𝗥 𝗨 𝗕 𝗬 𝗦 𝗛 𝗜 𝗘 𝗟 𝗗 𝗦

•IN THE PRESS• Our home, The View, has recently been featured by @est_living , a publication I’ve long admired and returned to over the years, so seeing our bowerbird nest among the elite est contributors still feels surreal.  This house has always been our testing ground. A place for curiosity, experimentation and the occasional beautifully misguided idea. A home where ply lines the ceiling like a timber ribbon, where custom brass hardware becomes jewellery, where colour is ingrained & where found objects, feathers, stone offcuts and marketplace treasures sit beside pieces by designers I deeply admire. Built slowly over seven years, it has unfolded as an ongoing dialogue between @patrick_shields_ and me, his extraordinary craftsmanship, my appetite for atmosphere, and a shared obsession with making. I love Melena’s lead in line “If a contemporary revival of the Arts and Crafts movement existed today, The View would certainly be used as an emblematic home for study”. It feels so fitting. There’s a kind of alchemy in that exchange that has shaped not only the home, but the studio itself. What began while I was still in advertising became the canvas on which I learned to trust instinct. To push colour. To layer. To edit. To let interiors hold memory and personality rather than perform perfection. In many ways, The View is where Studio Shields was born. I love that est captured new corners of the home too, the project is always evolving, always collecting. A living tapestry, my bowerbird nest. Huge thank you to @miffycoady for featuring our home and for being such a generous advocate for the studio. Your support has meant an enormous amount, particularly in these early stages. And thank you to Melena for the beautiful writing, for finding language for the spirit of the project, and for seeing fresh parts of it. For a home built on persistence, ply dust and a lot of curiosity… this feels pretty wonderful. Interior Design & Decoration @_studio.shields Carpentry & Bespoke Pieces @patrick_shields_ Photograhy @gemmola Styling @jessicaalice_design

•H E L L O• For IWD, and with so many new faces here lately, I wanted to share a little more about the person behind Studio Shields. But first, a thank you. To the women in my life, and the women in design who have welcomed, supported and championed me, thank you for creating a community where I’ve finally felt like I belong. I’m endlessly grateful to be surrounded by women who lift each other up, share knowledge and celebrate each other’s wins. Because for a long time, I felt like the outsider. I was often labelled a bull in a china shop, not exactly meant as a compliment. But now I wear it with pride. I am a lot. Silly, expressive, dramatic, deeply passionate and always up for a good laugh. I’d rather be fully myself than tone it down to be more palatable. Imposter syndrome creeps in. I fall into the same wormholes sometimes, memories of being the “weird” kid. Called “werewolf” and “troll”. Bullied through school and convinced nobody liked me. But the truth is, I fought to be here. I fought through dark moments to build a life and practice that feels honest to who I am. If my childhood taught me anything, it’s that you have to back yourself. I’m fierce. I’m passionate. And I’m not stopping anytime soon. I’m here to hustle. I’m here to make an impact. I’m here to build friendships and connections that last. I’m not here for fake catch-ups or pretending to care. I care deeply. I love hard and do most things a little over the top. And that same fire is exactly what you get when you work with Studio Shields. We don’t believe in blanket design solutions. Every project is deeply personal. We listen, question and explore what truly matters to the people living in the space, weaving colour, material, art and craft into interiors that feel layered and completely singular. No two homes are the same. No two stories are the same. Just thoughtful spaces that hold memory, personality and a little bit of Ruby Shields sparkle. Pictured in my bower bird nest of precious pieces, beautifully captured by @seanfennessy I’ve never felt more seen in a photograph, so thank you Sean!

•THE VIEW• We’ve got the most incredible news. Studio Shields’ debut project, The View, is featured on @vogueliving It’s not often I’m lost for words but… honestly, this moment has me thrown. The View is our home, built on instinct, resourcefulness and a deep love for craft. The colours echo the landscape beyond our windows; ingrained rather than applied. Every surface carries a memory of experimentation, curiosity and hands-on learning. A home truly shaped by just the two of us over seven years. My deepest gratitude to @beccaratti for supporting and believing in me at such a pivotal moment of my career. No words can articulate how much this means. And a huge thank you to the talented @saskiatillerscoles for taking my rambles and writing such a beautiful article that tells our story and conveys personality ~ cloud dancer be gone! The biggest thank you of all to my other half @patrick_shields_ ~ your persistence, patience and presence has held this project up. Seven years feels like a lifetime when you’re living and breathing it seven days a week. You are incredible, and this house is a true representation of your talent & craftsmanship. A huge thank you to @gemmola for capturing it so beautifully, and to @jessicaalice_design for refining my bowerbird nest. To the makers and artists who trusted me with their work, thank you. You all gave our hard work that extra sparkle. For you, I am forever grateful. Our home is a living tapestry of who we are and who we are becoming and it’s only just the beginning. Full article link is in our bio 🤎 As Miranda says ~ That’s all. Interior Design & Decoration ~ us Carpentry & bespoke pieces ~ @patrick_shields_ Photographer ~ @gemmola Stylist ~ @jessicaalice_design

•SYNTHESIS• A little taste of what awaits within the Parlour... Feast your eyes on some of the deliciousness soon to unfold inside @synthesis.mdw ~ a gathering of works rich with tactility, colour, story and spirit. A glimpse only new treasures by @amy_vidler , @carlbroesenstudio & @tantrimustikaceramics pieces that ground, shimmer, seduce and surprise. Works chosen not as standalone objects, but as part of a larger interior tapestry, each in dialogue with the next. This is the presence of Synthesis, not an exhibition of things on plinths, but an immersive interior to move through. A place where over 40 artists, makers and designers are brought together as one living composition, where material conversations unfold across rooms, and where atmosphere takes precedence over display. Staged within the Bishop’s Parlour at the Abbotsford Convent for Melbourne Design Week, Synthesis opens 14-22 May, with opening night on 16 May at 6pm. Come hungry. Featuring works by: Amy Vidler, Anne U, Angela Hayes, Astrid Salomon, Bel Williams, Bolaji Teniola, Cameron Green, Carl Broesen Studio, Craig Shanahan / Mood Workshop, Curtis Bloxsidge & 2am Close, Culture Cush, Dean Norton, Em Frank, Femme Brutale, Fools Glass, Georgia Harvey, Hannah Nowlan, Indigo Tolhurst, Jenny Jones, Jordan Fleming, Kelly Brown, KOEH Studio, Locki Humphrey, Marlo Lydia, Martyn Thompson, Max Copolou, Melvin Josy, Nicole Lawrence, Objects for Thought, Patrick Scott, Patrick Shields, Ro Noonan, Saturday Yard Work, Studio Dokola, Studio Kaytar, Studio Tops, Subject Matters, Sundance Studio, Tantri Mustika, Thannie Phan, Theodosius Ng, Thomas Maxam, Zoe Diacolabianos. Curated by Ruby Shields. Delicious shots by the ever talented @gemmola styled & art directed by yours truly.

•MDW 2026• So beyond excited to be part of @ngvmelbourne @creative_vic Melbourne Design Week with my debut exhibition @synthesis.mdw at the Bishop’s Parlour within the @abbotsfordconvent It’s going to be a wild and hectic 11 days of amazing design, talent and community. All the things we love. Studio Shields will be presenting “Ponder” at 100 Chairs with @friends.associates and I’ll be doing a panel discussion with @hothausglass @robertgordonpottery “Hand of the Maker”. Huge thank you to @ngvmelbourne @creative_vic for #melbournedesignweek , this program shapes what design is all about and brings together the whole of Aus, for that, you have my deepest gratitude. Clear those diaries ladies & gents. We’ve got business. See you soon!! Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Visit designweek.melbourne to view the full program. Synthesis image shot by the talented @gemmola Styled & art directed by Ruby Shields @_studio.shields

•SYNTHESIS• I can say with certainty… curating an exhibition of 46 artists, makers & designers, while launching & navigating a studio was perhaps not the gentlest way to begin the year. There have been spreadsheets within spreadsheets, midnight emails, endless organising (so much organising), and yes… Euro trip savings have evaporated. @patrick_shields_ has been building walls, painting and keeping me fed. But much of this is a one-woman orchestration, held together by instinct, stubbornness and probably too much adrenaline. The motto - not here to fk spiders. I’ll throw everything I have to make this an experience you won’t forget. The process has already been more rewarding than I ever imagined. I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone involved. Artists, some flying/ driving interstate, coming together for our shoot all dressed in black as requested (which felt very chic & very cult), bringing such warmth & energy into the Parlour, it was honestly so fkn wonderful I can barely explain the feeling of gratitude. What I loved, was hearing conversations ripple through the room, techniques shared, invitations to studios offered. That exchange of knowledge & support. That lack of hierarchy. That is the whole spirit of this exhibition. @synthesis.mdw has always been about more than assembling objects in a room. It’s about holding many voices together with care. About showing that interiors, & the communities within them, are magical. It’s embodying why I flipped my whole life around 4 years ago to follow a dream. And yes, we all know this is a bit of a main character moment. She has arrived in a gold cape for gods sake! But I hope what you feel more than anything is the love and compassion I have for every person brought into this exhibition. Deranged tiredness & exhausted emails aside… I’ve lived for every moment and cannot wait to draw the curtains back and host you for the opening night, Saturday 16 May, 6pm. Please come. Because your presence makes all of this, worth it. Custom garment designed by @speczmen crafted by Brendan Smith using @mokumstudio couture fabric. Shot by the talented @gemmola and art directed by yours truly.

•SYNTHESIS• A little taste of what awaits within the Parlour… ✨
 Feast your eyes on some of the deliciousness soon to unfold inside @synthesis.mdw ~ a gathering of works rich with tactility, colour, story and spirit. A glimpse only: treasures by @mood.workshop , @deannorton , @kellybrownceramics pieces that ground, shimmer, seduce and surprise. Works chosen not as standalone objects, but as part of a larger interior tapestry, each in dialogue with the next. This is the presence of Synthesis, not an exhibition of things on plinths, but an immersive interior to move through. A place where over 40 artists, makers and designers are brought together as one living composition, where material conversations unfold across rooms, and where atmosphere takes precedence over display. Staged within the Bishop’s Parlour at the Abbotsford Convent for Melbourne Design Week, Synthesis opens 14–22 May, with opening night on 16 May at 6pm. Registration is required for the opening night through the @abbotsfordconvent Come hungry. Featuring works by: Amy Vidler, Anne U, Angela Hayes, Astrid Salomon, Bel Williams, Bolaji Teniola, Cameron Green, Carl Broesen Studio, Craig Shanahan / Mood Workshop, Curtis Bloxsidge & 2am Close, Culture Cush, Dean Norton, Em Frank, Femme Brutale, Fools Glass, Georgia Harvey, Hannah Nowlan, Indigo Tolhurst, Jenny Jones, Jordan Fleming, Kelly Brown, KOEH Studio, Locki Humphrey, Marlo Lydia, Martyn Thompson, Max Copolou, Melvin Josy, Nicole Lawrence, Objects for Thought, Patrick Scott, Patrick Shields, Ro Noonan, Saturday Yard Work, Studio Dokola, Studio Kaytar, Studio Tops, Subject Matters, Sundance Studio, Tantri Mustika, Thannie Phan, Theodosius Ng, Thomas Maxam, Zoe Diacolabianos. Curated by Ruby Shields. Delicious shots by the ever talented @gemmola styled & art directed by yours truly. Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Explore the full program @ designweek.melbourne @ngvmelbourne

•APRIL WRAP• If March was unhinged, April was feral. But dressed well. With less than two weeks until @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week (wait… is it less? I don’t even know what day it is anymore), April has been one long held breath. Synthesis tipped into real life with our pre-shoot with the brilliant @gemmola ~ two days bumping in pieces, styling vignettes, & somehow photographing over 40 artists in groupings and individual categories in three tightly choreographed hours. Precision theatre. Stress levels biblical. Martina, you make shoot days feel easy ~ thank you for always bringing the vibes & dance moves. Meanwhile, it’s been full tilt with 100 Chairs for @patrick_shields_ . Our chair Ponder - gluing, chainsawing and burning ~ the throne has emerged. The studio hasn’t exactly been quiet either. Two projects deep in concept, one presented today, another tomorrow. Running a full exhibition largely solo while keeping the studio humming… not sure I’d recommend it as a wellness strategy, but here we are. The bags are real, but #sliving. This month has been a biggie ~ @duluxaus Colour Awards finalist news landed. @auinteriordesignawards shortlists too. And Joy Haus appearing in @thedesignfiles Issue 04 & now in stores… still all pinch-me moments. Little fish BIG pond. On site, @eliza_legal is in construction an unexpected original window reveal had us all squealing, procurement is underway, including beautiful works by @katesartori_art from @landerse.au There’ve been gallery openings squeezed in (thank you @comagallery @renee_estee ), a few celebratory vinos, 5 year wedding anniversary (tonight) & snuggles with the fur children (& duck) And now ~ May. Which feels less like a month and more like a curtain rising. Invites for @synthesis.mdw have landed in inboxes. The gold thread is pulling tight. I hope you’re ready ✨ Here’s to the sprint, the beautiful madness… and a very hectic month ahead.

•MILANO• Mentally, emotionally… spiritually parked in Milan Design Week right now while our feed is flooded and I’m sitting here in Melbourne pretending I’m not jealous. I am. Deeply. Two years ago, I somehow landed the golden ticket, a trip with @mobilia_ to Milan, moving through ateliers that most of us only ever see through a screen. @cc_tapis , @cassinaofficial , @morosofficial , @poltronafrauofficial … each one a masterclass in obsession, craft and absolute devotion to process. And that’s the thing, it wasn’t just beautiful (though… it really was). It was the level of care. Watching a leather hide at @cassinaofficial get scanned, mapped, cut around its imperfections like it’s some kind of sacred artefact. Seeing the rugs at @cc_tapis shift in tone thread by thread, like a painting translated into fibre. Sitting in pieces at @morosofficial that feel less like furniture and more like fully realised ideas. Everything held narrative & nothing felt accidental. There was a moment, somewhere between warehouses of hand-pulled rugs, fresco-lined showrooms and a slightly too many spritzs, where it all clicked. This is what it means for design to be ingrained rather than applied. It’s not surface. It’s not styling. It’s decisions, stacked over time, held with intent. Yes, there were fashion fits. Yes, there was wine. Yes, there was a slightly unhinged level of enthusiasm over chairs (no regrets). But what stayed with me was the reverence for making. The patience. The pride. It shifted something. It still does. The trip gave me more than access, it gave me a deeper understanding of what sits behind the pieces we specify, and a sharper lens on how I want to design. With story. With weight. With that same sense of care stitched into every decision. Forever grateful for that experience @mobilia_ But also… I’m ready to go back.

•SHORTLISTED• We’re going for a double here ~ so bloody proud to have The View has been shortlisted in the 2026 Residential design category for the Australian Interior Design Awards @auinteriordesignawards . It is so amazing to have our home recognised on such a scale, it’s been seven years of hard work. There were no builders or joiners. No tilers, painters, floor finishers or plasterers. No drawing set, no neat details resolved on paper. Just Pat and I in the shed, at the dining table, figuring it out as we went. (An electrician. A reluctant plumber. That’s it). This house is Christmases spent sanding instead of celebrating. The night before our wedding, repainting the kitchen in Moroccan clay because I couldn’t live with green. It’s arriving home from work and picking up a nail gun or trowel. It’s our arguments, doubt, exhaustion, and choosing to keep going anyway. This recognition… these moments… make it all worth it. So thank you judges, for seeing the love, care, amount of sheer effort it takes to craft a home that is unique. Again, none of it would be what it is without my very talented other half. @pat poured so much craft, care and intelligence into this home. We’re a team, always, and The View simply would not exist in the way it does without you. Interior design & decoration @_studio.shields Carpentry & bespoke pieces @patrick_shields_ Photography @gemmola Stylist @jessicaalice_design

•SHORTLISTED• Absolutely beyond excited to share that The View has been shortlisted in the 2026 Residential Decoration category for the Australian Interior Design Awards @auinteriordesignawards This one has absolutely floored me, in the best possible way. Our home has always been our little bowerbird nest of treasures. When I was pulling everything together for the shoot, I remember thinking, “well, this won’t go anywhere… I don’t have the budgets for those award worthy pieces, and surely my hard-rubbish sofa and Marketplace coffee tables aren’t going to cut it”. But I stayed true to the story. True to what I believe makes a home feel powerful. A home that genuinely reflects the people who live there. A home where every piece is woven into the bigger picture, like a delicious tapestry of life. And well… here we are. Beside that hard-rubbish sofa, which, mind you, is a Simmons Playpen, but that’s another story, sit pieces by dear friends and brilliant Australian creatives. A table by @_jordanfleming , an @objectsforthought sequence lamp, works from @martynthompsonstudio and a whole collection of bits and pieces gathered over time. Bones, feathers, bark, objects, memories. A treasure trove of love. This project was as much about championing the incredible Australian designers and artists around us as it was about showing the power of colour, curation and a home with soul. And of course, none of it would be what it is without my very talented other half. @patrick_shields_ poured so much craft and care into this home. We’re a team, always, and The View simply would not exist in the way it does without you. I could talk about this project for hours, so I’ll leave it here: stay true to your eye. Stay true to your story. Authenticity always lands. A MASSIVE thank you to the judges for seeing our home and the presence it has. I’m just over the moon to be beside the designers & decorators that I have idolised for years. Interior design & decoration @_studio.shields Carpentry & bespoke pieces @patrick_shields_ Photography @gemmola Stylist @jessicaalice_design

•SHORTLISTED• WOW, WOW, WOW!! Beyond thrilled and bloody humbled to announce that Joy Haus has been shortlisted for @auinteriordesignawards Residential Design 2026 My first project outside of my own home, sitting alongside designers I’ve admired for years… it feels surreal. There’s not enough words to express all the feelings. But more than anything, Joy Haus is special because of Mitch & Clare. The level of trust they gave me ~ full reins, no hesitation, is rare. It shaped not just the outcome, but a friendship that will last well beyond the project. This is why I love what I do. Creating homes that feel deeply personal. Spaces that don’t just look good, but feel like something. Thank you to the judges for recognising the joy, and the love poured into this one. Interior design & decoration @_studio.shields Built by @innerurbangroup Photography @gemmola Stylist @jessicaalice_design