Designer Interviews
Behind the Design with Kanla Perla | Storytelling Through Spaces
Website: Kanla Perla
Style Sourcebook Profile: Kanla Perla
Joinery: JMK Joinery
Photography: Tanika Blair Photography
Kanla Perla was born from a lifelong connection to creativity. Growing up surrounded by craft and making, founder Kanla Percival developed an eye for detail and a belief that design is as much about emotion as it is about aesthetics. With a background spanning fashion and high-end property before formally studying interior design, she brings a layered perspective that gives every project a sense of depth and story.
At the heart of Kanla Perla’s philosophy is the idea that spaces should feel soulful, lived-in, and meaningful. Drawing inspiration from travel, architecture, and the subtleties of everyday life, their work balances refinement with ease, creating homes that are both timeless and deeply personal. For the studio, interiors are places where life unfolds and memories are made.
This ethos is beautifully captured in The Campbell Project, a renovation of a 75-year-old coastal cottage in Scarborough, North Brisbane. With a brief to preserve the home’s vintage charm while elevating it for modern living, Kanla Perla delivered a design that feels cohesive, comfortable, and quietly sophisticated. In our interview, Kanla shares insights into their journey, inspirations, and how Project Studio has been a powerful tool throughout the process to help bring this coastal classic back to life for the clients.
Tell us a bit about your design business and how it came to be.
My creative roots run deep. I grew up surrounded by craft and making (my mum is a fashion designer), and that inheritance shaped how I see the world: as a place where spaces can tell stories and hold meaning. Before interiors, I worked as a marketing executive for a high-end property developer overseas, and that experience opened my eyes to how profoundly people connect to space. Not just as walls and structures, but as places alive with feeling. Moving to Australia gave me the opportunity to formalise my passion and study interior design, setting the foundation for what is now KANLA PERLA.
How did you use Project Studio to bring your Campbell project to life?
For The Campbell Project, I used Project Studio in the very early design stage to create a mood and tonal palette for the clients. It was an effective way to capture the overall feel; pulling together style references, finishes, and textures into a mood board they could instantly connect with. It helped the clients see the design direction clearly, even before selections were finalised.
How would you describe your design style in three words?
“Pure. Sophisticated. Timeless.”
Which Project Studio features do you find most useful in your workflow?
As I became more familiar with Project Studio, I discovered just how powerful it can be. Beyond mood boards, I now use it for FF&E schedules. It saves me countless hours — everything from finishes and furniture to fabrics and lighting is organized in one professional document. I can send it directly to clients. It looks polished, keeps details consistent, and streamlines communication so that I can spend more time on the creative side of design.
What inspires your work?
Inspiration finds me everywhere, but it's the details that stay with me. Travelling, discovering architecture from different parts of the world, visiting boutique hotels, or dining in the beautiful restaurants, it’s those experiences that fuel my imagination.
I love noticing the textures, the mood, the way light touches a surface, and then translating those ideas into residential spaces. To me, a home should offer the same sense of relaxation and lifestyle that people seek when they go out - a place that feels both personal and a little like a holiday. That balance of comfort and escape is at the heart of my design philosophy.
If you’re feeling inspired to reimagine your next interior design project, use our mood board tool and Project Studio to make your vision a reality.
