Lucinda Kimpton

Homewares, not toys, were at the top of her Christmas list as a child, so it's no surprise that she is now one of Australia's leading interior designers.

- 

I grew up in a Victorian home in Hawthorn in Melbourne during the 1980s, a time when pastel palettes reigned supreme.

Our interiors reflected that era - my bedroom was a classic mix of soft blue and yellow, and our sitting room was styled around a Designers Guild fabric - a favourite of mine - with apricot-toned walls. From a young age, my mother encouraged me to be involved in decorating decisions - I remember choosing the fabric for my curtains and bedspread with great excitement. I even persuaded her to let me have a wrought-iron bed. While most children were asking for Barbies or Cabbage Patch Kids, I was requesting homewares for Christmas. It was clear early on that design brought me joy.

Every day looks a little different. Mondays begin with admin and delegation, followed by design work in the afternoon. Tuesdays are about collaborating with my senior designers. Wednesdays are dedicated to being Mum. Thursdays are reserved for sourcing and creative development, and Fridays are my 'anchor' office day - design work, team check-ins and touching base with the shop.