The Studio — About

WE’RE A MULTINATIONAL TEAM OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS BASED IN SYDNEY. WITH STAFF ORIGINATING FROM ARGENTINA, JAPAN, BRAZIL, LEBANON, THE UK, CHINA, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, HUNGARY, POLAND, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST, OUR CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE BOTH LOCALLY AND ABROAD INFUSE THE STUDIO WITH ILLUSTRIOUS INSIGHTS AND FINELY TUNED EXPERTISE.

HER EPONYMOUS STUDIO IS KNOWN FOR ITS RICH AND INSTINCTIVE APPROACH TO AN INTOXICATING CONCOCTION OF COLOUR, PATTERN AND TEXTURE WITH NOTHING BUT PANACHE AND CONFIDENCE.
VIRGINIA JEN, VOGUE LIVING

YASMINE GHONIEM
Director

Born to an Egyptian father and Australian mother, Yasmine’s projects are birthed from a nomadic childhood that provided the wellspring for her visionary flair given her formative years were spent living between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Sydney. Lauded for her instinctual approach to design and adventurous palette-plays, Yasmine ironically almost missed her calling given her professional background abroad in dance and music. Despite completing interior design studies in America, intrepid instinct brought her to Sydney to pursue a career in music in her twenties. Leaving ample live gig mileage behind her, in 2013 she co-founded the internationally recognised and multi award-winning Sydney-based studio, Amber Road, with landscape architect Katy Svalbe. Not surprisingly, staging and storytelling elements were key informants of her visionary MO given the atmospheric potency of all her projects, and remain so to this day. In the span of just six years, it won and/or was shortlisted for over 40 design accolades, bolstering its reputation as one of Australia’s most directional and respected design studios.

Fuelled by her eagerness to consolidate her design strengths and offer new architectural builds and renovations, Yasmine established YSG (Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem) in 2020 as a multi-disciplinary initiative combining Architecture, Interiors and Curation for a holistic design experience. Since launching, YSG has received numerous awards including Designer of the Year at the 2021 Interior Design Excellence Awards, Best Residential Design, Best Residential Decoration and Best of NSW state at the 2020 Australian Interior Design Awards. In 2024, Yasmine featured in Architectural Digest’s definitive AD100 list in both Germany and the Middle East. She first received this Architectural Digest accolade during 2022, featuring in the European AD100 that recognises the most influential interior designers, architects and designers world-wide.

TOM SWANSON
Director

Despite his preference for a wetsuit over tailored attire, Tom plays the role of key contract negotiator, budget balancer, project ‘mover’ and all-round office manager with utmost tenacity. A lifelong surfer from the rural seaside town of Penzance, Cornwall, with grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunties all being potters, Tom’s love for natural stone and ceramics was inevitable. From a young age he was drawn to organic materials and his hometown’s mining history which led to geological studies.

For 20 years he traversed the globe in consultancy roles combining the fields of geology and civil infrastructure. Work took him from the shores of Africa’s south coast undertaking marine surveys in an overcrowded tugboat to keeping the brumbies company in the Australian alps as lead field geologist for the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project, plus living in local villages mapping the upper mountains of Vitu Levu, Fiji. A career change beckoned on the cusp of 2021 when Tom jumped ship to work at YSG. Now permanently based in Sydney, the pirate in him had hoped for additional downtime to hit the waves, but his vested interest in the business keeps his focus firmly ashore from nine to five.

JOSEPH LOMBARDO
Architectural Associate
Nominated Architect, NSW ARB: 9191

Finding innovative ways to balance ambitious architectural design with site constraints plus heritage and DA requirements is Joseph’s forte. Given his passion for exploring the possibilities of random gadgets and innovative products, it is no surprise that he possesses an innate knack for resolving project challenges via unconventional thinking. As YSG’s Nominated Architect and Architectural Team Leader, he brings over 18 years of experience working across both national and international commercial and residential projects. Joseph possesses expertise leading residential construction projects on a commercial scale managing off-form concrete and traditional detailing on steep and complex sites in diverse settings ranging from alterations and additions to new multi-level coastal builds.

A childhood spent in Canberra amongst embassies and ambassador’s residences with his European parents fuelled Joseph’s connections to a rich tapestry of interior environments and cultures. His inquisitive imagination paired with an immersive approach to storytelling strongly influences his design process, bolstered by his ever-diplomatic project leadership skills.

Fernanda Previato
Architectural Associate

As YSG’s in-house registered architect, Fernanda’s investigative and pragmatic approach to creating built environments reflects her unique sense of rational playfulness. Her plans are tethered to a highly coherent aesthetic that above all else considers the emotive potency of interior design during concept stage to ensure the two are mutually aligned at the completion of every build.

Throughout her career, Fernanda has worked with leading architects and designers on projects straddling Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Beijing and Sydney, where she was based at HASSELL in a senior architect role for 11 years. Spanning almost 20 years of design experience, her diverse range of project sectors include: heritage plus adaptive re-use, civic, residential (both small and large-scale mixed use), commercial and retail – equipping Fernanda with extensive master planning, tender processing and site management experience. 

TINA FOX
Associate

Tina was the student designing inflatable buildings and knitting models in pink wool while completing her Diploma of Architecture in the early 2000’s while her peers honed their skills working with concrete and plywood. For her, less is a bore, not more! Post studies, she drifted into interior architecture and design, starting with casino fit-outs embellished with Mardi-Gras sparks of va-va-voom. Next came transformations of heritage buildings into live performance venues with Alice in Wonderland-like decadence, enabling her to hone her refreshingly off-beat eye for visual compositions. Additional project experience ranging from prison and war memorial design to retail, hotel and luxe multi-residential projects across the UK, New Zealand and Australia has enabled Tina to master the art of managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders through to developing strategic sustainability plans. To add more, she’s also an accomplished artist who works with textiles, crochet and digital animation. Super her capabilities may be, she’s the first to admit that her parents’ Polish heritage is her kryptonite. Lure a good pierogi or barszcz before her and deadlines are instantly dropped for a seat at the dining table.

DIMITY NOBLE
Marketing and PR Manager

Having worked in the communications arena for over 10 years as both a writer for Wallpaper* magazine (a global authority on all facets of design) and as a strategic marketing consultant, content writer and publicist for individual clients, Dimity is our resident wordsmith, project pitcher and branding expert, connecting YSG to the world on a global axis.

She honed her critical eye whilst completing a Masters degree at the Courtauld Institute, London. Loathe to part with her Saturday night clubbing sessions in the infamous mid-nineties, she crossed the Atlantic to work a winter gallery internship in New York. Falling deeply under the city’s spell, she arrived back in Oz some five years later to manage exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, after working within the blue chip commercial gallery sector in Manhattan.

MICHELLE WICKS
Studio Manager

As our all-round strategist and organiser, Michelle’s extensive experience in the design furniture sector enables the YSG rocket to blast off into new endeavours on smooth flight paths. After completing an Associate Diploma in Applied Science (Architectural Drafting) and an Advanced Diploma in Interior Design, she immersed herself in the interiors world, operating senior sales roles for Cult, Vitra and District, amongst others. Her strengths manifest in doing things her way. Growing up on the central coast, she preferred to stick her nose in a book rather than out in the sun. When the surf was up, she headed inland instead to water ski on the local waterways. And despite working for a practice renowned for unleashing colour, she favours a sartorial palette of black. Cooking is Michelle’s key recreational pursuit. We regularly reap the benefits of her culinary talents, though we’re beginning to see a pattern of sweet offerings arriving in the studio on the days her number crunching skills tweak our creative budgets (but always necessarily so)!

Laura Campbell
Senior Interior Designer
Laura rises to all aspects of her role with vigour – from concept design and development documentation to briefing, client and stakeholder engagement. As a lover or ‘surprising beauty,’ she’s a visual dreamer, seeking inspiration from unusual resources. She conceives environments that activate sensory appeal, avoiding the cliché of overcomplicating them in the process. Having worked for several years at Tom Mark Henry prior to joining YSG, Laura possesses significant experience both interstate and overseas designing across the residential, retail and hospitality sectors with projects ranging from workplace through to hotel design. She brings to the studio a calming essence coupled with a highly resolved theoretical approach to design outcomes – a perspective she instils amongst the Interior Architecture students she tutors at UNSW.

Aya Takla
Senior Interior Designer
Born and raised in Lebanon, Aya’s visual diet comprised mainly of war-torn buildings juxtaposed against modern architectural gems. Her mother is an interior architect, so Aya’s childhood was spent creating high octane drawings in her bedroom with pencils she snuck from her home studio and playing amongst concrete sites during inspections. This served her well as prior to joining YSG she worked within a prominent Sydney architectural firm’s project management team honing her negotiation skills. Integral to Aya’s creative output is conceiving contextually sensitive spaces that evoke sensory awakenings. She lives and breathes design, savouring punchy graphics through to trawling her fave fashion feeds. Her other house of worship is the sport’s arena. Aya’s wired to pro tennis matches, so we avoid giving her deadlines during Wimbledon finals!

Anastasia Nicolaou
Senior Interior Designer
From a young age it was evident Anastasia would become an interior designer as she constantly re-arranged the family home (painting walls on occasion) while her parents were at work. She is a conceptual dreamer of spaces where fantasy and the practicalities of life collide in spectacular ways. As Yasmine’s first employee, she too views design as a mechanism that can affect human behaviour with a desired outcome. Re-joining the team in 2024, Anastasia brings extensive experience working across high-end residential, commercial and hospitality projects. In addition to her impressive project leadership and problem-solving skills, she possesses an enviable talent for sourcing furnishings and finishes globally for her custom designs. On weekends you will find her toiling away in her garden and honing her flair for propagating. Perfecting her palette for fine chocolate comes in as a close second.

Jacob Stavrakis
Architect
Completing his architectural training between Adelaide and Valencia enabled Jacob to embrace his Spanish heritage while forming a culturally enriched foundation for his practice. Moving to Sydney to establish himself professionally, he dove headfirst into high-end residential projects within boutique architectural firms, offering him a strong pathway to his architectural registration. Working from concept to completion with a licensed builder has been key to Jacob’s design experience. This hands-on involvement fostered a proactive approach to construction detailing that allows him to anticipate and efficiently resolve issues on-site. Jacob’s architectural background provides a holistic approach to designing atmospheric interiors, creating a soulful cohesion between materiality, joinery and structural elements.
Erica Bradbeer
Interior Designer
A fusion of influences ripple through Erica’s work given her avid interest in the arts – from painting and drawing to pottery and music – bolstered via her studies of graphic design and visual art. Her painterly command of colour and texture plus her pragmatic preoccupation with constructing space on canvas and paper led her to pursue interior studies. Interestingly, she thrives more creatively in design, responding to briefs and deadlines. She’s our details gal with a knack for documentation – from drawing to modelling – with talent to boot for creating customised joinery and furniture. Outside the studio, Erica’s your go-to for a road map of the city’s best whisky and wine bars, though we highly recommend negotiating an invite to her dining table as she navigates the kitchen with impressive prowess. With a bottle of red in hand, you’re guaranteed to skip the queue.

Lachlan Kirkland
Interior Designer
Having grown up on the coast, Lachie’s constant source of inspiration is his multi-sensorial engagement with nature, notably how textures, scents and hues influence his wild imagination. He’s an ‘amper upper’ drawn to evocative colour and pattern pairings who credits his Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Arts (Politics) studies – prior to commencing his Interior Architecture (honours) degree – for shaping his discerning sense of judgement. Classically trained in piano for 15 years, his love of playing and performing highly influences his design approach, enabling him to compose spaces that reflect an exquisitely tuned experiential potency. Lachie’s unofficial studio title is ‘Vibe Technician’ given that his Energizer-like batteries keep us all pumped, yet equally, zen. We’re still waiting for him to bust some moves, ideally in black vinyl pants given they led him to victory in his Yr 4 performance to Groove is in the Heart.

Hero Knight
Interior Designer
Hero is our resident mood activator. Her mind is wired for cataloguing ideas, products and special pieces from around the globe with encyclopaedic precision, complimented by her wizard-like sourcing skills. Her highly tactile spaces imbue sculpted detailing, maverick material choices plus beguiling furnishings that enhance experiences without dominating them. Hero’s approach to interior design is literally hands-on given her background in textile fabrication and her ongoing ceramic practice that seeks to mitigate the disappearance of age-old crafts – a sentiment enhanced by her product design collaborations with makers in India and Indonesia. Her Bachelor of Design credentials and graphics experience also bolster our creative concept offering for hospitality projects, ensuring a holistic approach to brand communication. Unanimous amongst the YSG team, her superpower is her memory for song lyrics, resulting in regular eBay searches for an in-house karaoke machine.

Whimbrel Wilson
Interior Designer
Born and raised in Sydney to architect parents, Whimbrel developed a deep appreciation for the landscape and materials around her from a young age. As a teenager, she eagerly assisted her father with DIY renovations on their ever-evolving family home, honing her skills along the way. Her interior design practice draws on her architecture and fine art studies plus her personal connection to sculptural and tactile art forms. Whimbrel’s deep fascination with materials combined with a preference for a low-fi approach that includes hand sketching and building things herself whenever possible lends her designs and spaces a grounded, authentic quality. When she’s not immersed in the studio, you can find Whimbrel on the tools, behind the sewing machine or paddling out at Manly Beach.
Shameera Hingmire
Graduate Designer
Shameera’s nomadic upbringing and exposure to radically different cultures flows through her creative language. Under the wings of her landscape architect parents, her childhood was spent in India, Bahrain and predominantly Dubai before arriving in Sydney with her family in 2015. Immersed in the arts in all its forms from a young age, her design rationale is informed by creative expression, in particular exploring how to make spaces hold intrinsic meaning. Foremost, they must stir the soul. Having completed a Bachelor of Interior Architecture, she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture whilst juggling her serious addiction to mystery and psychological thriller novels – something we actively encourage to keep the mystique flowing through her work.