Interior design extraordinaire Shelley Boyd is a secret weapon for reality renovation stars.
A Gold Coast design veteran and her exclusive furniture range is a secret weapon for reality renovation stars. Now, she reveals her top tips for DIY’ers.
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EVERY weekend, young Shelley Boyd would jump on a bus in Rotorua, New Zealand to escape to the countryside to see her Nanna.
For hours on end, the duo would sew, laugh and make a huge mess. It didn’t take long for the budding designer to fall in love with textiles. Shelley says she didn’t have a choice – it was in her blood.
“All my family are very creative and a lot of them are heavily involved in the fashion industry,” the now design veteran says.
“My grandmother was so talented. She was a hairdresser but her sewing skills were incredible. She made exquisite dresses.
“I was always so excited to get on the bus to visit her Edgecumbe for the weekend.
“We would sew and do crafty projects all weekend.
“I remember when I was eight I saved all my pocket money to buy an Elna Lotus sewing machine.
“Just like Nanna, I loved sewing and my dolls and I ended up having the best wardrobe.”
Shelley’s love of fabric and creativity blossomed with age. But the creative director and founder of Boyd Blue, a furniture supplier, says she never dreamt of pursing a career in the interior design industry.
“When I finished school I always knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry, just like my family,” Shelley says.
“I went to Wellington Polytechnic to do a diploma in fashion and textiles. After that I moved to London and I landed a job with an amazing interior designer, Anne Rossiter, in Bath.
“She made incredible curtains and then I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the fabric industry. Working with Anne opened my eyes.
“I learnt the traditional way of making curtains and measuring windows in the most beautiful Georgian style homes in Bath.”
From there, Shelley started working as a sales representative, selling luxurious upholstery fabric. A few years later she joined her mum and dad on the Gold Coast, after they packed up their lives in Rotorua.
Shelley says after a plethora of jobs — in the fabric industry, flipping pancakes, waitressing and working as a nightclub maitre d' — she fell in love with interior design at the age of 33.
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With the goal of opening her own businesses, Shelley found a niche in the market and started selling fabric to designers out of the boot of her car in 1999. Her business Boyd Blue has grown exponentially in the past 21 years. She now sells an eclectic collection of furniture, homewares, lighting, textiles, rugs and artwork to designers and the public in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Inspired by her love of textiles and her travels around the globe, Shelley is always on the hunt for unique handmade pieces to add to her collection. She travels almost six months of the year, to places like India, Indonesia and the Philippines to source products from multi-generational family businesses.
The 54-year-old travels to Varanasi, India, two or three times a year to meet with her rug supplier. She says the journey to one of the oldest cities in India, through the lush countryside, often takes her breath away.
Every mohair hand-knotted rug that Shelley imports and sells is from a small family business. She says she cannot stop smiling when she sees grandparents, parents, cousins and uncles sitting quietly on the floor in a row, with a large loom, designing and knotting a rug as a family project.
Her products, inspired by nature, are regularly featured on reality home renovation shows The Block and House Rules. Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer, 2019 Block contestants Mitch and Mark, and 2013 Block winners Alisa and Lysandra often source products from her showrooms. Shelley says her motto is buy once, buy well.
“I don’t buy from China and I refused to buy cookie-cutter furniture or anything that pops out of a machine,” she says.
“I think everyone should slow down and not buy rubbish. Take time to research, thinking about sustainability and investing in long-term pieces.
“It’s amazing how many people short change themselves by buying rubbish.
“Your home is your sanctuary. You should walk through your door and feel safe, secure, and comfortable and love everything about your home.”
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Her key tip for renovating a home is to have a good budget and not buy everything at once.
“You shouldn’t try and do your whole house on a tight budget,” she says.
“Don’t rush and do a little bit at a time. I strongly believe you get what you pay for.
“Take your time and invest in a professional designer if you are not confident as mistakes can be costly. A professional can save you money.”
Shelley also says DIY-ers shouldn’t be scared to go big.
“I love oversized artwork – it is a great statement in a home,” she says.
“My favourite artists are Charles Blackman and Melissa Egan. Also it’s a good idea to invest in the biggest, most comfortable furniture you can afford because you will have it for many years to come.
“My favourite piece in my home is my two 3m linen sofas.”
‘I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A REALITY FOR ME’
The Kiwi-born creative says she has always been inspired by her parents Ann and Bill Boyd, who love buying, renovating and selling homes on the Gold Coast.
“Every home they’ve flipped has been beautiful,” she says.
“They present homes immaculately. From clean windows, a perfect paint job, making sure everything is sparkling clean.
“I think a lot of people don’t do the job properly when they are flipping homes. Furniture is not enough, you need to have decent workmanship.
“It’s a great accomplishment renovating a house. My dad helped my sister and I renovate a few homes.”
Shelley says her family and husband Ion Chiet, who now all reside on the Gold Coast, have always been a great support.
“We are all so close and I am really lucky to have them by my side,” she says.
One of Shelley’s biggest fans is her late grandmother, Joan Walsh.
“Before she passed away, about 10 years ago, she was so proud of what I’d accomplished,” she says.
“I loved her so very much and to hear she loved my work made me smile. She especially loved my home.”
Shelley and Ion built their mega contemporary Burleigh cantilever pole home 13 years ago. The build took nine months and saw Ion carefully design a “glass bowl” home on the cliff face of Burleigh National Park.
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The interior is eclectic yet pared back, with monochrome and a pop of colour in every room.
“It was a long process to get council permission for the build but I had an amazing experience with our talented builder and my husband who is experienced in architecture,” Shelley says.
Shelley is passionate about ensuring all her furniture, homewares and clothes are sustainable, ethically sourced and made from natural materials.
With a focus on nature, scale, texture and finish, she loves luxe materials like linen, silk, cashmere, mohair, alpaca, stone and bronze.
Her hot tips for giving soul to a home is ensuring a living room does not mimic a football field. She says to be brave and group furniture, rather than placing around the perimeter of a room. Shelley also says dining tables look best on a rug and dressed with a pendant; bathrooms should feature a quirky stool; and a home office should be functional with storage but also inspire you with your favourite trinkets, art, candles and a mood board. When styling a bedroom she is a fan of linen drapes with blackout lining, soft lighting, floor mirrors and grass weave wallpaper.
Shelley says there has been a plethora of high and low moments during her 21 years in business but her “supreme confidence” has helped her soldier on.
“One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t start earlier but I am a great believer in that things happen for a reason,” she says.
“I don’t have children. “I have always been very ambitious, passionate, goal focused and a workaholic.
“If you want to crack into the industry or kickstart a business, you have to be confident and back yourself. You have to have total faith you can achieve your goals, and be passionate about what you do because it shouldn’t feel like work but something you love.
“There has been times I have been terrified and lost confidence but I have managed to pull my socks up and get on with it.
“This is just the start of Boyd Blue and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
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