By Dominque Bambino
According to Rochelle Ward style is an individual pursuit; a reflection of personal taste, influence and vision. It is a pursuit that sets people apart, gives them their edge and in her case propels from one exciting interior design job to the next.
Rochelle runs Complete Living, a vibrant Melbourne interior design company dedicated to all that challenges the sense of beauty and space in a living environment.
"Our team collates international movements in the world of design, fashion and art to translate them into a beautiful, fresh, timeless, living space," says Rochelle. "Our company is focused on furniture and interior design and interior decorating solutions for commercial interiors, investors, owner occupiers, developers and hotel operators. We offer an Interior Design service for any interior requirement and specialize in FF&E consulting for Hotels and Serviced Apartments."
A self confessed minimalist, ("less is more"), Rochelle cites her influences as many different things: music, nature, fashion, media, travel… "Things that evoke and arouse me."
These influences are evident in all her work from state of the art furniture packages for urban developments (University Hill in Melbourne) and waterfront living (Hervey Bay in Queensland), to the opulence and elegance of the refurbishment of the iconic Windsor Hotel .
Rochelle has been in the interior design business for eight years. "It took me a while to get here. I have had careers in many other fields along the way, but when I was young I wanted to be an interior designer. So I've come full circle."
It just goes to show that eventually, if you wish hard enough and believe, you do get what you want. However it wasn't just wishful thinking that led her down a successful career path. Like her design work, she refers to success as an individual thing.
"Success is really a very personal thing that cannot be measured by anyone else other than oneself. For me it is being involved with life in a way that inspires me and me it. That entails work, family, friends, music, food and not necessarily in that order."
Life learning and evolution of self are the two main ingredients that brought Rochelle to where she is today.
"I left school at 16 and was a professional model for 15 years. I traveled the world and experienced many different cultures. My appreciation for aesthetics has always been important." And she was encouraged to follow her dreams, which also propelled her.
"My mother told me – from when I can remember – to travel the world. She really inspired me to experience life and from that she instilled confidence in me to believe I could do anything I set my mind to. I was never judged by my parents, only encouraged." After she won her first project, work seemed to snowball and she recognized that she had a natural ability, an eye for detail if you will, and she loved what she was doing.
Love for what you do is a key to success. "Never lose sight of why you started," she says.
She also believes it's important to develop your own signature, something by which people recognise your work.
"I think that's part of being successful, having your own signature in whatever you do."
Rochelle sees everything she does as a natural progression in life and she is excited by the future. You also get the feeling that this very stylish, very determined interior designer's desire and passion for great aesthetic will take her a long way no matter what she next sets her mind to.
