Aishwarya Mishra, Swapping Software for Interior Design in Adelaide

Aishwarya Mishra spent 12 years as a software test engineer before she enrolled at TAFE Adelaide and switched to interior design. She now runs Aishmi Design in Adelaide, working on residential projects end to end – floor plans, 3D renders, site visits, and the client communication that holds all of it together.

She was born in Odisha and grew up in Hyderabad, where the career options available to her were doctor, engineer, accountant, or lawyer. She picked software engineering, got her degree, worked her way up to a management role, and did it well for over a decade. Then she hit a ceiling. Not a dramatic break – more a quiet certainty that she wanted to do something creative.

Interior design was the direction. She enrolled at TAFE Adelaide and says the practical knowledge she got there made her want to fight harder for her place in the industry, not just get through a qualification. She now works alongside her mentor, Tanya Nikolic, on residential projects that go from concept to construction.

Her design philosophy centers on color. She’s Indian – not scared of bold palettes or pattern – and says a lot of her client work is simply building enough trust to introduce both. She uses 3D renders to show people what a space could look like before they’ll agree to any risk. She describes the current state of Australian interiors as a “beige pandemic.” White walls, gray walls, marble kept under plastic so it stays looking new. Her counter: you spend 60 to 70 percent of your time at home. It should make you feel something when you walk in.

Her TAFE final project is worth noting. She designed a home for a client with a degenerative disease – eyesight deteriorating over time, wheelchair use ahead. She didn’t go clinical. She added color and high-contrast surfaces and designed it to feel like his home. The project was a national award finalist.

The skills she carried from 12 years in software: fast adoption of new tools (the design software side came easily), time management from her management years, and the ability to navigate between clients, builders, and trades without losing information along the way. She says software engineering has a role in everything she does now.

She’s been in Adelaide for seven years – two in Sydney before that. She moved after her son was born, looking for something calmer. She says Adelaide’s small market is an advantage when you’re building a name. Everyone knows everyone, and you can work that. She’s available for residential work and open to commercial inquiries.