Nephelle Watts

Artist · Potter · Interior Designer · Creative Director
Studio Goldie

Nephelle Watts is an artist, potter and interior designer with a background in fashion, working across art, interiors, objects and creative direction from her coastal studio, Studio Goldie, in Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland.

At the heart of Nephelle’s practice is a desire to create - to shape, paint, build, style and make. Her work moves naturally between the studio and the built environment, with her practice as an artist informing the way she approaches interiors, and her experience in design continually shaping the way she makes.

Working across resin, oil and clay, Nephelle’s artwork is deeply influenced by the natural environment surrounding her. The Gippsland Lakes and the wild waters of Bass Strait provide an ever-present source of inspiration - from stormy seas and shifting skies to salt-washed textures, quiet mornings and the movement of the water. Colour, texture, form and materiality are central to both her artwork and design practice.

Through Studio Goldie, Nephelle brings these disciplines together. The studio is a space for making, experimentation and creative direction, as well as the base for her interior design work. Her approach is tactile and considered, with a strong focus on creating spaces that have character, atmosphere and a distinct sense of identity.

Nephelle has worked across numerous commercial and residential interior projects, creating spaces for hospitality, retail, accommodation and creative businesses. Her background in fashion brings a strong understanding of colour, proportion, styling and visual composition, while her artistic practice brings an instinctive and hands-on approach to materials, objects and detail.

Her interior design work is not about following a particular aesthetic. Instead, she creates spaces that feel individual, layered and memorable - balancing functionality with a strong visual point of view. Artwork, furniture, materials, colour and objects are considered as part of one cohesive story, creating environments that feel lived-in, expressive and connected to their surroundings.

This philosophy is evident in Idle Lake House, a design-led floating retreat on the Gippsland Lakes, which Nephelle designed and developed as an immersive expression of place. The property has been featured in Traveller Magazine, Stay A While Magazine, Luxury Travel and InStyle Magazine, recognising its distinctive approach to design, atmosphere and coastal living.

Alongside her interior work, Nephelle continues to develop her practice as an artist and potter, creating original works in resin, oil and clay. Her artwork and interiors exist in conversation with one another - both driven by a fascination with texture, imperfection, colour, form and the emotional connection we have with the spaces and objects around us.

Across Studio Goldie, Nephelle’s work sits at the intersection of art and interior design - creating artwork, objects and spaces that are tactile, unexpected and deeply connected to place.

Based on the coast of East Gippsland, her work is ultimately a reflection of where she lives: raw, relaxed, textural and a little bit salty.