Introducing Alessandra Smith from ASD Studio

From Graduate to Mentor

The shift that inspired our next chapter at Design School 

^{Photography by Eve Wilson}

There are some designers who follow trends. And then there are designers who create spaces you feel before you see.

Alessandra Smith is firmly the latter.

A 2022 Design School Online graduate, Alessandra is now the Principal Designer of her own residential interior decoration studio, Alessandra Smith Design, known for immersive, layered and soulful interiors that feel collected over time.

Her work has been featured in leading interiors publications, reflecting the industry’s growing recognition of her refined and confident point of view. 

But her path into design wasn’t linear. 

It was courageous. 

It was considered. 

And it completely changed the course of her life.

 ^{Photography by Kryssia Agius of Hunting Utopia (DS Alumni)}

A Career That Looked “Perfect”, But Felt Misaligned

Before stepping into the world of interiors, Alessandra spent more than a decade in pharmaceuticals.

Life was structured. Analytical. Stable. Predictable. 

On paper, it made sense. But creatively, something was missing.

After studying pharmacy for five years and building a career across community and corporate roles, she felt increasingly drawn to interiors. When her son Hugo was born at the end of 2020 - in the middle of a global pandemic - that quiet pull became impossible to ignore. 

During maternity leave, Ally began asking herself a bigger question: 

What would it look like to build a career that actually feels aligned? 

She enrolled in the Certificate IV in Interior Decoration at Design School initially as a creative outlet. She never imagined she’d resign from pharmacy. But halfway through the course, everything shifted. Her own home was featured on The Design Files. and and enquiries came through almost immediately.

Within three months, supported by her trainer Melissa Rettore’s mentorship and encouragement, she made the decision to leave her former career behind. 

Today, just a few years later, she runs a thriving interior decoration studio specialising in:

• High-end residential interiors

• Furniture, lighting, art & object curation

• Colour palette refinement

• Bespoke soft furnishings

But more than anything, studying interior decoration gave her something far more powerful than skills. 

It gave her the confidence to completely reshape her life.

Curated Eclecticism: Designing With Depth

If you ask Alessandra to describe her aesthetic, she won’t give you a trend label.

To her, it's all atmosphere. Narrative. Collected depth.

Her work blends vintage and contemporary elements, layering pieces across eras and geographies to create interiors that feel resolved, lived-in and deeply personal. 

She is known for her confident use of colour, from deep blues and greens to unexpected reds, chartreuse and buttery yellows, and for her ability to refine palettes so they feel immersive rather than overwhelming.

Each project begins not with Pinterest, but with people. 

She looks for through-lines in a client’s history, home architecture, surrounding environment and personal story, weaving those references into something cohesive and meaningful.

It’s less about a theme and more about soul. The kind that lingers long after you leave a room.

 ^{Photographer Shannon McGrath, Editorial styling by Elizabeth Bird} 

The Part No One Talks About:

Business, Boundaries & Belief

Building a design studio solo hasn’t been without its challenges.

What we love value most about Alessandra is her authenticity and honesty. From navigating imposter syndrome & cash flow, to learning when to say yes and when not to.

As both a mother and business owner, she has redefined what balance looks like, while fiercely protecting her creative thinking space. 

Over time, she’s learned that constantly saying yes leads to burnout - and that refinement, both creative and professionally, is what sustains a career.

 Her advice for emerging designers or anyone contemplating a career shift is simple:

“Just move. Say yes in the early days. Put yourself out there. But back yourself early. Charge properly. Set boundaries. And never stop refining your point of view.”

^{From DS Archive- Ally's Project Work}

From Graduate to Mentor

There is something powerful about watching a student step into her authority. 

Alessandra credits her time at Design School, and the mentorship she received as a pivotal turning point in her journey. She was an exceptional student who embodied a simple truth: You truly get out what you put in.

One tool she still uses daily? Canva. 

One phrase she still carries with her? “Trust the process.” 

Words repeated often in the classroom, and now words she lives by.

The Shift We’ve Been Watching

Alessandra is not the exception.

She represents something we’ve been seeing more and more within our Design School community. 

Women stepping into new chapters. Creative careers taking shape. Studios being built from something that once started as curiosity or maternity leave.

And with that, something has become clear.

There is a moment where learning the design fundamentals is no longer enough. 

Where what’s needed next is proximity. Exposure.

A deeper understanding of how the industry actually operates.

A Natural Evolution

This is what has shaped the next chapter of Design School. 

An evolution beyond the classroom, and closer to practice. 

Closer to Real spaces. Real suppliers. Real decisions.

And now, that evolution takes its next step.

Introducing 

Colour. Curate. Procure. 

Alumni Industry Immersion

Series- Part 1

Led by Alessandra Smith

 ^{Photography by Kryssia Agius of Hunting Utopia (DS Alumni)}

There is something powerful about a graduate returning as a mentor.

Alessandra’s return to Design School is not just a professional milestone, it is a celebration of how far she has come, and a generous passing forward of everything she has learned. 

For the first time, we are opening access to her real-world studio process.

A one-day, in-person industry immersion in Fitzroy, designed to step inside how a design project actually unfolds.

Beginning in a working studio environment, and moving through curated supplier spaces and showrooms, before concluding with a private walkthrough of a recently completed residential project.

Inside the Day

• Developing colour direction in context - beyond isolated selections

• Sourcing furniture, lighting, art and objects with intention

• Navigating suppliers, showrooms and trade relationships

• Refining schemes to feel cohesive, elevated and resolved

• Understanding procurement and pricing within real projects

Small group. Industry immersion. Studio-level systems.

*Places are strictly limited.

Why This Immersion Matters

There are many workshops available.

But very few offer access to the way a design project actually unfolds, across real spaces, real suppliers and real decisions.

Led by a practising designer and supported by an education framework, this experience bridges the gap between creative direction and professional practice.

Immersive. Layered. Considered.

Just like Alessandra's work.

Enrolments are now open

📅 THURSDAY APRIL 30th 

📍Fitzroy, Melbourne

 One Day. Inside the Industry.

Reserve your place here: 

Colour. Curate. Procure.

We could not be more proud to share this next chapter -

and to introduce Alessandra Smith in this way. 

🤎

If Alessandra’s story has sparked something for you - we would love to welcome you into this next chapter of Design School Studio.

Register here for the Studio waitlist to be the first to receive dates, early access and future immersion opportunities.