THE GR AMMAR REPORT
A conversation with Lara Ette
Where are they now? Lara Ette (1998) is the Founder and Principal Designer at Lara Ette Design and Decoration in Sydney. Her passion is to create interiors that spark joy, make the normal special and bring people together.
You studied Commerce, Actuarial Studies and Finance at UNSW – what sparked your interest in interior design? After graduating from my degree, I became an interest rate trader at ANZ and spent five years there. This career
path led me to London, where I worked as a trader at Lloyds TSB. I was lucky to be in an industry that, in those days, was frequently ‘wined and dined’ and my now husband and I travelled around Europe as frequently as possible, so we had a chance to experience lots of beautiful hotels. I started wondering who the person was responsible for creating these beautiful restaurants and hotels that were really able to evoke a strong response. I slowly began to shift my mindset and think about the longer term. The thought of
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changing careers was daunting but the more time I spent thinking about it, the more I decided it would be worth it.
What is your greatest achievement to date? I think school was my greatest achievement (laughs). Since then, completing my very difficult degree with good results, moving to London, getting my first paid interior design job, starting my own studio and with each new project another sense of achievement.
