Before studying interior design, Dani Van Yzerloo spent 10 years working as an event florist. Today, she’s studying a Bachelor of Arts (Interior Design) and the winner of the Melbourne Design Week industry challenge.
Dani’s winning furniture concept, Lithos, is a modular set of plinths that can be reconfigured into a console using a connecting slab. The concept was brought to life through production and is now on display at Escultura’s Richmond showroom during Melbourne Design Week 2026.
It’s a little bit surreal seeing it go from a drawing or CAD render into a real object. It’ll be really cool to see it come to life.
This industry challenge was developed through a collaboration between Melbourne-based sustainable design studio Escultura Furniture (co-founded by Collarts alumna Kat Nitsou) and Melbourne Design Week.
Interior Design students were tasked with designing and pitching an original furniture piece in response to a live industry brief. Dani’s winning design was selected for production by Escultura. Special mentions go to Fernanda Mihessen and Samuel Bennett, who received High Commendation awards.
Interior Design Program Leader Jenni Woods reflected on the quality of work across the cohort:
I want to acknowledge the incredible standard of work across the board. The judges were genuinely impressed by the level of creativity, innovation, and thoughtfulness demonstrated in students' submissions. Each student engaged deeply with the brief, responded meaningfully to Escultura’s design philosophy and process, and showed a strong understanding of the Melbourne Design Week themes.
Dani’s path into design is anything but traditional. After a decade in floristry, she made the decision to pivot into interior design, bringing with her a strong sense of composition, materiality, and storytelling through objects.
Her background in floristry continues to influence her design thinking, especially her approach to form, layering, and spatial balance.
Strong. Versatile. Impactful.
These are the three words Dani used to describe her furniture piece Lithos.
The idea behind the piece is that it’s something you can have forever. It’s modular, so you can use the plinths on their own or together, so it’s really versatile in a home.
At Collarts, Interior Design students learn in a studio-style environment that reflects real industry practice, building confidence, technical skills, and professional readiness from day one.
Through collaborations such as Melbourne Design Week, students work on live briefs with real deadlines and sustainability-focused outcomes, mirroring contemporary design industry expectations.
Interior design continues to grow Australia, with around 19,300 interior designers currently employed nationwide, spanning residential, commercial, hospitality, furniture, and sustainability-led sectors.
Dani’s story shows that it’s never too late to change direction and step into a creative career.
Explore Interior Design at Collarts and see where your ideas could take you.
Find out more at our Open Day on Saturday, 29th August.