Shelley starts over 'IT WAS A SCARY THING TO DO'

The Block judge has her hands full with a new business, writing a book and doing up a home

- Donna Fleming

It's a brave thing to do, especially at the age of 40 - walking out on a high-flying career to start from scratch in a new line of work.

For Shelley Ferguson, giving up her job as a magazine editorial director to become an interior designer was a tough decision, but The Block NZ judge couldn't ignore an overwhelming desire to be hands-on when it came to designing amazing spaces, rather than editing stories about them. So nearly two years ago, she took a leap of faith and set up her own interior design business.

"It was a scary thing to do, changing careers at 40, but something I really wanted to try," says Shelley, 42, who is back on screen in Three's latest series of The Block NZ: Redemption. "It got to the point where I went, 'Life is short, I'm doing this.' And it was the right decision."

Today, her business Shelley Ferguson Studio is doing so well, she's recently taken on two part-time staff members. Projects she's working on include a luxury office complex and a stunning residential home, and she's recently designed retail stores for jewellery maker Boh Runga and shoe designer Kathryn Wilson. She also tackles smaller jobs, including kitchen or bathroom renos.