It seems unfathomable but at some point, Georgina Jeffries wanted to step away from interior design. Starting straight out of university at BAR Studio, she then worked at Hecker Phelan & Guthrie (now Hecker Guthrie) before establishing multidisciplinary studio Wonder with fellow designer Pip McCully. Following this whirlwind of achievements, Georgina travelled around Australia for six months and considered her future. “I remember being away, thinking, ‘Oh, maybe I should be a furniture designer, maybe I should do this, maybe I should do that,’ ” she says. “I was trying every possible angle other than interior design.”

Landing back in Melbourne, Georgina was asked by her friends if she would mastermind the interior design of their newly purchased South Melbourne terrace. “As soon as I started, I just thought, ‘I can’t run away from interior design – it’s my happy place.’ Having that little break, it re-motivated me to give it my all, and I haven’t turned back.”

Creativity has always been a part of Georgina’s life, taking root with her parents working in the fashion industry. “Dad had impeccable taste and it just ran through everything he did. But in a house of four girls, Mum had her sewing machine in the living room, pins all over the floor with clients constantly over, tailoring, and we were always crafting,” she recalls. “I was also constantly rearranging my bedroom and even dragging furniture into the living room just to experiment with new layouts. It became a kind of creative ritual. I still vividly remember the moment when Mum told me that interior design was a real profession.”

Entering its 11th year, the runs are on the proverbial board for Georgina’s eponymous practice with an enviable variety of elevated, considered and accessible residential and retail work.

That lifelong appreciation for craftsmanship guides every project, from builder to carpenter, metalworker to artist. “Having an understanding of how things go together, how things are made – it’s one of the most wonderful things about this industry. We’re the ideas, the pen to the paper, and the reality is while we’re putting all of these bits together, there are so many [other] people involved.”

That creative streak is harnessed in Georgina’s own small but mighty team, one “not tied to our desks”, she says. “We need to get out, go to exhibitions; if there’s a new design, a new retail store, something to experience, we’ll get out. I find that that’s the best creative time – regrouping, sitting together and just hashing out ideas, talking, sketching, all of that.”

The studio’s philosophy is embodied in its statement of intent: ‘A harmony between nostalgia, refuge, occasion. Thoughtful interiors shaped by enduring materials and quality craftsmanship.’ For Georgina, “Nostalgia provides depth, refuge, offers reassurance, and occasion gives meaning. Together, they create environments that are timeless, emotionally resonant and deeply considered.”

It’s this firm belief that design is driven not only by aesthetic beauty, personal preference and functionality but also the pleasure derived from stepping into a space and feeling a certain way. Little Cove, for instance, is a holiday retreat in Queensland grounded by muted tones, Brutalist textures and raw and rendered finishes to withstand the rigours of coming straight in from the surf, keen entertaining or moments of respite. “It’s almost muddy in there, with this mushroom tone juxtaposed with this special Calacatta Viola Monet marble that has this energy to it. It was just about getting the right amount of all of these finishes together.”

The intuitive confidence that allows her to achieve this balance of materiality, texture and colour has come with experience and listening to clients – “something that has never wavered”, says Georgina. “You need to understand how you think you’re going to improve a client’s life by experiencing these colours, textures and how they can play on your emotions, all of these different elements every day,” she says. “I know what to specify and how to make it work for them. I’ve always wanted to create spaces for our clients, not for us.”

Many clients return for multiple projects including fashion label Friends with Frank. Their first collaboration, their Fitzroy boutique, is a quiet cocooning corner of softened butter yellow, sisal walls, chocolate linen curtains, American oak elements and aluminium shelving: the perfect match for the brand’s considered, tailored clothing.

The raised fitting area lends a sense of calm ceremony befitting a moment of vulnerability – “you’re going up into space where you want to feel completely comfortable taking your clothes off. It’s kind of wild that nobody talks about that” – and is again testament to Georgina’s belief that design should be lived in, messed up, tested, while also offering a level of sophistication and an opportunity for personal expression.

“We choose our clothes to express ourselves in a certain way. We’re putting ourselves out there and it’s like ‘This is my identity,’” says Georgina. “To have your own space, that is your identity. It’s what you’ve chosen. It’s how you choose to express yourself, how you want to feel.”