My Story

Denise Staffa

Where did you originate from?

I was born in Wyndham, an isolated northern town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in 1969. My dad worked for the Shell Company, and we moved around a lot, living in Darwin, Papua New Guinea, and Queensland. Eventually, my parents decided to settle in Perth where I completed my schooling at Willetton Primary and Rossmoyne Senior High. They wanted me to have a stable education and lay down some roots. The rugged beauty of the Kimberleys, where I spent my early years, has a special place in my heart.

Did you enjoy school and go to university?

From the age of 12 to 16, basketball was my life. My dad was the coach, and as a left-hander, I was always training and playing games. High school was a struggle as I juggled basketball with my studies and dealt with bullying because of my severe cystic acne. By 16, I decided to give up basketball to relieve the immense pressure. Although my dad was disappointed, I was relieved and eager to move on to the next chapter of my life.

At 17, I worked full-time to save up for my first car and gain independence. I got a job at a local book shop and moved out of my strict upbringing at 19. I found working in hospitality exciting and managed pubs and clubs in Perth and Fremantle. One of my most memorable moments was working at the Rose Hotel, which later closed and turned into a medical centre.

Working nights in hospitality made me yearn for a more regular schedule that allowed me to have a social life again. I made a career move to work at a bank, which turned out to be life-changing. Unfortunately, my experience took a traumatic turn when a notorious bank robber pointed a gun at my face. I developed mental health issues and knew I needed to make a change.

With my dog by my side, I headed north and spent 6 months working in Darwin and another 12 months travelling around Australia, taking on odd jobs along the way. I returned to Perth with an empty pocket and a clear mind and knew that a career outdoors was calling me. I landed a job at a local garden centre, which evoked a sense of belonging and internal calmness that I had never experienced before.

How did you start your own business?

Working at the local garden centre ignited my eagerness to learn more, and I enrolled part-time at TAFE to obtain a Certificate in Horticultural and Landscape Design while continuing to work four days a week within the industry. To boost my income, I took an opportunity to work weekends maintaining a large garden at the home of a close school friend. The job started as a means to earn extra money, but soon, local residents took notice of my work, and my weekend calendar was full of bookings. I eventually started my own full-time business with an investment of $10 in 1996.

I invested every penny earned into purchasing equipment and eventually saved enough money to buy my beloved Izuzu 8ft tray back truck. The business gradually expanded from pulling weeds and raking leaves to soil preparation, reticulation, planting, and laying lawn. However, the physical labour became quite intense, and the demand for more complex landscaping projects led to the need to employ qualified staff and form a network of contractors.

As the business grew, so did my physical exhaustion levels, and I was unfortunately diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, skin cancer. I made the decision to take on a managerial role in 2006, allowing me to focus on the design side of the business. I changed the name of the business to Outside In and leased a small studio on Canning Highway in Como.

The business continued to boom, and financial overheads and stress levels grew. The constant demand to keep work flowing for the staff and manage installation projects slowly clogged my creative mind. I was losing track of why I had chosen this journey to begin with.

How did your home studio in the backyard come about?

The lease for the Como studio was up for renewal in 2016, with only one option – a 5-year lease. I decided not to renew the lease due to mental exhaustion and moved the business back home to downsize. The decision turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever made, both professionally and personally. It was vital for my health and well-being. I began the hunt for a portable site office or ‘donga’ and found one on Gumtree for $1,500 from a pool company. The size was larger than the standard 6m x 2.4m, and I took on the task of preparing the backyard to install it.

Preparing the backyard turned out to be quite a big job. I worked every weekend for around three months while still operating the business in Como until the lease ran out. Once the new studio was craned into place, I gave the facade a much-needed facelift, and the inside was gutted and refurbished, all on a very tight budget.

Settling into the home studio forged the desire to design, and in 2019, I hung up my project management hat to focus solely on creating gardens and landscapes. Operating the business from a small studio in the backyard is pure bliss. It has encouraged a sense of freedom that has helped stimulate my creative mind. I’ve been more productive and produced some of my best creations in this space.

Does anyone currently help with the landscape designs that you create?

Focusing solely on landscape design since 2019 has given me opportunities to offer clients a better understanding of their projects. Some clients struggle with visualizing 2D (aerial) plans and elevation drawings, so I started bringing design ideas to life using 3D imagery and fly-through videos. I began playing around with computer programs such as SketchUp to build 3D models, which was a fun but entirely new learning process. In 2020, I found myself back at TAFE to learn to use SketchUp, but then COVID hit.

Despite the challenges, I remained determined to introduce 3D computer-generated imagery and videos to clearly communicate the design vision. I stumbled across some incredible 3D landscape design models on Instagram and reached out to Vedrana from Serbia and Emmanuel from the Philippines. They are both qualified landscape architects and incredibly talented in 3D modelling. We formed close bonds, and I am truly grateful to have Vedrana and Emmanuel as part of my design team.

What are your travelling experiences?

Experiencing the way people live in other cultures, their natural surroundings, and the architecture plays an integral role in nurturing my creative mind. I’ve been fortunate to travel to Africa, drive around the United States for two months, and experience island-style living in Southeast Asia. I loved it so much that I purchased a share in property on Gili Air, a small island off Lombok. Unfortunately, I had to sell it due to unforeseen circumstances. Gili Air became my home away from home, and I formed close bonds with the locals on the island and mainland who shared their knowledge and guidance with me.

Travelling overseas became impossible at the beginning of 2020 due to COVID-19, which led me to re-explore Australia, especially the Kimberleys and Northern Territory. The diverse landscapes of these regions offer such raw beauty that has inspired my work. The love for island-style living took on a whole new meaning for me, and I feel blessed to live on the best island in the world.