Photography by Mindi Cooke

What an amazing couple of months we have had at Design School with such a talented group of guest speakers coming in to chat with our students.

Last month, our trainer Holly Miskimmin had the absolute pleasure of hosting Carlene Duffy for a conversation on colour, lighting and the lived-in art of interiors. Known for her layered and soulful approach, Carlene generously shared insights from her own projects and professional journey, offering our G31 learners (who were studying Module 8: Colour & Lighting), plus some of our recent grads, a masterclass in how to use colour and light with intention.

“It’s not colour people tire of - it’s high contrast!” 

Carlene opened with this gem, explaining that bold colour isn’t the problem, contrast is. When clients ask for “just neutrals”, she digs deeper. Neutrals can have depth and richness when layered tonally, with texture and materials doing the heavy lifting.

‘Commit, don’t dabble.’

Carlene’s advice: ...