Who we are

We're Michelle and Ryan, partners in life and work, and the team behind Nace Studio. We design architecture and interiors for people who choose their homes with intention.

We start by understanding you completely: how you live, what you love, what you need. Then we take you somewhere you couldn't have reached alone. No agenda, no surprises, no shortcuts. Just two people who genuinely care, working together from first conversation to final finish.

We work on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country in Clifton Hill, Melbourne.

A man with dark hair and a mustache wearing a dark brown button-up jacket, standing with hands in pockets near a window and a blue wall background.

  • Architect & Director

    Ryan runs the architecture side of the studio and is quietly relentless about getting things right. He has a calm, precise way of working and a deep interest in how spaces work in real life.

    He is deeply considerate — he doesn't move fast, and he doesn't give rushed answers. When he comes back to you with a solution, it means something. He loves the meaning behind things: the beautiful construction detail, the clever spatial idea that nobody else saw, the way a room can be made to feel entirely different without adding a single square metre.

    He cares deeply about getting it right.

    He is happiest when resolving the details no one else notices and making sure every line lands exactly where it should.

    Registered Architect (VIC, TX, OK) — Bachelor of Architecture (Hons), Oklahoma State University

A woman with short brown hair, wearing a textured blue long-sleeve top and black pants, smiling while standing outdoors in front of a brick wall with green foliage overhead.

  • Studio Director

    Michelle runs the interior, client, and business side of the studio. She thinks quickly, listens carefully, and has a genuine eye for how people actually live — the function behind the aesthetic, the detail that makes a home feel like yours.

    She came to interiors through fashion styling and creative production, which means she thinks about spaces the way a stylist thinks about a look — combination, contrast, the unexpected pairing that somehow makes everything else click. She has a deep love for textiles and colour, and the way both can quietly shift how a room feels to be in.

    On a project she is the one building the palette, finding the right tile, running down the right piece, keeping everything moving, and making sure the whole thing lands as one coherent feeling.

    She is happiest when a space finally feels like the person who lives in it.

    B.A. International Trade and Marketing — FIT New York

  • Every project is different, but our approach is grounded in thoughtful design, open communication and a shared vision for your space. We begin by listening to your needs, your space and your story and we guide each step with care, curiosity and clarity.

  • We believe design is a way to connect people more deeply to their environments and to themselves. Every project is a chance to create something lasting, responsive and real. We honour the land, the home’s history and your future vision. We shape spaces that don’t just look good but feel right — and support daily life as it evolves.

  • Thoughtfulness. Honour. Curiosity. Craft.
    These values guide everything we do — in design, in collaboration, and in how we show up for every project.

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