Stylists We Love: Tara Wokulski of Coco.Camellia

Stylists We Love is a series of our favourite interior designers that help create your dream home into a reality. From finding unique ideas for quirky spaces to creating more accessible living spaces – they’re here to give you the inspiration and guidance you need for a beautiful and functional home.

We chatted with Tara Wokulski, founder of Coco Camellia, an Interior Styling Studio based in Melbourne. Tara and her team emphasize natural light, muted palettes, detail, and refined design. We find out more about her story, personal style, and process below.

How did you become an interior stylist/designer?

For me, it was really organically through styling my own room and discovering that it was what really made me truly happy, so this once Nurse very quickly decided it was time to take a leap of faith and teach myself everything there was to know about interior styling and design and start my own business.

With 2 young kids only 9 months apart in the beginning I strongly focussed on building a strong reputable brand with knowledge and know-how that would be the bedrock for a business that would go on to take clients in the following years. Coco Camellia has been around for 4 years, with the first 2 years focusing on social marketing and upskilling and the latter 2 on taking clients, executing skills, and still upskilling and growing even more so.

How would you describe your personal style?

I really try not to be defined by a 'Style' as I find I don’t really fit into one category. I find my style is a little of lots of things. It’s Modern, Contemporary, minimal, floral, tonal, and getting more and more restrained and refined as time passes.

Do you prefer a brief from a client or developing your own concept?

I absolutely love when the client gives me full reign to develop their dream spaces or home. I find this is where works are best executed and delivered to a high standard as everything within the selections fixtures, fittings, and more all work just so perfectly with every detail considered when selecting the next. That's not to say I don't love a client brief, they provide a great challenge to incorporate skills and expertise to their vision along with my recommendations.

What is your favourite part of a project? Sourcing a product for a job or signing off on a project?

Most projects take months, sometimes years to complete depending on what type of project it is i.e. full renovation, single bathroom refresh, new build, or just furniture sourcing. So while I love all the bits and moving parts of each project, the ones that take the very long months of planning and building and even years to work through are the ones I just can't wait to get in there and style, photograph, and share with you all.

It's kind of that moment where you finally get to look back on all the hard long hours of specifying, site visits, checking, and fussing over every detail and you see the images and you're like “YESSSSS!” this place is everything! so I guess for the long haul projects it's a favorite to see it all done and presented so beautifully in line with what I originally had imagined it would look like.

What are your favourite RJ Living pieces you've used in a project?

RJ Living has been one of my go-to places for client sourcing and as of late I can’t quite go past the entire RJ Living collection. The quality, consistency, timeless look, and feel of each piece really are perfect and something that is an absolute joy to use in my works.

One of my most recent projects included a few of my personal faves:

The Layer Nesting Coffee Table
What I like about Layer is that it comes in a Small and Large size for you to nest together as intended, but you can also use these two separately in smaller spaces if need be.

Turn Side Table in Oak
Such a simple yet impactful piece and one that I find works best next to a sofa for the ultimate side table experience. It's the perfect height, along with its delicate form so it ensures that your space doesn't feel heavy or cluttered.