The View By Studio Shields
Set amongst the treetops of the Yarra Valley, The View is the home of Ruby and Patrick Shields of Studio Shields – bringing together colour, craft and a deep connection to place.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos MARTINA GEMMOLA Interiors & Styling STUDIO SHIELDS
‘What I love most is that every room holds a different chapter of our story. The living room is my little bowerbird nest, filled with ceramics, books, artwork and treasures we've collected over the years. It's a space that continually inspires me,’ shares Ruby Shields.
The View is a collaboration between Ruby Shields, founder and creative director of Studio Shields, and her husband, Patrick Shields, a maker who specialises in transforming recycled materials into thoughtful, enduring pieces.
Centred within the home, the new kitchen provides a bold burst of colour.
‘One of the biggest lessons was our butler's pantry… originally that area was another bedroom, but we realised we didn't need another room that would simply collect things. What we actually needed was a kitchen that worked harder.’
‘The kitchen holds a different kind of joy. Patrick and I obsessed over every detail, not because they were showpieces, but because we wanted it to work beautifully for the way we live.’
“The landscape shaped almost every decision we made. I grew up on the South Coast of NSW surrounded by bushland, creeks and trees, so I’ve always felt most at home in nature. When it came to designing our own home, I wasn’t interested in recreating the landscape literally. Instead, I wanted to capture how it feels.”
Handing, holding, footing sculpture by Ro Noonan, tapestry: Horizon by Emma Shepard and artwork: Obscura, Solara by Hannah Nowlan.
Eclipse pendant by HAY from Cult Design, Loanna Chair by Maryam Moghadam, Kukeri Floor Lamp by Curtis Bloxsidge & 2am close, Vintage dining table, Ceramic Plinth by Emily Ellis from Pepite, Ceramic Collection on Fireplace by Tantri Mustika
Eclipse pendant by HAY from Cult Design, Loanna Chair by Maryam Moghadam, Vintage marble dining table, Ceramic Plinth stool by Emily Ellis from Pepite. Outside: Trace Drinks Trolley by Tait and Trace Sunlounger by Tait in Mokum outdoor fabric.
Joinery: French Navy from Laminex, Round Handles “Pipe” constructed of recycled brass waste pipe by Studio Shields. Vintage postmodern leather sofa by Robinson Furniture. Artwork: Echos of the Unseen by Emma Labattaglia.
‘Good design shouldn't intimidate people. It should invite them in. If someone leaves feeling a little lighter than when they arrived, then I think we've done our job,’ says Ruby Shields. FLOAT CHAIR by Dean Norton.
“Ultimately, we wanted the home to feel like an oasis. Living outside the city, surrounded by nature, we wanted the interiors to deepen that sense of connection.”
Artwork: Happiness Cotton Jacquard by Martyn Thompson from Oigall Projects, ALTER table Lamp by Studio Kaytar from Craft Victoria, Hunter armchair by Tobjorn Afdal from Grandfathers Axe, Flow State Lamp by Tantri Mustika Ceramics, Palermo Caramel Bedcover by L&M Home and Vintage Oushak Rug.
Flow State Lamp by Tantri Mustika Ceramics.
Happiness Cotton Jacquard by Martyn Thompson from Oigall Projects and Hunter armchair by Tobjorn Afdal from Grandfathers Axe.
Floor Lamp: Exhausted by Jordan Fleming, Body & Soul side table by Locki Humphrey, Custom design bedhead by Studio Shields, Avant Garden bedding by Odditi.
Standing Slip Vase by Anna Varendorff from Oigall Projects and small ceramic vase by Tantri Mustika Ceramics.
Perched amongst the treetops of the Yarra Valley, The View by Studio Shields is shaped by its landscape. Completed over seven years, the home brings together colour, reclaimed materials and a deep connection to place.
The bushland setting informed almost every design decision. Interior designer Ruby Shields of Studio Shields sought to capture its atmosphere through colour, materiality and the way the home unfolds. She worked alongside her husband Patrick Shields, a maker specialising in handcrafted furniture and objects, whose reclaimed timber pieces bring warmth and character to the interiors.
'The landscape shaped almost every decision we made,' she says. 'I wasn't interested in recreating the landscape literally. Instead, I wanted to capture how it feels.'
That intention is felt from the moment you walk in. One of the earliest design ideas was to remove a series of enclosed hallways that had concealed the property's greatest asset. In their place, uninterrupted sight lines draw the eye directly to the canopy beyond, creating an immediate connection between the interiors and their setting. This became the defining gesture of the house and the inspiration behind its name.
Throughout the house, colour becomes an extension of that experience. Eucalyptus greens, oxidised earth tones, terracotta and sky blues appear in carefully considered sequences, shifting gently from room to room to create changing moods rather than relying on a singular palette. Timber, much of it reclaimed and handcrafted by Patrick, anchors the interiors with warmth and a sense of permanence, while layers of vintage furniture, ceramics, artwork and collected objects reveal the couple's shared creative life.
'The colours are bold, but they're colours that exist in nature, which is why I think they feel so calming rather than overwhelming,' Ruby says.
As with much of the home, it is the experience of living in The View that has become most meaningful. The living room has evolved into Ruby's 'little bowerbird nest', layered with books, ceramics and treasured objects collected over many years. The kitchen was designed as a place to gather rather than simply cook, while a butler's pantry, added late in the project in place of a fifth bedroom, has transformed the rhythm of everyday life.
'Designing your own home isn't always about resale,' she says. 'It's about improving the way you live every single day.'
After seven years of renovations, Ruby admits the greatest surprise was not the finished interiors, but the feeling they created. 'The house feels incredibly warm and generous,' she reflects. 'Perhaps what surprises me most is just how much happiness it brings me every single day.'
The View was designed to feel lived in rather than precious, inviting guests to curl up on the sofa, pour themselves a glass of wine and move through the rooms with ease.
'Good design shouldn't intimidate people,' Ruby says. 'It should invite them in. If someone leaves feeling a little lighter than when they arrived, then I think we've done our job.'
Location: Yarra Valley, Victoria
Interior Design: Studio Shields
Photography: Martina Gemmola
