DENISE STAFFA
03 Sep 2012
We talked to Denise Staffa, Managing Director / Principal Landscape Designer / Principal Project Manager of Outside In about her career to date.
"As a Team, we breathe life and personality into outdoor environments by defining, inspiring, solving and effecting change”
Denise Staffa – Managing Director / Principal Landscape Designer / Principal Project Manager
What inspired you to become a landscape designer?
Nature has always intrigued me and I always had a strong sense of self when surrounded by the beauty of the outdoors.
Born and bred in the Kimberley’s, Western Australia, I’ve always been very attached to the Australian environment with its unique, naturally rugged appeal and rich textures. This was the raw foundation for my love of all that is outdoors and my desire to connect people with nature.
The parents of a very good school friend asked me one day if I would be interested in maintaining their garden and I jumped at the chance to be amongst the earth on the weekends. This was where Outside In began, from a plastic bucket and a rake.
A prominent feature of my landscape design skills is the ability to transform outdoor spaces using a practical eye and listening to my clients. To integrate natural and manmade elements into what exists, whilst creating function, form and timeless beauty for many to enjoy, is something which I always strive to achieve.
My landscape design team implements landscape planning whilst I continually strive to recourse and research materials for individual works as well as managing design issues, risks and quality of completed landscape design works.
What has been your career highlight to date?
We have won finalist in the last two years of the Landscape Industries Association of WA Awards of Excellence. And this year we picked up a winner! We won Designer Residential (250sqm – 500sqm) and we were named Finalist for Best Contractor Designer Residential up to $150,000.
Can you tell us about Outside In? How long has it been established, what do you specialise in, any recent projects to note?
Outside In specialises in Landscape Architectural Design and Construction. Outside In has seen increasingly strong growth over our 12 years in operation, becoming one of the Perth’s leading landscape companies that now enjoys a position of substantial market share within the Perth landscaping industry.
With our showroom and office based on Canning Highway, Como, Western Australia, our landscape company structure consists of a Principle Project Manager and Landscape Designer, Landscape Architects, Sales and Administrative staff, along with a network of professional and highly qualified trades used within the Perth landscaping industry.
Landscape design is the peaceful co-existence of your home and your outdoor lifestyle. Gardens mean to us reflections of an individual, their lifestyle, their place.
Outside In embraces outdoor spaces as a whole composition and offer functional and inspiring landscape designs that complement each unique environment whether residential or commercial.
Our landscape design vision is to capture natural elements and prefer the use of natural materials to enhance depth and timeless qualities. Outside In's dedication the co-habitation of indoor and outdoor spaces, and to connect people to nature in an everyday place, is our primary aim and focus.
We pride ourselves on basic garden design principles, being practical, functional, environmentally sustainable and inspiring, making the most of what one has.
We introduce outdoor garden art and sculpture through natural materials, combining elements of the environment, surroundings and history, which we say is garden art in itself and something that is true to the design of outdoor living.
What does the company have planned/coming up?
Lots of exciting new residential projects... We have the prospect of being involved with the Perth Airport re-development and we’re getting involved with the kids at Comet Bay Primary school and designing an active community garden.
Outside In
370A Canning Hwy, Como WA 6152
Office: 08 9450 4922
Fax: 08 9450 4911
Email: enquiry@outsidein.net.au