About
Pam Ellis is an award winning, published designer working in locations all around the world. Pam's work has been nominated for numerous awards globally - most recently Virtuoso Innovation Award for her design of a corporate head quarters in Brisbane, Australia and a luxury sub-penthouse project on the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, Australia was nominated for the International Dezeen Award. Further afield, two very different historic renovation projects were featured on TV shows in those countries. An Italian farmhouse renovation project was featured on British TV show ‘House Hunters Abroad’, and also on local Italian Rai TV. In the USA an historic home in Savannah, Georgia was featured on TV show ‘House Hunters’.
Earlier in Pams career she studied Business Commerce at Bond University in Australia, and Marketing at Glasgow University, Scotland. It was only later that Pam decided to ‘formally’ study Interior Design in California at one of the USA’s top 5 design schools, graduating with Honors.
“I got to the point where I desperately wanted to study Interior Design in order to understand the psychology of a space. I kept asking myself - Why does one room work when another, equally beautiful, just doesn’t? That is what really fascinated me about the design process - it is not about just picking a colour and some fancy fabrics. There are multiple layers, calculated decisions and sleepless nights that go into creating each room. I love the journey and excitement of every new project because no two are ever the same.”
At age 26-years old Pam honed her business skills by running multiple companies simultaneously. During that time, it was running a successful property development business in Scotland that really fast-tracked her skills on the tools. Growing up in Australia, her entire family worked in the real estate market so Pam’s knowledge and love of the industry started at a very young age. “Nothing makes you learn faster than when you are spending your own money. Very quickly you understand that time literally is money and you have to quickly and efficiently problem-solve for the best outcome. I would not possess those skills had it not been for my years of renovating and learning building techniques necessary to navigate my way around a dirty job site and getting my hands dirty. It was the best and fastest way to learn.”
Pam’s first project in Scotland was a 100-year old traditional tenement flat which she transformed from a 1-bedroom flat into a 2-bedroom luxury apartment with open-plan living / kitchen. Numerous smaller apartment renovation projects quickly followed, progressing to a beautiful Victorian sandstone period home from the late 1800s complete with elaborate gold-leaf cornicing and original hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces.
In 2003 Pam, along with her husband Stephen, moved from Scotland to Italy for a ‘sea change’ and early retirement. It was whilst living there for 4-years, they jointly renovated several abandoned farmhouses - just for fun! The first farmhouse renovation they completed actually had the first ‘private’ swimming pool in the area. “At weekends the locals would bring their children to the farmhouse and just stand in our garden looking at the pool. They didn’t want to swim in the pool, and despite numerous offers to swim, they were happy just to see what a swimming pool looked like in someones backyard. It was so innocent and such a beautiful Italian experience, literally immersing ourselves with the local community untouched by the trappings of 21st century modern living.” The most challenging project completed in Italy was a neglected 8,000 square foot 16th-century Italian Palazzo set over 4 levels in 2008/09. Historically the Palazzo is understood to have been built for the local church official in the 1600’s, as the existing local church is located to the rear of the Palazzo. More modern local history tells of allied troops being hidden in the Palazzo during WWII, as evidence of old American uniforms and vehicles were uncovered onsite. Unfortunately, this Palace was damaged to the point of collapse during an earthquake in 2015, and condemned by authorities for safety. Thankfully, permissions have finally been approved to commence work in 2022 to fully restore this beautiful palace back to full glory.
In addition to continuing her education and successfully running companies, Pam translated her knowledge and resourcefulness into the media world. Pam hosted various weekly TV segments on both ITV Scotland and 9 Network in Australia and was a columnist for various newspapers and magazines in the UK and also Australia. Additionally Pam worked with famed Scottish design duo ‘Colin and Justin’ during their time in Australia, working on TV hit shows such as ‘The Block’ and ‘Reno Rumble’.
From any point of view, Pam’s building and design experience has covered a gamut of periods, styles, traditions and techniques - and she just keeps continuing to grow and learn. “I love collaborating with other professionals on projects, and constantly learning to ensure I deliver my A-game to each project with the backup of latest products and technical knowledge globally - not just locally. This ensures my clients receive the best advice available in the market."