It’s been almost 2 years since interior and industrial designer Shareen Joel launched Share Design. “As a designer, I was often asked ‘What’s the best shade of white?’ or ‘Where do I find…?’ or ‘Any ideas on a tap?’ and so it got me to thinking about how I could share my years of experience, knowledge and know-how and make good design available to everybody,” she says.
Share Design is a curated resource for home and interiors covering everything from tiles to taps, colour palettes, finishes and fixtures. “It’s my way of sharing beautiful and functional products, spaces and styles and my hope is that it makes the selection process easier. Also, what makes this site so special and unique is that I also share how you find the resources featured.”
Shareen, who is sharing some photos of her own home with us today, is passionate about design integrity, honesty of materials, heritage and manufacturing processes. Much like our philosophy at Interiors Addict, she believes that good design should be part of everyone’s life, not just those with a designer budget. It’s fair to say though, that most things featured on the site are at the higher end of the market. But then good, original design and quality materials often don’t come cheap.
“Share Design has proved to be an incredible resource and design shortcut for designers, architects, renovators, and design lovers who generally love to update their home and workspaces,” says Shareen. “Share Design is for everyone who appreciates good quality, original design. As a relatively young resource, we are continually sourcing and adding well designed options at various levels from Ikea to Cassina. Our criteria is simply good design.”
Rather than worrying about giving away too much free advice, as an interior designer, Shareen says it’s quite the opposite and that Share Design complements her other business. “Shareen Joel Design (which she started 10 years ago) is a multi-disciplinary design studio working in the areas of product, retail, commercial and high end residential interiors, from concept design through to construction documentation. You always need a professional to advise on such things. That said, I was often asked by friends who didn’t necessarily want to engage a designer, where to source items like furniture, paint, finishes, fittings where to look. They wanted quality but it was hard to find. Hence Share Design.”
She describes her own style as being about an honesty of materials, classic proportions and context to lifestyle and the surroundings, but you can never underestimate the importance of how a piece makes you feel. “My home is full of things I love. I don’t over think my own home but rather buy what appeals to my heart.”
Shareen, who started her career more than 2 decades ago as an industrial designer for Ford, finds her own design inspiration everywhere: fashion, travel and the automotive industry in particular. “At the core of my design ethos is the importance of manufacturing and technology,” she adds. The biggest mistake you can make with interiors is to not remain true to your own style, rather trying to recreate someone else’s. “The most successful outcome is when you choose what you truly love.”
Shareen’s favourites
Furniture classics?
- The Cassina Cab Chair
- Lights by Achille Castiglioni, including the Parentesi Suspension Light
- The Artemide Tizio Lamp
- The Cassina LC3 armchair
- The Barcelona Daybed.
Inspiring Australians?
“I absolutely love the Australian architects of the 1950s-to-80s, including Robin Boyd, Roy Grounds and Guilford Bell. Today there are so many architects and designs producing inspiring interiors and architecture it’s hard to name just a few.”
Photography by Shannon McGrath
I’m very grateful to Share Design for putting me onto Bona floor finish (and to you for putting me onto Share Design!). I’d been going demented, trying to find a product that would protect the wood while at the same time leaving it looking nudey. No-one was able to suggest anything that corresponded to what I had in my mind until Bona. With a splash of very diluted Porter’s wood wash underneath to kill the red tones, it’s worked fabulously. So thank you.