brie talks tiles

one of Australia’s new brigade of entrepreneurial interior designers, Briellyn Turton is making a name for herself in the design and media industry. As the ‘interior’ judge on the second series of ‘Australia’s Best House’ (screening on 9Life) and launching her own design studio last year, Briellyn’s experience spans commercial, furniture and residential design. Born and raised in Sydney, Brie grew up in a small town on the Hawkesbury River and spent her time balancing creative, dance and health pursuits. Working in hospitality for the majority of her 20s, her key role was with the Merivale Group’s restaurant, pub, bar and hotel empire – one of the largest of its kind in the country, DE S I GN TALKING and arguably the most successful. “My role was Guest VIP Customer Relations Manager, working as the fi rst point of contact with extremely high-profi le guests. My communication and relationship skills were honed by anticipating their needs.” Briellyn decided to study Interior Designer at Billy Blue College of Design and during her second year secured a coveted internship at Vogue Living Magazine followed a second internship at design studio Interior Life. She graduated as a Junior Designer responsible for the design, project management and store rollout of a national food and beverage brand. Briellyn’s quiet confi dence has been integral to her success. “I learnt early onto just say yes – and then scramble like mad to make it work.” With entrepreneurial parents, Briellyn’s decided it was time to embark on her own venture, Studio Brie. Over the last 18 months the trajectory has been encouraging, with fi ve major projects already underway. When asked what design aesthetics Briellyn loves most, she explains that she is client focused rather than on a particular style. She explains, “A natural inclination and deep curiosity to understand our clients lives and personalities allows us to have a bespoke approach to every project we undertake. An emotional connection comes fi rst, and this effortlessly drives the aesthetic of the project.” When defi ning her own style preferences, Briellyn declares herself a ‘refi ned maximalist’. “I really love texture, I’m not scared of colour and I like interesting and unique pieces that represent our client’s individuality and personality. Briellyn has noticed a few interesting movements that have evolved out of the pandemic. “Clients are gravitating towards the colour green. Nature really is making an impact and infl uencing colour choices. Importantly, clients also seem to be a lot more liberated in their design choices. They are taking risks and choosing designs, colours and decorator items that are really personal and refl ect who they are, rather than just going with the most popular trends.” Adds Briellyn, “Having fi lmed with members of the National Tiles team for their sponsorship of Australia’s Best House, I was able to explore the Alexandria showroom and get a great understanding of the offering. It’s really cool, fun and versatile with a broad range of styles and price points on offer. If you had a really high-end budget and wanted the very best in designer tiles, you would fi nd everything you are looking for. And if you’re on a tight budget you can defi nitely fi nd great quality tiles where you don’t have to compromise on the look you want to achieve.” One of Briellyn’s current projects is on Stradbroke Island, and while the rest of the home will be quite neutral she really wants to play with colour and texture in the bathrooms. “I love the National Tiles Zellige range. The textural, handmade look tiles are perfectly imperfect and will be ideal for the coastal feel we want to create.”