The Most Inspiring Interiors of 2019

The Modern Australian Country Home

The owners of this Yarra Valley home lived here for seven years before decided to extend the property for their growing family – enter interior designer Chelsea Hing!

Chelsea and her team maximised space by reconfiguring the floorplan, and updated the home to reflect a more contemporary aesthetic. An interior palette of rich terracotta, saddle tan leathers, polished plaster, slate, cedar and sandblasted timber was implemented, echoing the rich colours of the landscape outside.

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An Interior Designer’s Charming Art Deco Apartment In North Bondi

In June we visited the North Bondi home of Juliette Arent Squadrito, co-founder of Sydney-based interior design firm Arent and Pyke, in partnership with Fisher & Paykel.

This property (which was previously a backpackers hostel!) was purchased by the designer and her husband when pregnant with twins, and they undertook the first round of renovations when the babies were only one week old! In 2017 they had their second go at it, installing the rich jewel green cabinetry that now characterises space.

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A Contemporary Country Home, Set Into The Hillside

Located on private grounds within a picturesque regional golf club, the Thornton Residence features a muted colour palette inspired by early 20th-century Australian artist Hans Heysen.

The home is the work of Mardi Doherty of Doherty Design Studio in collaboration with Detail 9 Architects.

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Flack Studio Flair In Fitzroy!

Flack Studio are known for thinking outside the box, and this certainly applies to their bold renovation of this Fitzroy worker’s cottage.

Every room in this eclectic space has its own personality and distinct features, ranging from luxe stone finishes, to brass details, and a deliberately clashing colour palette.  (Also, what about that art collection!). Among key design influences are the client’s love of entertaining, as well as nearby wine bar, Marion.

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Melbourne’s Newest Deli And Eatery Brings The WOW-Factor!

We don’t publish many hospitality projects on The Design Files, so when we do, you know they’re special!

Via Porta is a beautifully designed cafe and deli located on an otherwise unremarkable suburban shopping strip in Melbourne’s Mont Albert.

The space was designed by Sarah Cosentino of Studio Esteta, who also co-owns the eatery with her three brothers. Among standout details is the crazy paving flooring made from stone offcuts – a reference to Italy’s iconic cobblestone laneways.

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Tamsin Johnson’s Tamarama Wonder!

It comes as no surprise that interior designer Tamsin Johnson and her husband Patrick Johnson (designer and tailor of P. Johnson fame) have an exceptionally beautifully home!

The couple completely renovated this 1970s home in Tamarama to suit their young family. We love how Tamsin has combined classic design pieces with eclectic details (not to mention a seriously covetable art collection!), to build a richly layered family home, full of unexpected details.

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A Suitably Fashionable Home, From Two Brilliant Creatives

This Armadale residence is home to Penelope Cohen, creative director of Australian fashion label Skin and Threads.

Penny engaged designer Simone Haag to rework the living room and ‘ensure this grand old dame of a Victorian had a contemporary and feminine sensibility, with a fashionable edge.’

Simone describes the updated room as showcasing ‘romance and frivolity,’ having introduced plush plum, navy and mustard hues, along with gold marble with terrazzo.

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At Home With Stylist Simone Haag

Speaking of Simone Haag… the celebrated styled-turned-designer featured on our site a few times this past year!  We’ve featured Simone’s styling work numerous times over the past few years, but couldn’t resist revisiting her own Ringwood family house after a recent renovation.

Kennedy Nolan were engaged to extend the home, allowing more space for Simone to flex her styling muscles, and room for her three children to grow.

The interiors combine Scandinavian and mid-century influences alongside the very modern addition of a Samsung Serif television, which appears as a design piece in itself!

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A ’60s Cronulla Home Gets A Colour-Rich Makeover!

This awe-inspiring home designed by Lymesmith and Amber Road is unlike any interior project we’ve featured before!

With its boldly punctuated colour palette, abstract wall murals, and black interior crazy paving, it’s a home that’s clearly personalised to the taste and lifestyle of its owners.

As Sonia van de Haar, creative director of Lymesmith explains, ‘Nothing was seen as too precious or too serious, and nobody cared about ‘resale values’. The driving concept was to make a house that reflected the client’s commitment to living life their own way and enjoying it NOW!’

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Ladies of Leisure Up The Ante With Their Impressive New HQ

The Ladies of Leisure space has a special place in our hearts as its co-founded by our very own managing editor, Sally Tabart!

Sally and Savannah Anand-Sobti created this space as a physical extension of their indie publication Ladies of Leisure, or ‘LOL’ for short.

The duo’s friend, stylist and secondhand furniture seller, Pip Newell of Curated Spaces, designed this colour-rich space on a surprisingly slim budget, with furniture and branding from a team of generous creatives.

LOL host regular workshops and discussions in the space aimed at women and girls, to support personal and professional development.

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