RESIDENCE STUDIO

Publication: Home Design Magazine Article: Residence Studio Feature Photography: Corrina Louise Photography

Introducing Tara Dehbozorgi and Laure Bebbington: the creative minds behind Residence Studio, a highly bespoke premium interior design business servicing clientele across Australia.

From interior decoration and furnishings to full-service interior design services in both residential and commercial spaces, Residence Studio enjoys a reputation underpinned by high attention to detail and the ability to translate client vision into reality.

Born in 2021, Residence Studio is the creative baby of interior designers Tara Dehbozorgi and Laure Bebbington. After working together for four years, the pair identified a gap in the market, one they would soon fill with interiors that blur the boundary between luxury and curated interiors. “Our love of high-end furniture and luxurious interior spaces led us to starting our business with the view to fill a gap in the Brisbane market,” says Laure.

Unlike their cohesive design outcomes, Tara and Laure are like chalk and cheese (Tara describes herself as “extroverted, quirky and brave”, while Laure is an “ever-evolving creative introvert”). Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the two women work incredibly well together, their differences complementing each other beautifully.

During its inception, social media and word-of-mouth were the company’s biggest advocates and gained them clientele. “We started off doing some smaller high-end projects as that’s how we had positioned the business from the beginning. Now we work on some of Queensland’s largest high-end projects, which was always where we saw the business heading,” Tara explains. “We found there was a big niche in the market for high-end designers in Brisbane who created bespoke interiors, so we wanted to really utilise this to our advantage as it meant we were able to create something new and unique in Queensland.”

TARA DEHBOZORGI

Inquisitive and intrepid, Tara Dehbozorgi worked as a senior residential interior designer on large-scale interior design and furnishing projects prior to establishing Residence Studio. “When I travelled overseas, design played such a big role in the history and culture of the countries I visited,” Tara shares. “I realised then that Brisbane was lacking the design flair that other cities and countries had, so I wanted to bring that opulence to Brisbane and push the boundaries of design.”

Nothing sparks more joy in Tara than making people fall in love with their homes. “One of my favourite projects to work on was called Maleny,” she recalls. “It was something completely different to what we are used to, which is usually contemporary high-end interiors. Instead, this was a contemporary take on a country home. I loved that by doing a cosmetic renovation, it meant we had to consider the already existing elements of the design and rather than take away from these, we had to make sure we complemented this with our own design flair while paying homage to the original architecture. It was also an honour to work on a Stuart Rattle home and add a Residence Studio touch to it. I think a lot of people liked this design because it was warm and relatable and it’s a style they hadn’t seen us design before. It was a great way to show our versatility.”

In terms of her own personal style preferences, Tara is partial to a contemporary-luxe aesthetic. “However, the more I design, the more I adapt to various styles,” she adds. “I love anything from chic coastal and rustic Puglian style to more minimalist interior aesthetics. I would say the common thread between all my designs is ‘high-end’, no matter what the look and feel is.”

LAURE BEBBINGTON

Raised in a family who celebrated creativity, Laure Bebbington was always destined to work in the design industry. Her varied resume includes stints working as a technical documenter for Poliform, an interior designer for architectural firm Jackson Teece Architecture, and a project manager for Euromarble (a natural stone company). Laure’s last role prior to starting Residence Studio was working for Coco Republic as a senior interior designer. This is also where she crossed paths with Tara. “Tara and I worked together for four years, and we are always the first ones to point out how opposite we are. However, we work well together and complement each other’s differences which, for creative people, is key,” Laure explains. “Our love of high-end furniture and luxurious interior spaces led us to starting our business. Because of our vast experience working across different sectors in a multitude of different styles, we really can customise a bespoke outcome for the client.”

With a personal design style that is quite minimal, contemporary and blended, Laure loves the use of vintage furniture paired with contemporary pieces and textured fabrics, warm timbers and patinaed metals. She is quick to point out that as a business, locking themselves into one certain look is not what Residence Studio is about. “We love exploring and pushing the boundary with our projects, but always make sure the outcome is high-end and luxurious,” she says.

Sustainability is a hallmark of all Residence Studio projects. Indeed, Tara and Laure always endeavour to use local suppliers who manufacture in Australia. While this does tend to come at a higher price tag, most clients recognise the benefits of investing in heirloom pieces that will last the test of time, and be handed down to future generations, rather than filling their homes with cheap, mass-produced furniture that will end up in landfill.

With more than 25 years of combined experience, Tara and Laure are a formidable team reimagining luxury for residential and commercial spaces. To enlist their services, or view their portfolio, visit the website today.