A large portion of the dreamy images you see in your fave interiors mags are the work of Greenhouse Interiors. It’s an undisputed powerhouse when it comes to styling and the team have worked on countless shoots for big brands, too. So how did its head honcho, Julia Green, go from the pharmaceutical industry to interiors? I asked her this and a whole lot more in this interview; let the inspiration commence!
You went from pharmaceuticals to Greenhouse Interiors. That’s quite a leap…
“Sure is. I don’t do it in halves – it’s all or nothing! I sold drugs for years, (legal ones) and was always bored with the science of it, but loved the challenge of trying to pitch an idea and get my clients (doctors) to see things my way. Now i get to do it but visually not intellectually and it is soooooo much more satisfying! I have no regrets about my previous life; it is why I am where i am right now, so how lucky am i? I have learned to back myself, with lots of knocks along the way – and those that have not had to deal with those knocks in other career paths may have thrown it in”.
Greenhouse Interiors looks to be a real force in the interiors industry, working with a tonne of talent. How do you manage it all?
“I don’t really manage it, it manages me and I’m not sure that is a healthy existence! I style and write for seven mags, run a wholesale business, am about to host a TV show and have two small children. Something has gotta give in a schedule like that. So I rarely see friends, I work seven 15-hour days and I have the best team with me that I would be nothing without. Jac Moore does all of the GI social media… she has created a presence for our business that was never there before – and she does it with love and pride and i can’t teach that.
My assistant Tamara manages my wholesale business so damn brilliantly I feel redundant. I count my lucky stars I have her every single day. I have a team of other great stylists and assistants, but the heroine in all of it for me is the photographer I shoot with, Armelle Habib. She has taught me everything I know about styling. I owe her more than I can ever repay. A client recently explained to me that watching her and I work was like watching a dance; we both know our moves and roles and just work around each other with often no words needed. What a blessing! how bloody lucky am I? Man, I am the head of her fan club, I really am”.
Greenhouse Interiors has a huge body of work. Which shoots are you most proud of?
“Tricky question, but all of them have been with Armelle behind the lens. I have shot more than I have even had time to upload onto a website. It’s been the craziest of rides ever in truth…..but I have to say that my shoots with Fenton rate pretty highly. Lucy Fenton is a freaking genius.
I also loved my most-recent shoot for Globewest, as we have taken the shots up a notch from the previous catalogue. Nothing pleases me more than progress and still feeling like I am learning on the job – and what a great company of people at Globe. I am a loyalist… I love the people behind a business and Globe are high on my list.
I loved the Inside Out shoot in my front lounge… we did four shoots in my house last year, but it had a Fenton aqua rug… it was good! And Oblica – best fireplaces in the entire world. Love them and loved those shots more than anything else in a while”.
What’s coming up next for you and Greenhouse Interiors?
“Oh, well… never a dull moment! I start a co- hosting a new reno TV show tomorrow for channel 10 – arghhhh! I like being behind the lens, not in front of it, but I have a bit to say so will give it a crack – but am not promising anything flash, just a lot of me talking with my heart on my sleeve.
Oh and that wholesale biz is not running away – but with the incredible awesomeness of Tamara, my right hand, we will take more amazing hand-made Aussie product to the punters via our awesome chain of retail stores that support us! My artists never cease to amaze me; they just keep coming up with more creative genius and I am always in awe!”.
About Julia Green
With a love of interiors and a lifetime of acquiring art, objects and collectibles for her own home, it is fair to say that Julia Green has found her dream job as an interiors stylist and writer. She establish Greenhouse Interiors in 2010 and now styles and writes for many interior lifestyle magazines including Inside Out, Real Living, Home Beautiful, House & Garden and Frankie.
Click here to visit the Greenhouse Interiors website for more styling inspiration. All photos in this post come courtesy of Greenhouse Interiors.
Love styling? Click here to go behind the scened on an Inside Out photo shoot.
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