“I Took Kelly Wearstler’s Masterclass And Realized It Was Time To Follow My Dream” — This Interior Designer’s Bold Home Set The Tone For Her Creative Portfolio

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Ruby and Patrick Shields spent seven years renovating an unfinished 1980s home in Australia’s Yarra Ranges, working on it during evenings and weekends. Ruby says taking Kelly Wearstler’s online masterclass during the Covid period helped her decide to pursue interior design and launch Studio Shields.

Ruby Shields says a Kelly Wearstler masterclass helped prompt her to pursue interior design while she and her husband, Patrick, were renovating an unfinished home in Australia’s Yarra Ranges. A Livingetc profile describes how their seven-year project became the creative foundation for her practice, Studio Shields.

The couple bought the early-1980s property in their early twenties, when Ruby worked as an advertising art director and Patrick was a second-year carpentry apprentice. They wanted a home of their own and a place to experiment. Ruby said the house, set above a canopy of gum trees about an hour’s drive from Melbourne, felt like a treehouse. They named it The View.

The building needed substantial work. Its lower level was largely an exposed frame cut into the hillside and had no connecting staircase. The couple renovated it in stages while living there, working on the house during evenings and weekends. They designed and made details together, including bespoke joinery and brass handles. Ruby said Patrick’s attention to detail complemented her direction.

During the Covid period, Ruby took Wearstler’s masterclass and decided to pursue design professionally. By the end of the renovation, she had launched Studio Shields, with the couple’s home serving as a showcase for her approach. The profile also identifies the practice as Studio Squire in its headline and image credits; it does not explain the difference between the names.

A Renovation Becomes a Design Portfolio

The home’s significance in the profile is not just its transformation, but its role in Ruby’s move from advertising into interior design. It gave her a lived-in project in which to test ideas, and a portfolio example shaped by close collaboration with Patrick. The account presents the career change as Ruby’s own decision; it does not establish that the masterclass alone caused her professional move.

The renovation also illustrates how limited funds shaped the couple’s design choices. Ruby said they used reclaimed materials for bespoke work as a more sustainable construction choice and as a way to make their budget go further. The project’s mix of handmade elements, reused timber, color and layered textures reflects those priorities.

Seven Years in the Yarra Ranges

The Shields found the house in the hills of Victoria’s Yarra Ranges, outside Melbourne. One of their early changes was removing a wall that blocked the view from the entrance. Ruby said the altered layout opened sightlines to the treetops, while the kitchen was arranged so the canopy could be seen from the island.

The finished interiors use earthy browns, rust and greens, with electric baby blue on the ceiling. Other details include glossy green tiles, a carved headboard made from reclaimed wharf timber, and a bathroom vanity in wavy timber. Ruby described her approach as collecting unusual objects and combining them into a narrative. She said a home should feel like the people who live in it.

Studio Name and Career Details

The Livingetc source uses both Studio Shields and Studio Squire in connection with the project, without clarifying whether one is a former name, a separate business or a publishing error. The profile does not give a launch date for the practice, describe its current projects, or provide details about Ruby’s training beyond her account of taking Wearstler’s masterclass. It also does not specify the exact start and end dates of the seven-year renovation.

The Practice Beyond the Home

The profile documents the home as a completed renovation and a statement of Ruby’s design approach, but it does not announce a forthcoming project or business milestone. Readers seeking updates on the practice will need further information from Ruby or the studio about its name, portfolio and current work. No additional renovation schedule or next development is given in the report.

Key Questions

Who are Ruby and Patrick Shields?

Ruby and Patrick Shields are a couple who spent seven years renovating a home in Australia’s Yarra Ranges. Ruby worked in advertising before pursuing interior design; Patrick was a carpentry apprentice when they bought the property.

What role did Kelly Wearstler’s masterclass play?

Ruby said taking the masterclass during the Covid period helped her decide it was time to pursue interior design. The source does not say that the class provided formal qualifications or that it was the sole reason for her career move.

What was unusual about the house?

The early-1980s house had an unfinished lower level, an exposed frame set into the hillside and no connecting staircase. The couple also changed the entrance by removing a wall that had blocked views of the gum trees.

What design choices define the renovation?

The home combines earthy colors, layered textures, custom joinery and reclaimed materials. Reported features include green tiles, a reclaimed-wharf-timber headboard and a ceiling painted electric baby blue.

What is the name of Ruby’s design practice?

The profile calls it Studio Shields in the article text, but also uses Studio Squire in its headline and image credits. It does not clarify which name is correct or whether both refer to the same practice.

Source: rss