Julia Green
Interior Stylist. TV presenter. Founder, Greenhouse Interiors
Barwon Heads, Victoria, Australia
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With a love of interiors and a lifetime of acquiring art, objects and collectibles for her own home, it is fair to say that Julia Green has found her dream job as an interior stylist and writer. A chance meeting with a photographer from Vogue led Julia to establish Greenhouse Interiors in 2010. Julia is now a household name and has been one of the most published stylists in Australia.
INSTAGRAM: @greenhouseinteriors | greenhouseinteriors.com.au
Photos: Styled by Julia Green | Photography by @annetteobrien
What do you wish you would've known at 20?
That you could make a living from being a creative! I thought I had to pursue a corporate career, but in the end, it was that training and experience in the corporate sphere combined with my creative flair that has made me successful today. So, no regrets; wisdom cannot be bought, only learned.
What is essential to nurturing your creativity?
I like quiet time. I am a boisterous, gregarious, lively character and love to laugh, but I need to counterbalance that with quiet time. In the car, for instance, I don’t listen to the radio. I just quietly think. I like to lie in bed with soft music playing to soothe my busy brain. When I walk my local beach that is a hop, skip and jump from my home, I create and think of new ideas every single time. The sound of the ocean drives my creativity. Style is not just about what you can see, but what you can hear, touch and smell, and the ocean fuels all of my senses to go into overdrive.
Essential for creating a personal sanctuary?
It has to be a genuine reflection of you and how you like to live. I see too many people chasing trends that are not necessarily their own, and the lack of authenticity shows. A personal sanctuary tells the story of the homeowners that live there; you get a sense of who they are the minute you step into their space. Everything from their use of color, choice of materials, scents in the air, food on the bench, art on the walls… it all nods to their style and personality. It feels real.
Best advice?
Listen to your gut. It never ever lies. If I feel something strongly, I always act on it with confidence. I was also told not to chase money or success, or let them drive a decision, as they come anyway when you are good at what you do and make the right decisions.
6 Tips for Designing a Nurturing Home:
1. Keep it real, make it yours.
2. Aim for a considered interior where spaces are connected somehow—you might do this through color or texture, but try and make your signature style thread through the home like a tapestry.
3. Select the right colors based on the mood of each room.
4. Play with texture so that it’s not one-dimensional.
5. Always consider scents, as style is multi-sensory.
6. Using height and scale in a room is a must so the eye takes an interesting journey.
Must have greenery!
Every single room in my home has greenery. I am talking a jungle. Greenery is proof of life, the living, oxygenated component of a space that will make it feel fresh and alive. Even the laundry and kitchen should have greenery, and the kids’ rooms, etc. Once you have introduced it, there is no going back. You will find you cannot live without it.
The secret to great images:
Great images are all about teamwork. They are about the photographer and the stylist making a magical dance together. And that comes from great communication, a keen eye, lots of practice, an innate sense of balance and an eye for composition alongside the ability to make an image emotive. Visually, we are now bombarded with imagery, but those images that make you feel something are the ones that are truly great.
ORIGIN. Rapid Fire
1. Something you always have in your bag?
Paw paw cream
2. The place you feel most yourself?
The beach. I am at peace, raw, lost in the sounds
3. Where do you shop to find your favorite pieces?
My own site, of course! greenhouseinteriors.com.au
4. If you had to design a room in one color, what would it be?
Green
5. Which designers or sites give you the most inspiration?
India Mahdavi for her pattern color and clash combos
6. What hashtags do you use to find awesome design on Instagram?
7. Where do you start when you remake a room?
Always the art…
8. What’s the fastest way to shift a space?
Change the cushions
9. One of your favorite quotes:
“If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all.”
10. Something we wouldn’t know about you?
I am the worst dishwasher stacker the world has ever seen.
The importance of color:
Color is my first language! It has incredible powers to take you places, bring back memories, create memories and make you feel happy, relaxed or morose. I love its drama. I love its emotive power. And most of all I love its individuality! Color is incredibly personal, and while there are no rights or wrongs, my signature style is to use opposites, as they always attract. An apple green with a duck egg blue always wins. A soft lilac with a bright orange works a treat. But I love the fact that everyone has the power to make his or her own favorites.
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First and third photo: Styled by Julia Green. Photography by @annetteobrien
Second photo: ALI McNABNEY-STEVENS & BRENT ROSENBERG. Styled by Julia Green. Photography by @armellehabib