In Concord, Sydney, interior designer Stephanie Ferrara of Laidback Lee Design Studio has transformed a family house of ten years into something layered, personal, and quietly glamorous. We sat down with lead designer and Laidback Lee director Stephanie Ferrara to hear how it all came together.
The Shipham Street Project
What was the brief, or the starting point?
The brief was refreshingly open. The owners had lived in the home about ten years and loved its location and bones, but it had never really become theirs. They wanted a home that was deeply personal and stylish, and functional for their busy family of five. I always find the best projects start from a shared feeling rather than a strict style, and here it was warmth and personality: every room considered and reflective of who they are, without ever feeling stuffy or precious.
How much of the finished home came from the owners themselves?
Enormously, this was very much a collaboration. The owners were incredibly open and trusting, they'd tell me what excited them and what didn't, and from there I'd run with a vision (I'd often say, "keep an open mind, I have a vision," before showing them something new). Their personalities come through everywhere in the finished home, in the colour choices, the artwork, the playful details in the kids' rooms. It's their story, I just helped translate it into a space.
The entry foyer is anchored by the Minigiogali chandeliers. What drew you to them for that space?
I wanted something for that space with real presence but a timeless quality. The Minigiogali by Vistosi ticked every box, the handmade Murano glass gives them a jewel-like quality up close, but as a cluster they read as one sculptural, glamorous moment from a distance. We used three, staggered at different heights so they feel considered rather than symmetrical and expected. Against the Venetian plaster walls and brass console below, they set the tone for the whole entry: metropolitan, a little glamorous, still warm.
Do you have a favourite detail or moment in the project?
Hard to pick just one, but I keep coming back to the entry foyer as a whole: the Venetian plaster, the Giogali pendants, the custom steel balustrade I hand-drew for the staircase. It's the first thing you see walking in and captures everything the project was about, taking something simple and making it feel special. I'm also fond of the boys' bedroom bunks, it's one of the owners' favourite spaces too, and there's something lovely about a fairly technical, custom piece of joinery becoming somewhere the kids genuinely love being.
See the full project on the Laidback Lee website →
About Stephanie and Laidback Lee
Tell us about your background, and how Laidback Lee came to be.
I studied Interior Design at UNSW Art & Design, and while finishing my degree I worked in visual merchandising and managed homewares stores, which taught me a lot about styling and how people actually live with and move through spaces. After a few years across the industry, I realised what I wanted most was to build genuine, collaborative relationships with clients rather than a more transactional way of working, and that's the foundation Laidback Lee was built on. I've now been in the industry over a decade and running my own studio for more than six years.
How would you describe your design philosophy, or your signature style?
Refined sophistication meets eclectic charm, spaces that feel curated and considered but never stuffy. I love layering texture, colour and pattern in a way that feels personal rather than trend-led, with moments of surprise or play built in. My approach is very collaborative, I want clients to feel like the finished home is unmistakably theirs, with our expertise woven through it.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Honestly, it goes back to childhood, I used to spend hours rearranging my bedroom, and weekends with my mum at Sydney's flea markets taught me how to mix pieces from completely different eras into something cohesive. That instinct has never really left me. Beyond that, I'm inspired by our clients and the stories they want their homes to tell, and by good craftsmanship, whether that's a handmade Murano pendant or a beautifully finished piece of joinery.
And what's on the horizon for the Laidback Lee?
Quite a bit. We've recently launched a dedicated Architecture arm of the studio, so we can now take clients through a full journey from floor plans right through to interiors and styling, all under one roof. We've also grown the team, so we can take on more of the ambitious, full-scope projects I love. On a personal note, my own house build is now at lock-up stage, a fun and humbling way to live out everything I usually guide clients through. And there are some exciting projects in the pipeline that I think will be some of our most personal work yet.
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Supporting the Designers We Work With
Behind every project like Shipham Street is a partnership. We love seeing the designers we work with bring pieces from our collection into homes across Sydney and Melbourne, and we're proud to support their work, from first specification to final install.
If you're working on a project of your own, our showroom teams in South Yarra and Surry Hills are here to help, and our complimentary lighting design service can help shape the right scheme for your space.
