Shows
Design AnatomyWhen Good Design Still Fails: Kelly McCloskey on Real Feng ShuiWhat if your home looks beautiful but still leaves you flat, restless, or strangely unlucky? We sit down with feng shui master Kelly McCloskey to unpack the practical side of energy at home—how doors, corridors, water, light, and small daily habits shape wellbeing, relationships, and money. Kelly cuts through the gimmicks and myths to explain what classical feng shui actually measures: precise facing degrees, twenty-four sectors, annual flying stars, and how personal astrology and timing interact with your floor plan.We dive into entryways and why the front door is the mouth of the house, explore wh...
2026-02-0454 min
Design AnatomyInside Studio Gemma: Humour, Hinges, And High-Impact JoineryEver wonder why some rooms feel irresistible the moment you touch a handle or close a door? We sit down with Gemma from Studio Gemma, the mind behind the Joinery Edit, to explore the tactile side of interiors—where hinges, board sizes and finish choices quietly decide how your home lives every day. It’s a joyful, candid tour through craft and practicality, with a healthy dose of humour and hot takes on the tiny design decisions that make a massive difference.Gemma shares the origin of her cheeky, high-signal emails and how they morphed into a trus...
2026-01-2858 min
Design AnatomyBest of Design Anatomy Series: 25 Years of David Hicks: A Legacy of Timeless DesignThe final in our best of Design Anatomy series wraps up today, revisiting some of our most admired, inspirational & popular episodes for you to enjoy over Summer! Bree & Lauren will be back with more amazing guests in late January 2026 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 "decorative minimalism."
2026-01-2150 min
Design AnatomyBest of Design Anatomy Series: Sarah Ellison on Timeless Trends and Creative InnovationThe best of Design Anatomy series continues today, revisiting some of our most admired, inspirational & popular episodes for you to enjoy over the holiday season! Bree & Lauren will be back with more amazing guests in late January 2026 Renowned designer Sarah Ellison joins us to uncover the vibrant tapestry of her career, from her early experiences at Real Living to the exciting launch of her new venture, Sarah Ellison Creative. With a unique blend of humour and insight, Sarah discusses the transformative influence of social media on the magazine industry and shares her intuitive approach to anticipating design t...
2026-01-1457 min
Design AnatomyBest of Design Anatomy Series: Bringing Nostalgia into Interiors with Brahman PereraDesign Anatomy will be releasing a 'Best of' series starting today, revisiting some of our most admired, inspirational & popular episodes for you to enjoy over the holiday season! Bree & Lauren will be back with more amazing guests early 2026Join us on an insightful journey with the talented designer Brahman Perera as we uncover the past year's highlights in interior design. Ever wondered how rest can spark creativity, or how the cultural tapestry influences your work?Brahman shares his unique perspective on the power of taking a step back for innovation and how embracing one's cultural...
2026-01-071h 07
Design AnatomyBest of Design Anatomy Series: A conversation with Simone HaagDesign Anatomy will be releasing a 'Best of' series starting today, revisiting some of our most admired, inspirational & popular episodes for you to enjoy over the holiday season! Bree & Lauren will be back with more amazing guests early 2026Recorded in front of a live audience from the gorgeous Living Edge showroom here in Melbourne, this special episode celebrates our official launch of The Design Anatomy podcast last year. Hosts Bree Banfield and Lauren Li engage in a wonderful discussion with renowned stylist & interior decorator Simone Haag. We explore the intersection of classic design and modern c...
2025-12-3151 min
Design AnatomyBest of Design Anatomy Series: Nickolas Gurtler on Personal Style and Timeless DesignDesign Anatomy will be releasing a 'Best of' series starting today, revisiting some of our most admired, inspirational & popular episodes for you to enjoy over the holiday season! Bree & Lauren will be back with more amazing guests early 2026Renowned interior designer Nickolas Gurtler invites us to rethink the concept of luxury in our homes. He shares his unique experiences working on projects like a menopause clinic and a lively New York apartment, emphasizing that luxury is a personal journey, not just a display of wealth. Discover how Nickolas's perspective on luxury intertwines comfort, functionality, and personal flair, a...
2025-12-241h 02
Design AnatomyFrom Colombia To Creative Catalyst: How Manuela Millan Elevates Australian DesignA city’s design culture doesn’t thrive by accident—it grows because people make generous choices. We sit down with Manuela “Manny” Millan, founder of 'Meanwhile in Melbourne' , interior designer and design manager at Fortis, to map how one person’s curiosity can lift an entire creative community while shaping more livable homes. Manny takes us from her Colombian roots to early retail and visual merchandising, through the “baptism” of first built projects, and into a developer role where apartments are designed around real rituals rather than tired clichés.We dive into the multi-residential conversation with clear, actio...
2025-12-1749 min
Design AnatomyPantone Picks White, And Designers See Red!The colour world just lit a match and called it neutral. Pantone crowned white as Colour of the Year, and we couldn’t let that pass without a serious debrief. With our friend and designer Jono Fleming, we dig into why a “blank canvas” lands as apathy for many, how politics always sneaks into palettes, and what this choice says about the stories brands tell when the world feels anything but calm.We pull apart the forecasting machine—zeitgeist reading, panel dynamics, and the messy lag between runway hype and real homes. From Benjamin Moore & Co's safe browns t...
2025-12-1044 min
Design AnatomyDesign Myths You Must Break for a Home You Actually LoveYour home shouldn’t feel like a decision you regret every time you sit down. Lauren goes solo to unpack the biggest myths that keep spaces cold, hesitant, and half-finished—and shares practical moves that make a room feel welcoming without a renovation. From tackling open plan confusion to choosing colours that turn shadow into mood, this conversation is a clear-eyed guide to building a home that behaves.We start with the pain points we all face: decision fatigue after a big build, guests hovering because zones aren’t clear, and the fear of spending on the wrong...
2025-12-0314 min
Design AnatomyStudio A.mi: Crafting Interiors With Empathy And IntentWhat if the secret to better interiors is the same method therapists use to guide change? We sit down with Anouska Milstein of Studio A.mi to unpack a simple framework that reshapes design from the inside out: observe, explain, predict, and then change or improve. It’s a candid, uplifting look at how empathy, psychology, and good systems turn “make it pretty” into “make it personal.”We trace Anouska’s path from psychology lectures to a concept-driven degree and the small practice apprenticeship that taught discipline, file hygiene, and craft. She shares how a COVID redundancy pushed her t...
2025-11-261h 00
Design AnatomyTimeless Craft: The Beauty of What EnduresWhat 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 that keep rooms relevant without sanding off their character.Jeremy shares how Alexander House was conceived to look old before it looked new, using recycled materials and exposed structure to avoid di...
2025-11-191h 03
Design AnatomyMetricon's New Lookbook: Designs & Styles For Real FamiliesStep 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 Lookbook offers clear style families—think Palm Springs, Japandi, Nordic, Coastal Luxe and an evolving Australian Hamptons—each with flexible expressions so you can mix, match and still keep a cohesive story throughout your home.We unpack the everyday...
2025-11-1243 minDesign AnatomyOur October Top Five: From Tiled Furniture To Ola MexicolaBree & 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 Jono Fleming • Mokum sheers and smarter colour ranges from Warwick • Ikea walkthrough strategy and notable collabs • Studiopepe’s Shibari chair and why sculptural seating matters • Weave Home’s Fabien rug as an ever...
2025-11-0529 minDesign AnatomyTop 5 Places Where Designers Find Great ArtArt 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, known names beside hidden gems, and a smart path to works on paper that deliver character without the premium.From there we zoom in...
2025-10-3026 min
Design AnatomyThe Home of Lauren Egan: A Masterclass in Colour & Material HarmonyWhat 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 material harmony: spotted gum floors and panelling from one supplier for continuity, pink travertine with beautiful movement, and a glossy burgundy tiled island that’s equal...
2025-10-2256 min
Design AnatomyInside Spectra: The Art of Transforming Space Through Colour with Rowena & GeoffreyStep 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, hyper‑real native birds, and crystalline forms that feel born of the place—not pasted on.We dive into the craft behind the magic. Rowena breaks down her layered process—poured paint, broom-wide gestures, wipe-backs, and selective cropping—while Geoffrey...
2025-10-1548 minDesign AnatomyPendants to Portables: How Thoughtful Lighting Shapes Mood, Function, and StyleYour 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 deliver both beauty and function.We start with a clear framework: ambient light for glow, task light for clarity, and accent light to draw the eye. Then we get practical.
2025-10-0833 minDesign AnatomyDesigner Revealed: Journey to a Creative Life with Lauren LiEver 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, sharing how a bold phone call to RMIT after an initial rejection changed the trajectory of her career. With disarming honesty, she recounts her early influences – from the high school art teacher who fir...
2025-10-0157 minDesign AnatomyDesigner Revealed: Bree Banfield's Career Path & Creative ProcessPull 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 design world, her nail-biting wait for acceptance into design school, and the valuable lessons learned working under both supportive mentors and challenging personalities. Her career took an unexpected turn when she left interior design to work for a...
2025-09-2458 minDesign AnatomyBeautiful Bedrooms: Designing Your Personal SanctuaryWhat'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 notion that bedrooms should be plain, white boxes with little personality. They explore how thoughtful colour choices can dramatically transform the mood of your bedroom, whether you're seeking a ca...
2025-09-1745 minDesign AnatomyCrafting Your Perfect Living Space: A Designer's Guide to Furniture PlanningFive 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't fit in a client's space due to unexpected architectural changes. Whether you're an amateur using painter's tape to mark out furniture dimensions or a professional with design software, knowing exactly what fits where prevents costly mistakes...
2025-09-1015 minDesign AnatomySave Time, Money, and Heartache: The Value of Interior DesignersEver 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 they've witnessed when homeowners go it alone. From a client who replaced windows before consulting a designer (limiting bathroom layout options forever) to another who wasted money refinishing mismatched timber floors that could never look cohesive, these real-world examples highlight...
2025-09-0319 minDesign AnatomyTop 5 Things We're Loving Right NowEver 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 group of design-minded individuals through exclusive apartment tours and unforgettable experiences. With only a few spots remaining, this intimate journey promises to forge lasting connections among participants who share a passion for exceptional design.
2025-08-2747 minDesign AnatomyHygge at Home: Colour, Light, and Comfort MattersThe 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 personal experiences, they explore how our spaces profoundly shape our behaviour, mental state, and capacity for connection. While Australia boasts the largest homes in the world, a surprising 15% of Australians report feeling lonely—suggesting our cavernous houses migh...
2025-08-2033 min
Design AnatomyArt in Residence: Finding Life in the Objects We Live WithEver 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 the pages of Architectural Digest, Vogue, and Wallpaper, but it's her book series that truly showcases her unique approach. Starting with her bestselling Resident Dog books, Nicole discovered that dogs were the perfect narrative device to access ex...
2025-08-1356 minDesign AnatomyTop 5 Design Moments: Insider's Guide to Paris & MilanHave 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 like a pro, we reveal the secret spots, time-saving strategies, and soulful experiences that turn a simple trip into a true design pilgrimage...
2025-08-0638 minDesign AnatomyDesign InterludeTaking 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 design consultations. These focused sessions tackle your specific home challenges—from colour selection paralysis to furniture arrangement dilemmas—delivering personalised guidance without requiring a full-service commitment. You'll walk away with a comprehensive written report containing all her recommendations, giving you the co...
2025-07-2403 min