each project is entirely different. We see each project through our lens.

We recently spent some time trying to articulate this and refer to it internally as our “interior alchemy”, our formulaic design language and philosophy where we balance exuberance with restraint. We have a reverence for history, architecture, cinema and product that informs our work.

We take an elemental approach to our projects, with a focus on natural materials that are both raw and refined. We also consider ourselves advocates for local and independent design, particularly from Australia.

It’s hard to pick a favourite. Some projects have had particularly lovely clients, while others have resulted in something especially meaningful.

I think I’d have to say our Lost Profile Gallery project, which we completed last year. It was highly conceptual, ethereal and spiritual. I think it is the type of project that comes along only a handful of times in a career, and it really is such a special space.

I collect coffee table books. I have hundreds upon hundreds on all kinds of things. My current favourite is Entryways of Milan. It’s a fantastic tome. I also received the book Steven Klein as a gift, and it’s full of incredible photography and has become a staple of my coffee table.

As for podcasts, I love The Daily by The New York Times. I listen every day.

Lighting is critical in a space. It shapes everything. Always invest in it, shape it, and manipulate it.

We’re working on a number of exciting things. We have a large perinatal psychiatry project due for completion in the near future that is really conceptual and merges design and patient care in new ways. We’re also working on a number of homes across the country.

One in Perth that I’m particularly excited about is inspired by Parisian architecture, and as a Francophile, it’s very exciting to me personally. It’s a very different look for us, but nonetheless something really special.