With her foot on full throttle, Danielle Balscheit has a high-speed style metabolism. Every day, the interior designer refuels on fresh stimuli: taking it in, trying it on for a while and then hunting for more. She is dynamic – fast-talking, jump-right-in, change-things-up dynamic. And any moment that’s not go-go-go is a moment wasted. But then, Danielle loves what she does.
The multi-talented style maven is the owner of the renowned Melbourne interiors showroom and design consultancy company, Surround Interiors of 23 years. Through her travel’s to N.Y.C., she born Goldie, Danielle’s line of vintage costume jewellery, collected during her time in the States and Paris.
“I’m a pretty busy woman,” she says. “I am always trying to work out how I can evolve and make our businesses bigger and better.”
Turning her many loves into commercial opportunities is Danielle’s greatest skill. Much of the motivation, she says, comes from an intense passion for fashion, and all things aesthetically satisfying. “The business satisfies my desire to buy – I’m always on the hunt ,” she says.
As a collector, designer and retailer, Danielle is forever dabbling with beautiful objects, without being weighed down by too many possessions. “I get to own pieces for a while and then they are appreciated and loved by someone else,” she says. “There’s a story behind each collectable and I like adding to that.”
Danielle was studying interior design while Marcus, her husband, after studying landscape architecture, was making his name as an event designer for fashion shows, nightclubs and parties for clients such as Mercedes-Benz and Stolichnaya Vodka. They soon joined forces and, in 1996, the couple established House of Balscheit, an emporium of classic Danish and Italian furniture in St Kilda. Five years later, they added product design, residential consultancy & retail design to their repertoire, and Surround Interiors was born.
Clients inc. Michael and Lindy Klim, Natalie Bassingthwaighte , Dave Hughes and Cathy Freeman, to name a few.
Now, post covid, Danielle has re located with her family to Byron Bay and is available for Interior consultations along the Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast.
