Why designer Keeley Green owes her sense of style to an Italian sojourn

When Keeley Green packed up her life and moved to Italy, it reshaped her approach to interior design.

Now the Queenslander has the confidence to mix classical elegance and contemporary style with flair. 

Q: Keeley Green Interior Design is a new name in the interiors industry in Australia. Tell us about your work.

A: I moved back to Brisbane two years ago after studying interior design in Florence and establishing a business in London. I’ve been working between Australia and London since.

Q: Florence must be an interior designer’s dream.

A: It’s the most amazing city – a living tribute to the Renaissance. To rush along the narrow, cobbled streets and past the Duomo each morning to classes was inspiring. The sketching classes were incredible, as was art history. It’s also very trendy, juxtaposing contemporary interiors against historic buildings.

Q: How did your time in Italy influence your work?

A: It opened my mind to the possibilities of experimentation. Before living in Florence, I would not have felt confident incorporating mid-century Italian furniture into my designs, for example. But learning about the furniture and observing designers combining styles has influenced my design aesthetic.

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Q: What was your most memorable project in the UK?

A: The Old Vicarage, an 18th-century building that had trees growing out of the windows when we started.

We retained the original facade and restored other features like the front porch and plasterwork, but we completely demolished the interior and added a contemporary extension and large annex building.

Q: What are the differences between Australian and English attitudes towards interior design?

A: Maximising light is more of challenge in the UK because the days a shorter, the winters longer and the weather often dreary. I also think Australians tend to be bolder in their choices.

Q: What defines your look?

A: I describe my style as “relaxed elegance with an edge”. I think a home should feel light, balanced and comfortable.

Q: What’s your current colour crush?

A: Predominantly, I like calm colours, but I also like colours that are a little unexpected when used in a way that is easy to live with.

I’m really enjoying the masculinity of navy, especially in seagrass wallpaper or a lacquered wall, alongside an orange accent like a brown leather chair.