For a long time, if you’d asked me what I do, I’d have said I’m a Personal Stylist. Because for over 20 years that was my world. I did wardrobe workouts, shopping trips, TV segments, corporate talks and grooming workshops. I loved helping people stand a bit taller when they looked in the mirror. These days I work as a Brisbane interior stylist, and this is the story of how I got here.
For about the last seven years, though, most of my days have been about selecting the right sofas, curtains, homewares, rugs and lighting. It wasn’t one big decision. It was a lot of small changes that added up, and I think plenty of you will have been through something similar.
I didn’t plan the change
People sometimes picture a pivot as one brave, confident leap. Mine wasn’t like that. It was more like realising the path I was on was getting narrower, and I had to look around for a new one.
Part of it was the way people shop. Online shopping, and now AI, changed how people buy clothes and find their style. The one-on-one shopping trips and wardrobe clear-outs that were my bread and butter weren’t needed in the same way anymore.
The other part was personal. My health changed. A proper wardrobe workout is physical work: lifting, bending, hours on your feet, racks and racks of clothes. My body started telling me I couldn’t keep doing it the way I used to, and I had to listen. It wasn’t easy. When your work is so much a part of who you are, slowing down can feel like losing a bit of yourself.
Interiors were always part of me
Interiors weren’t new to me. Shane and I ran an Oz Design Furniture franchise for around 16 years, so homes, furniture and styling have always been in my blood. Then something kept happening. Especially around those strange Covid years. Clients I’d styled years ago started asking, “Al, can you help me with my living room?”
That’s when it clicked. They weren’t only trusting me with clothes. They were trusting my eye and my judgement. And they trusted me to help them feel more like themselves.
It’s the same job – just in a different room
This is the bit I most want to share. I thought I was changing careers. What I actually found was that I’m still doing exactly what I’ve always done.
When I styled wardrobes, I never wanted to turn anyone into a copy of me. I wanted to find out who they were and help their clothes say it clearly. That meant pieces that worked together, suited their real life and made getting dressed easy instead of stressful.
Interiors are the same. A home should feel cohesive, like it all belongs to the same person. It should work for how you actually live, whether that means kids, pets, grandkids or a husband who loves his recliner. When you walk in the door at the end of a long day, it should feel like you.
A well-edited wardrobe and a well-styled home do the same thing. They make daily life calmer and easier, and they reflect who you are. So I haven’t left styling behind. I’ve just moved it into a bigger room.
What I’ve learned about changing direction
If you’re facing a change you didn’t choose, because of health, family, the economy or the world moving faster than you’d like, here’s what I’ve found:
- Your skills come with you. The industry or the job title might change, but your eye, your instincts and the way you care for people stay with you.
- Working differently isn’t failing. Doing things in a way that suits your body and energy is a smart business decision, not giving up.
- Your people will follow you. Some of my interiors clients have been with me for years. Trust you’ve built doesn’t disappear when your work changes.
- You don’t need a finished plan. I didn’t have one. I took the next sensible step, then the one after that.
Life as a Brisbane interior stylist now
These days Style Counsel is all about interiors. That covers styling, furniture selection and sourcing, curtains and window furnishings. My husband Shane is on hand to help me with the technical side of window furnishings, and I bring the colour, fabric and style. It’s a lovely partnership.
I still get a real thrill when a client walks into a finished room and says, “This is exactly me.” It’s the same feeling I used to get in the change room, just with better cushions!
If you’ve been through a pivot of your own, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment or send me a message. And if your home doesn’t feel like you yet, let’s have a chat.
Big Al x
