“Creating a home with a sense of calm, which is a joy to come home to, is what drives me to explore the very best design for my clients.”
BLUE FRUIT is the studio of Virginia Blue, and with over 25 years experience as a commercial and residential designer, she has a formidable talent for listening, finding solutions and creating living environments which reflect's the owner's personality and lifestyle.
Her designs focus on sustainability and adapt to the client's personality and preferences, without strict style limitations.
Blue Fruit provides both sensitive design for existing heritage homes (which may require renovation, restoration, alteration or extension) + contemporary design for new builds.
“My friends and family tell me I never stop thinking about architecture.
My clients laugh and tell me that’s a good thing. ”
About the designer.
After graduating with a BA in Interior Design from Uni SA, Virginia worked in large architectural practices across Australia, always relishing the chance to practice design with a local flavour.
Working for the international architectural firms of Woods Bagot & then Hassell, Virginia designed retail (David Jones, Myer), commercial (Commonwealth Bank H.O.), hospitality (Darwin + Adelaide Casinos), educational and public buildings (including lead Interior Architect for the Roma Mitchell Commonwealth Law Courts building), winning various commercial design awards.
From Darwin in the North to Adelaide in the South, and in the East Coast capitals, the huge variety of landscapes and lifestyles provided constant inspiration for varied architectural responses.
“I’ve been designing buildings for many years, and in that time I’ve learned that I never stop learning.
I have a Master of Urban Cultural Heritage, a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, a background in commercial interior architecture and a passion for making people’s lives better through beautiful, thoughtfully imagined buildings. ”
After a stint in London, Virginia returned to Australia and established Blue Fruit in 2004.
Based in Melbourne, Virginia designs residential projects both here and around Australia.
She draws inspiration from the unique characteristics of each home’s architecture and relishes the challenge of crafting responsive design solutions to suit a client’s own needs. She prides herself that her buildings are not recognisable as a "Blue Fruit formula," but are more about bringing to life the dreams of the client, to create a space in which they love to live.
Virginia holds a Master of Urban Cultural Heritage Degree from the University of Melbourne, and has a keen interest in working with older or heritage buildings, to rejuvenate them with a fresh approach whilst respecting their original beauty and craftsmanship. Heritage projects make up the majority of her practice work.
When working on new contemporary house designs, Virginia focuses on maximising sunlight deep into the layout, and incorporating passive design principles and eco-sensitive materials, to create spaces of warmth and personality.
Virginia is an Affiliate Member of the
Australian Institute of Architects.
