Altus Design Studio was shortlisted as one of five Emerging Design Stars in the Belle Fanuli Interior Design Awards as well as projects shortlisted for Best Use of Colour in House and Garden Top 50 Rooms and Belle Fanuli Interior Design Awards.
An innate appreciation for the details and the greatest care for your story underpin every interaction and design decision in the creative process. Design is personal, and time is taken to understand you, your space, your lifestyle and your needs at every stage. The level of care taken is paired with gentle encouragement for clients to remain expansive and open to all possibilities. The outcome? Spaces enriched with imagination, functionality, thoughtful execution and beautiful moments of the unexpected.
With a penchant for confident, colour-infused aesthetics that tell a story, along with the careful curation of art and objects to bring energy and interest, each space is highly personalised to the client. A common thread across all projects is the skilful balance of function meets form - with spatial planning a priority to ensure spaces that are not only visually beautiful, but also highly functional.
Based in Balmain, collaborating with clients throughout Sydney and surrounds, Altus Design Studio is a boutique residential interior design practice that delivers the unexpected.
Spaces to ignite the imagination in playful immersion. Altus Design Studio doesn’t do generic. Weaving colour, texture and pattern into every design, each space is thoughtfully layered with creative nuances that celebrate art in all forms.
OUR STYLISTIC APPROACH
JOSIE SIMPSON, FOUNDER + LEAD DESIGNER
Qualifications include a Diploma of Interior Design, receiving awards for best hospitality project and best residential project. Josie has also completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and is a member of the Design Institute of Australia. Her projects have been featured in Inside Out, The Design Files, House and Garden, Belle, Escape and Origin magazines.
When Josie is not in her Balmain studio (dreaming in colour), you’ll find her hiking with family or pursuing other creative outlets.
After studying interior design, Altus Design Studio was born to fulfil a passion for designing with a kaleidoscope of colour and materials and collaborating with clients to embrace out-of-the-box concepts for their homes. Never one to settle for the obvious, Josie thinks beyond the linear to challenge preconceived notions of how a space and its flow and function can be optimised and truly lived in. Josie's passion for colour, texture and pattern can be seen in her love and celebration of art. Art can take many forms such as a painting or sculpture or extending further to flow through to the shape of furniture pieces to provide sculptural elements in a room. Careful selection of just the right pieces, whether it be furniture, lighting, art or accessories, ensures a finish that seamlessly complements the space.
Working in a senior corporate role for many years that left her feeling uninspired, Josie saw an opportunity to reimagine what her calling could be after living through several home renovations. While many find the experience of a renovation stressful and overwhelming, for Josie, the spark was lit and she felt alive with creativity. The next step was clear. Even as a child, Josie was fascinated by homes and spatial planning, rearranging and removing walls in her mind as she attended open homes with her parents.
"Good design should stand the test of time.”
AARON CUPPLES, STUDIO MANAGER
A dedicated design enthusiast with a hands-on career spanning over eight years in high-end furniture showrooms across Brisbane and Sydney, Aaron’s four-year foundation in architecture studies and technical theatre design has given him a well-rounded understanding of design theory. A fellow colour lover, he possesses a refined eye and an appreciation for products that blend artisanship with unorthodox materials. Reading up on classic cars, while sipping on a double-strength flat white is where you’ll find Aaron in his spare time.
