Australia’s 25 best interior designers in 2021
The country’s best interior designers are honoured in a list which celebrates talent and character in spades. Here are the names to know and the people to watch.
Dylan Farrell can pinpoint the exact moment of his career breakthrough. “I was ‘cold-called’ in for an interview by a man I had never met before to design radiant-heater covers for an apartment,” recalls Farrell, who is founding designer of his eponymous studio.
“I almost skipped the interview but I walked out with a commission to design and decorate a new six-storey townhouse on New York’s Upper West Side.”
The US-born, Sydney-based Farrell is among 25 top interior designers selected for the Vogue Living VL50 awards, which is a roll-call of the nation’s top design talent — ranging from architects to product designers and interiors gurus, all of whom call Australia home.
The interior design category is diverse in age and style, with a common thread running throughout — an inherently innovative approach.
Big names like Fiona Lynch and Blainey North — who has designed for high-profile clients including Russell Crowe, the Packer family and Nicole Kidman — feature alongside young guns including Melbourne’s Flack Studio and Sydney’s Tamsin Johnson in the list, which is a comprehensive snapshot of the creative forces shaping 2021’s design scene, says Vogue Living editor Rebecca Caratti.
“Now, more than ever, Australians have a greater appreciation for this incredible country we live in, and so this special list shines a spotlight on the diverse talent and spectacular homes that we have right here on our own shores,” says Caratti, adding that the list is the first of its kind for the magazine.
“Just because we’re a small country doesn’t mean our design industry isn’t extraordinary.
There’s a lot of incredible talent in Australia which doesn’t always get recognised beneath the glossy projects. The VL50 is our chance to put faces to these names and celebrate Australian design in all its forms.”
Travis Walton, who has worked on projects with Elle Macpherson and Samantha Wills, also made the cut.
“During and following lockdown there was an increased focus on our homes, and in turn a spotlight on Australia-based designers and architects,” Walton says.
“We create inspiring one-of a-kind spaces that stand as both a physical expression of the clients’ brand or identity and an enduring statement of great design.”
Pascale Gomes-McNabb, designer of Melbourne’s popular Cumulus Inc. restaurant, shares a similarly client-first approach: “For me, the design process is about inventively and thoughtfully using materials, space and light to create spatial experiences that enhance our everyday lives.”
Firms including Merivale favourites Acme, founded by Vince Alafaci and Caroline Choker, and industry legends Thomas Hamel and North are recognised for their place in the Australian design puzzle, each bringing a distinct and unique talent to the industry.
Luxury is another strong theme. “There is a moment in my career that replays in my head,” says North.
“I was looking out over a very large project I had completed and realised that my life was going to be designing luxury spaces, just like that one. It was an all-encompassing epiphany of everything in my person being complete. That feeling is the one that keeps me going creatively.
“We treat every project like a couture garment with a rigour and repetition in detail that elevates and challenges our clients’ ideas of what is possible.”
THE LIST: Our Top 25 interior designers
Between them, these interior designers have overseen some of the nation’s most innovative and exciting projects, spanning residential, retail, hospitality and more. “The line-up is a mix of emerging creatives and industry heavyweights — and the one common tie binding them together is that they are all capturing our attention in 2021,” says Caratti.
For Alwill Interiors’ founders Romaine and Nadine Alwill, inspiration comes from everywhere.
“My favourite era of design is 1930s (think Carlo Scarpa and Villa Necchi), and I also love Japanese design having lived there for some time,” says Romaine.
“I love its innate connection to nature. We love to work with emerging designers internationally and bring that international feel into our interiors.”
From private homes in major cities to international high rises and commercial projects, each of the 25 designers in the VL list is known for their unique eye and distinct style.
Their individual client lists are eye watering, with brands such as Crown, Mecca and InterContinental among their corporate customers and exclusive and ultra-luxurious private homes mainstays for each of the designers, many of whom were travelling constantly to work on projects overseas before the pandemic and have garnered international awards and critical acclaim for their pioneering spirit and creativity in design and sustainability.
The VL50 list is out in the May/June issue of Vogue Living, on stands this Thursday.