Who am I?
Bonjour, I’m Nelly. Lovely to meet you!
I am the interior designer behind Twinkle and Whistle. Based in Perth since 2006, I share my life between the South of France where I was born and grew up, and Australia, my childhood dream country, which I now have the pleasure and privilege to call home.
I wish I could say I always loved interior design, but the truth is, I didn’t even know it was a “real” career path until about a decade ago. When I grew up in France, interior designers were far and few, and they were mostly seen as fancy artsy people, working almost exclusively on luxury properties in Paris. Since I wasn’t fancy or artsy or Parisian, I never really considered it.
My fascination for transformations
My fascination with makeovers started at a very early age though. I could see how transforming something could have a massive impact on someone’s life. As a child, I dreamed of restoring and decorating old, unused buildings to provide uplifting and comfortable shelters to homeless people.
As a teenager, I wanted to be a beautician. I genuinely believed that pampering someone would make them feel good about themselves, improving self esteem and mental health.
As a young woman, I turned into the friend who would explain that your home was a reflection of you while rearranging your furniture. You know, the one who would pick paint colours for you and possibly help you repaint your living room. The one who’d take you hunting for second-hand goodies, and who you’d talk functional kitchen layout with. And also the one who would tell you that, really, that old and way-too-small-for-this-wall print had to go...
Improve, inspire, nurture
Fast forward twenty years, and, as an established Interior Designer, I still visit people’s homes and do all of the above and more. More importantly, I still get great joy out of seeing a space and its inhabitants change for the better. Every recommendation I give is driven by the same sentiment as the one that animated my 6 year old self. It must do more than just look pretty; it must improve quality of life, inspire, nurture.
So if you are ready to create a home that will enhance your life, have a look at my services to see how I can help, and let’s chat!