The Full Circle Graduate: Bec Leijer #GradsDoingGreatThings

From Design School student to Surf Coast studio founder

Bec Leijer | Founder + Interior Designer, Leÿer Design Studio

There are some graduate stories that feel especially close to our hearts - and Bec Leijer’s is one of them. 

From one of Design School’s earliest students to the founder of a thriving Surf Coast design studio, Bec’s story is a beautiful reminder that creative careers are not always perfectly planned. Sometimes they begin with a home, a course, a gut instinct and the decision to back yourself before you feel completely ready.

Quick Facts

🎓 Design School Graduate: Group 2, 2017 with Trainers Jenna Densten + Mel Heard
📍 Location: Torquay, Victoria 
♉︎   Star Sign: Taurus
🩵 Current Colour Obsession: Powder Blue
🖥️ Most-Used Design Tools: Pinterest + SketchUp
✨ Favourite Designer Right Now: Ruby Shields
🪑 Favourite Brand / Store: Objects for Thought
💭 Best Advice: “How will you know when you get there, if you don’t know where you are going?”

^{Bec’s Surf Coast home, showing the kind of real project decisions students explore through the course case study. Photography by Dylan James.}

At Design School, full-circle stories have become part of who we are.

Some of the people who now teach, mentor and support our students first walked through our doors as students themselves. In fact, three of our current trainers were once Design School students.

We have always loved when talented people stay close - when graduates continue to grow, contribute, share their experience and become part of the wider Design School community.

Bec Leijer is one of those stories.

Almost 10 years ago, Bec joined one of Design School’s earliest cohorts (Group 2) in our old Abbotsford classroom.

At the time, Design School was still in its early days, and Bec was in a completely different season of life. She was on maternity leave with her second child, preparing to build her family’s first home, and looking for a more creative next chapter after years working in experiential marketing.

She wasn’t already an interior designer. She didn’t have a fully mapped-out business plan. She simply had a love of interiors, a builder husband, a home project ahead of her and a feeling that there might be something more waiting for her creatively.

“My love and interest in interiors kind of found me somehow in my mid-thirties.”

That first step became the beginning of a much bigger story.

Today, Bec is the founder of Leyer Design Studio on the Surf Coast, working across residential and hospitality projects, continuing to refine her craft and backing herself one project at a time.

And her Design School story did not end at graduation.

Bec returned to work with us as our Course Coordinator for a year, has appeared as a guest speaker and mentor for our students, and her own Surf Coast home is now featured inside our course as a house tour and case study.

Almost 10 years later, Bec has not only built a recognised design studio of her own — she has become part of the Design School story too.

^{Bec with her Design School cohort in 2017 — a group that included  Design School Co-Owner & Trainer Holly Miskimmin and editorial stylist Bea Lambos.}

The Home That Started It All

When Bec enrolled, she was also building her own family home on the Surf Coast. That home became her first real project.

It gave her the opportunity to apply what she was learning at Design School in real time, from the kitchen and finishes to furniture, styling and the way each design decision came together.

“When I started to pull that together, from designing the kitchen to the finishes, furniture etc, I thought maybe I am not too bad at this.”

Felix House would go on to become her first portfolio piece that helped attract her earliest clients. Today, it is also featured inside Design School’s own learning content as a house tour and case study, giving current students the chance to learn from the project that helped launch Bec’s design career.

That is the kind of full-circle story we love most. A student begins with her own home. Years later, that home becomes part of the learning journey for future students.

Refining Her Craft

Bec did not stop learning when she finished Design School.

Over the years, she has continued to build her technical skills, grow her confidence, complete her Diploma of Interior Design and refine the way she works.

One skill from Design School has stayed with her almost every day since.

“Without doubt SketchUp. I’ve now been using it for close to 10 years and still love it.”

That foundation has followed her from student projects into the day-to-day reality of running a working studio — developing concepts, communicating ideas, resolving details and presenting designs to clients.

Bec’s career is a reminder that creative confidence is not built in one moment.

It is built through the work. Through the projects, the practice and the willingness to keep learning.

Life Now: Leyer Design Studio

Today, Bec is the founder of Leyer Design Studio, a Torquay-based design studio working across residential and hospitality projects on the Surf Coast.

Her studio has grown organically over the past few years, creating personalised, layered interiors that reflect the lifestyle and personality of each client.

Bec’s work now spans homes, restorations and commercial spaces, including hospitality projects such as The Rove in Ocean Grove.

Her studio has also gained wider industry recognition, with Leyer Design Studio published in Inside Out, Real Living, Dwell Magazine, The Design Files, The Local Project and Enki Magazine. Bec has also shared her journey through podcast conversations about interiors, business and creative life on the Surf Coast.

Not bad for someone who once started with her own home, a creative instinct and the decision to back herself.

 ^{The Rove, Ocean Grove. Photography by Madeline Burk. Bec’s work now spans residential and hospitality projects across the Surf Coast.} 

Bec's hospitality work has also pushed her in new ways.

“It’s been hugely stressful and exposing, but I’ve learnt a huge amount and I’m proud of what I’ve done.”

Building a Creative Life Together

One of the most beautiful parts of Bec’s story is that her career has grown alongside her family’s life and work.

Her husband, Damien, has spent 20 years in the construction industry and is a Registered Builder with a Diploma in Building and Construction. He has also completed an Advanced Diploma of Building Design, with plans to become a registered building designer in mid-2026.

Together, Bec and Damien are now moving Leyer Design Studio into a new chapter — bringing together interiors, construction knowledge, building design and a deep understanding of how spaces are actually made.

^{Bec’s Surf Coast home Felix House, now featured inside Design School’s course as a house tour and case study:}

What began with furniture making, renovating and building their own home has slowly evolved into a broader creative practice.

It is not just a career change. It is a creative life they have built together.  

A Full-Circle Design School Story

Bec’s connection to Design School did not end when she graduated.

After completing her studies, she remained closely connected to the Design School community and later returned  to work with us for a year as our Course Coordinator.

In that role, Bec supported students through their own study journey, bringing warmth, organisation and a genuine understanding of what it feels like to be on the other side - learning, juggling life and trying to build confidence in a creative field.

Bec also continues to return to Design School as a guest speaker and guest mentor, sharing her honest experience of building a creative business, working with clients, navigating confidence and growing within the industry.

For our students, Bec’s story is a beautiful example of what can happen when you stay connected to your craft over time. 

 .  

A full-circle Design School moment: from study buddies to colleagues. Holly Miskimmin and Bec Leijer working alongside each other at Design School in 2023.

What Nobody Tells You About Working In Design

Bec is honest about the realities of the industry. Running a design studio is creative, but it is also detailed, demanding and deeply personal. When asked what nobody tells you about working in design, Bec’s answer was simple:

“That pricing your services will lead to many, many sleepless nights!”

Like many designers, Bec has also navigated confidence and imposter syndrome along the way.

“Still very much do, but I like to think it means you are challenging yourself and that’s why you have some self-doubt.”

That honesty matters.

Because Bec’s story is not about overnight success. It is about slowly backing yourself into the next version of your life.

Bec’s Advice for Future Students

When asked what advice she would give someone considering Design School, Bec’s answer was generous and very Bec:

“Reach out. I’m always happy to convince you if you have any doubts!”

And perhaps that is the heart of this story. You do not need the whole plan before you begin. Bec did not start with a studio, a portfolio or a list of published projects.

She started as a mum of two, on maternity leave, wondering whether her love of interiors could become something more.

Nearly 10 years later, she has built a recognised Surf Coast design studio, returned to Design School as part of our team, contributed to our learning content, and continued to grow a creative career on her own terms.

That is the power of beginning.

^{Residential detailing by Leyer Design Studio — where interiors, materials and construction knowledge come together. Photography by Cricket Saleh.}

Leyer Design Studio
Torquay, Victoria
Instagram: @leyer_td 
www.leyer.com.au 

Thinking About Your Own Creative Career?

Bec’s story is one of many that began inside a Design School classroom. Our students come from all walks of life — career changers, parents, creatives, makers, renovators and people who simply know they are ready for something more aligned.

You do not need to feel completely ready before you begin. You just need to be willing to start.
Applications are now open for our August intake of the nationally recognised MSF40122 Certificate IV in Interior Decoration.

If you have been waiting for the right time to pursue interiors, this could be your moment to start.

Download the Course Guide Here

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