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Every year, the House & Garden Top 50 Rooms entries demonstrate that the Australian design aesthetic is refined, beautifully executed and inspiring the rest of the world.
For the second year in a row, we were honoured to sponsor the awards and celebrate the magic of thoughtful, innovative and all-around great design.
Room of the Year & Best Indoor-Outdoor Connection - Handelsmann + Khaw
When the family who live in this four-storey terrace in Sydney's east sought light-filled, contemporary living spaces that connected with harbour views, the solution was to create a two-storey, glass-roofed atrium in the void between a party wall and a lean-to wing.
"The Victorian style was overlaid with contemporary architectural forms that dilute its richness and we wanted to do the same with the furnishings," says interior designer Tania Handelsmann of Handelsmann+Khaw. "The atrium is gallery-like. The shapes and heights of the furnishings create a dynamic dialogue plus necessary contrast, and timber pieces echo the tones of the original sandstone walls and allude to the home's origins."
Photographer: Prue Ruscoe
Best Kitchen - Alexander & Co
"This kitchen's design was inspired by the owners' European heritage and the architectural framework of the house," says Shelby Griffiths, the interior designer who worked on this project in conjunction with her colleague, practice director Jeremy Bull. The Carrara marble island and timber tools bring a quiet elegance while a crazy-paving floor lends the newly renovated home an 'it's been here forever' feel.
Timber lines the ceiling and demarcates the space, which has been designed to be open to the elements. "The Mediterranean-inspired interior references classical Italian style, due to its stone, terrazzo and timber," adds Shelby. "It's light, bright, fresh and sophisticated."
Photographer: Anson Smart
Best Bathroom - Greg Natale
Pink-tinged Volakas marble spectacularly finishes the main ensuite of a Victorian mansion in Sydney's Inner West that's been updated by Greg Natale. A dynamism pulses through it, thanks to its exquisite Gucci chinoiserie wallpaper and Greg's signature Ponti geometric marble floor tiles. The handles, tapware and mirrors nod to the brass accents that appear elsewhere in the house, while the Kate Spade 'Dickinson' light ensures everything feels perfectly cohesive.
"The owners' new ensuite feels generous and elegant," says Greg. "It features a large, luxurious bath, a separate shower enclosure and the whole space flows seamlessly into the adjoining main bedroom and walk-in robe."
Photographer: Anson Smart
Best Bedroom - Thomas Hamel & Associates
For interior designer Thomas Hamel, the apartment he shares with partner George Massar in Melbourne's South Yarra "is a constantly changing canvas, evolving with additions after our trips and adventures". The apartment was "quite white and simple", so grasscloth wallpaper was chosen to give the room instant, subtle texture.
A highly tactile feature wall comprising 660 timber tiles makes its own statement, forming part of his "always expanding collection" together with two antique Chinese cabinets to lend height and exotic detail. Yet, comfort remains paramount. "Even with the drama of neutrals mixed with blacks and the four-poster bed, there is no preciousness," says Thomas. "The room remains comfortable and inviting."
Photographer: Mark Roper
Best Use of Colour - Hugh-Jones Mackintosh
Exchanging a dark, heavy interior for one infused with light, vitality and contemporary ambience was the aim of this Sydney home's reinvention. "The owners wanted us to work our interior-design magic," says Justine Hugh-Jones from Hugh-Jones Mackintosh, who transformed the home with business partner Katrina Mackintosh. "We could immediately see how to elevate the mood by lightening everything and introducing coastal colours and layers of texture." Befitting its sunny position and tranquil outlook over Sydney Harbour, a white backdrop became the blank canvas onto which an array of rugs, art and shapely, tactile furniture was layered.
Photographer: Prue Ruscoe
Stylist: Olga Lewis
Best Laundry - Architectsmith & Editor Interiors
When designing the laundry of their newly built home on Sydney's Northern Beaches, architect Richard Smith and interior decorator Bianca Martin were "given the unique opportunity to build from scratch and ensure every element was tailor-made for our needs". Neutral tones and beautiful textures feature.
A wall of floor-to-ceiling storage sits behind Australian hardwood doors and timber again stars in the shelf above a three-metre cantilevered concrete bench. The wall is adorned with Inax 'Biyusai' tiles from Artedomus. When it's filled with afternoon sun, the laundry is the house's best room, says Bianca. "It functions perfectly and makes doing the laundry a pleasure."
Photographer: Pablo Veiga
Best Use of Materials - Studio Prineas
This Sydney home by Studio Prineas honours the past and the present, descending from a moody stairwell finished with walnut veneer past glimpses of harbour views. At its base, the open-plan room balloons open with pared-back neutrals, full light and blackened steel beams.
The application of materials is used to create the sensation of greater space. Leather-clad sliding walls expand and contract, mirrored surfaces create an illusion of depth – and in this main bedroom, a solid-stone bath doubles as a bedhead to free up space. Joinery cuts clutter in it and the home's other bedrooms.
Photographer: Gavin Green
Best Use of Furnishings - Adelaide Bragg & Associates
When Adelaide Bragg was tasked with selecting all the soft furnishings for the sitting room of this inner-Melbourne home, she was up for the challenge. "The brief was for the colour palette to be designed around the owners' wall tapestries," says Adelaide, and that it feel "comfortable and elegant".
Those richly coloured and detailed floor-to-ceiling tapestries (which have been in the family for some time) take pride of place on the wall behind framed glass panels. Around them, Adelaide combined artisanal fabrics with the traditional English florals of Colefax and Fowler to produce a room that feels truly timeless. "The colours and textures add layering and richness," she says.
Photographer: Lisa Cohen
Want more inspiration?
Winnings Design & Culinary Guide, Senses of Quality, celebrates the multi-sensory joy to be had in preparing and sharing the food we eat. Seasonal highlights include a Sustainability Guide, a Guest feature with Collette Dinnigan, and Winter Warmer Recipes you'll return to again and again. And as always, the Guide provides inspiration to make everyday and entertaining experiences more enjoyable; and showcases the latest in leading kitchen and laundry designs, from around the country.
