Perched amongst the treetops of Victoria’s Yarra Valley, this home, aptly referred to as “The View,” occupies a steep, elevated site with long views across the valley,” explains interior designer Ruby Shields, principal of Studio Shields. “Unlike a suburban streetscape, the neighborhood feels immersed in nature; the home sits amongst eucalyptus canopies, changing skies and seasonal colour shifts that constantly influence the atmosphere within.”
For the designer and her husband, carpenter and joiner, Patrick Shields, this was a deeply personal project. When the couple bought the property in 2018, it was little more than a half-finished shell. Upstairs was habitable, downstairs little more than a frame. The views were spectacular, but the interiors felt anonymous. Rather than start again, the pair committed to something far more interesting: making the house better—slowly.
“We wanted to create a home that felt layered, warm and unmistakably ours,” says Ruby Shields. “Somewhere that reflected our personalities rather than what was trending at the time.” Over the next seven years, every room became an opportunity to experiment. Walls shifted, a staircase was reconfigured, the kitchen expanded, and a continuous plywood lining now wraps the lower level like a ribbon. But perhaps the boldest move wasn’t structural at all. “Color became our primary architectural tool,” Ruby Shields explains. Ice-blue ceilings, olive greens, chartreuse, warm browns and rich burgundies unfold from room to room, creating atmosphere where architecture alone couldn’t.
Resourcefulness became the project’s greatest luxury. More than two tonnes of auction-bought Tallowwood flooring found its way into floors, joinery and shelving. Brass waste pipe became cabinet handles. Leftover Laminex sheets were stitched together with brass inlays to create a striking butler’s pantry, while sandstone abandoned in the garden now forms its benchtop.
“The budget shaped almost every decision we made,” Ruby Shields says. “Rather than asking what we could buy, we continually asked what we could make, adapt or reinvent.” However, the result never feels constrained by cost. Instead, it feels deeply personal. Vintage furniture like a De Postura Chair by Mario Milana from Origine sits comfortably alongside contemporary Australian design (like the Trace Drinks Trolley and Sunlounger by Tait), custom joinery and a growing collection of art, while every window frames the changing colours of the valley beyond.
It’s proof that originality rarely comes from an unlimited budget. More often, it comes from curiosity, patience and a willingness to push the boundaries of materials already within our orbit—and to imagine something beautiful.
Walk Through The Home Designed By Studio Shields
Source: https://interiordesign.net
