Amelda Wilde
Interior designer Amelda Wilde lives and breathes design—we step inside her creative world, full of magical design moments.
Photography: Cricket Studio
‘The most rewarding part of my job is when you get moments of it all coming together—it’s so thrilling to see the thing that lived in my head in front of me,’ says Amelda Wilde.
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
Hello Amelda–can you introduce yourself?
My name is Amelda and I am design obsessed. My days are spent obsessively pouring over inspirations, waking in the night to furniture ideas and boring my family with tales of design magic moments.
Tell us about your career trajectory—did you always feel that working as an interior designer is where you’d end up?
I grew up with a dream of wanting to be a fashion stylist. Besotted and lost on how this world worked, I turned to architecture for what seemed like a well manicured path to career progression. I was hooked immediately about how potent architecture is in cultural story telling and its humanity impact. Either through inspiring travel or creating magical places, every human has a relationship with architecture that has an emotional reaction—from awe to intimacy, a full spectrum on engagement is so irresistible. In addition to the romantic ideas, I love the indoors. Interior design preceded the love for architecture as it provides the most magical conditions to create atmosphere and experiences—a controlled sensory outcome that offers the opportunity for drama and theatre. Similar to fashion, interiors are an expression of ideas or visual play.
Do you have a routine or ritual you follow at the start of each work day that’s sure to set you up for the day?
Oh, this one is a trigger! I’m recovering from a shoulder injury and dreadfully missing my early pilates and coffee and podcast ritual. It would give me so much energy and clarity to the morning… I’m a morning person and melt after 6pm. So the current routine is yelling at children to find their shoes and feeling a bit sluggish.
What’s the first design element you notice when you walk into a room?
Colour. Colour and light make you feel things. I like powerful and comforting tones that dramatically create a scene. It’s pretty hard to beat a space with the natural light manipulated to create pockets of shadow and saturation. Or just a little sizzle of colour somewhere to surprise you and steal all attention from anything else. I crave instant impact.
What’s a material that you’ve been applying to your designs that you’re loving most right now?
Every day presents a new obsession. Yesterday I lost my mind over orange Mongolian fur. Today it’s Scottish tartans, and tomorrow it could be leather wrapping or dichroic film—again my family sit through the dreary tales of today’s heart burst moments.
In times when you feel a little ‘stuck’ creatively, what’s the one thing that helps you get back on track?
I’ve been playing this trick since university days. Tell yourself you can’t think about the creative space for two hours. Go for a walk. Watch a movie. Then boom, it hits you with exactly what to do. I just watched Poor Things after an afternoon slump and the aesthetics were so intriguing and intoxicating, replenishing my inspiration meter.
Oversized opulent custom furniture in Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design. Photo: Cricket Studio
‘Colour and light make you feel things. I like powerful and comforting tones that dramatically create a scene,’ says Amelda Wilde.
“Interior design is deeply personal—to be invited into someone’s sacred space and to help them create a home is such a privilege.”
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design.
What’s a good piece of advice you’ve been given or would give to someone starting their design career?
Be authentic. Just do things that make you excited. Experiment with finishes, combinations and palettes, and don’t take it too seriously. I think interior design has a stigma for rules and prescriptive suits, but the projects I go ‘gaga’ for are usually quirky and riddled with surprises.
The most rewarding part of your job is…
When you get moments of it all coming together. It’s so thrilling to see the thing that had lived in my head in front of me. Interior design is also deeply personal and to be invited into someone’s sacred space and to help them create a home is such a privilege.
And the most challenging part…
Admin. Hate it. Nirvana is life without invoices or timesheets.
What’s your ultimate dream design project?
I have thought about this too much. If Lady Diana was still here today, Highgrove House would be electric to work on… you did say DREAM! I have been manifesting and lusting for the day someone says to me they like ‘English-Centric-Laura-Ashley’. I. Will. Die. And if Jennifer Coolidge is reading this. Call me.
What do you do to completely switch-off from work?
Impossible. And why would you?
What are you most excited about that’s coming up for you this year?
I’m really excited about seeing some projects I’m working on start on site. Some really fun moments I can’t wait to share—I won’t spoil the surprise. At the moment I’m also prototyping some new drawer collections for Von Steel.