FRANK & BOYD

Michelle Barrett grew up on a broad stretch of farmland north of Esperance, the eldest of four children and a born creator of space. Her childhood was spent outdoors — building cubbies, rearranging the spaces around her, understanding how environment shapes emotion. Those early years taught her resourcefulness and rhythm: how light moves, how materials weather, and how to make something beautiful from what’s at hand.

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Her career path has been diverse — from communications and community development to leading roles in her family’s multi-generational farming business — but creativity has always been the thread. She has been a writer, teacher, CFO and entrepreneur, founding an early homewares line in Indonesia that connected craft, culture, and storytelling long before it became fashionable.

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Today, Michelle remains a country girl at heart: grounded, creative, and connected to place. Her design work is layered, art-led, and deeply personal — spaces that grow with their owners and feel as though they’ve always belonged. Each project reflects her belief that the most beautiful design begins with empathy, evolves through story, and ends with a quiet sense of belonging.