Design Anatomy

What if “timeless” isn’t a look, but a way of working? We sit down live with Jeremy Bull (Alexander Co.) , Simone Haag , Bree Banfield and Nicci Kavals of Articolo Studios to unpack the real markers of longevity: craft, material honesty, and the stories that form when people actually live with their spaces. It’s a candid tour through trend cycles, practical sustainability, and the design choices t...

Step behind the scenes of Australia’s most-walked display homes with Metricon’s National Display Home and Studio M retail manager, Lisa Goodsall. We dive into how a massive plan library, real customer feedback, and years of display learnings distilled into Metricon's New Lookbook that actually makes styling choices easier. Instead of boxing people into rigid labels, the Metricon's Lookbo...

Bree & Lauren round up their top five for October with colour, craft, and comfort at the centre. From tiled furniture and Tasmanian-inspired rugs to smarter sheers, Ikea edits, and a Milanese armchair, we share what’s worth your money and why it matters. • Tiled furniture by Matthew Raw as durable statement pieces  • Wild South rug collection and the new book ' A Visual Feast' by Jon...

Art can transform a room faster than any sofa swap, and today we map the exact places we rely on to find pieces that feel personal, joyful, and within reach. We start with the VCA Art Grad Exhibition , a friendly doorway into original art where you can speak to creators, learn what moves you, and buy before prices climb. Then we head to Leonard Joel for the thrill of the auction: weekly catalogues...

What if your home felt like the first moment of autumn—warm, grounded, and quietly fresh? We sit down with colour-obsessed designer Lauren Egan to unpack how a single, emotive brief can guide every choice, from timber and tile to paint and furniture, and deliver a space that breathes.  Did we mention it appears in the latest issue of The Design Files magazine? Lauren’s new home is a masterclass in...

Step into Spectra , our favourite kind of transformation story: a Melbourne hotel lobby that shifts from tasteful neutral to living artwork through colour, narrative, and fearless collaboration. We sit down with artists Rowena Martinich and Geoffrey Carran to unpack how a site-responsive palette drawn from bushland greens, clay tones, and marble textures became the foundation for abstract fields,...

Your home changes the moment the lights come on. We unpack how to design that moment with intention—layering pendants, sconces, table lamps and portables—so evenings feel warm, useful and calm without relying on a ceiling full of downlights. With our shared love of colour, we explain why lighting often matters just as much for mood, comfort and character, and we walk through specific fixtures that...

Ever wondered what goes through a designer's mind when a client asks for a bedroom that feels like "a warm vagina"?  Yes, you read that correctly...... In this delightfully candid conversation, this week we chat with Lauren Li to explore her creative journey and unique approach to creating spaces where people truly feel themselves. Lauren takes us back to her formative years, sharin...

Pull up a chair as Bree Banfield candidly shares her remarkable journey through the world of interior design in this revealing episode of Design Anatomy. From rearranging her childhood bedroom to becoming a respected designer, stylist, and trend forecaster, Bree's story is equal parts inspiration and practical wisdom. With refreshing honesty, Bree recounts her early determination to enter the...

What's the first room visitors see when they enter your home? And what's the last room you typically focus on when decorating? For most of us, the bedroom falls into that second category, becoming an afterthought rather than a priority. Yet this is where we begin and end every day—the most personal space in our homes deserves more attention. In this episode, Lauren and Bree challenge the...

Five simple steps can transform your furniture scheme from random and disjointed to purposeful and cohesive. Lauren flies solo this week, sharing her professional interior design expertise on creating spaces that truly work. The foundation of any successful interior is a well-planned floor plan. Lauren recounts a cautionary tale from early in her career when a beautiful (and expensive) sofa wouldn...

Ever wondered if hiring an interior designer is worth the investment? Design Anatomy hosts Bree Banfield and Lauren Li tackle this question head-on, sharing five compelling reasons why professional design guidance can transform your renovation or building project from potentially disastrous to genuinely delightful. Drawing from their wealth of experience, Bree and Lauren reveal the costly mistakes...

Ever noticed how certain design elements grab your attention and refuse to let go? In this delightfully candid episode, Lauren and Bree dive into their current design obsessions, sharing the colours, objects, and details that are making their creative hearts race. The conversation kicks off with exciting news about their upcoming design tour to Paris and Milan, where they'll be leading a grou...

The Danish concept of "hygge" (pronounced hoo-ga) has captivated the world for good reason—it's the secret to creating spaces that nurture wellbeing rather than just looking pretty. Lauren and Bree dive deep into what makes a home truly feel good, challenging the sterile white aesthetic that has dominated Australian interiors for too long. Drawing from their design expertise and per...

Ever wonder what breathes life into the most stunning architectural spaces? Nicole England knows the secret—it's not just about the walls and windows, but the personality that fills them. As one of Australia's leading architectural photographers, Nicole has developed a distinctive eye for capturing not just the physical beauty of spaces, but their emotional resonance. Her work has graced...

Have you ever been moved to tears by the curve of a chair or the light on a Parisian street? We have—more than once. In this episode, we’re sharing our Top 5 most unforgettable design moments in Paris and Milan —the kind that leave you breathless, inspired, and maybe a little emotional. From the tucked-away ateliers in Paris’s 6th Arrondissement to navigating Milan’s sprawling Salone del Mobile li...

Taking a breath between creative bursts is essential for fresh thinking, which is why we're pausing briefly mid-season. Don't worry—this isn't goodbye, but a moment to reset before returning with conversations featuring iconic designers and emerging voices who are reshaping how we think about spaces. While we're away, Bree has opened bookings for her game-changing 90-minute des...

Nick White shares his remarkable journey from drafting buildings to crafting punchlines. With the sharp observation skills of an architect and the timing of a seasoned comedian, Nick reveals how he transitioned from designing spaces to creating characters that have captured the hearts of over half a million followers online. Having trained as an architect and worked in prestigious firms from Brisb...

Stepping into a beautiful home isn't simply about admiring aesthetics—it's about experiencing how deeply our surroundings affect our wellbeing. Design authority Melissa Penfold joins us to reveal the philosophy behind her stunning new book "Natural Living by Design," where timeless style meets environmental consciousness. Melissa shares how her childhood beach house, with its w...

Symmetry, structure, warmth, and a sense of materiality that's instantly recognisable – these are the hallmarks of David Hicks' approach to design, a philosophy he's refined over an impressive 25-year career. We sit down with this influential Australian designer to trace his evolution from what critics once described as "minimalist purity" to what he now calls "decora...

What begins as an accidental career path often leads to the most extraordinary destinations. Luke Fry's journey exemplifies this perfectly—originally waitlisted for graphic design, he reluctantly accepted a spot in interior design at Swinburne University, never imagining it would become the foundation for his acclaimed architectural practice two decades later. Growing up with a builder father...

The humble kitchen has evolved from a purely functional space into the vibrant heart of our homes, but what's next in this evolution? In this fascinating conversation with Loren Inglis, Regional Business Development Manager at Vzug , we explore how kitchen design is entering its next phase as "the third space" – where technology, aesthetics, and authentic living intersect. Loren pul...

The beautiful chaos of Milan Design Week comes alive through the fresh eyes of first-time attendee Alvin Wu , brand manager at Niche Media. What began as a career in interior design evolved into finding his true passion within the design community—organizing events like the "30 Under 30" program that recognizes emerging design talent through mentorship and a creativity retreat in Bali. D...

Architect Georgina Wilson joins us to share her remarkable journey from traditional practice to social media phenomenon. What began as a simple experiment on TikTok — "because no one I knew was on it" — unexpectedly transformed her 25-year architectural career and business model. Today, her viral design content reaches hundreds of thousands of followers, and her firm operates "as if...

The Milan in review series: Sculpting Light with Oliver Wilcox What happens when an artist turns lighting designer? Oliver Wilcox's journey from fine arts graduate to founder of the cutting-edge Lost Profile Studio reveals the magic that occurs at the intersection of art and function. Oliver's story begins with a fortuitous volunteer position at Christopher Boots' lighting studio th...