Glamorous, formal and comfortable – stunning room by Melbourne designer David Hicks. Photography by Shannon McGrath.


Masculine, moody and vibrant. The home renovation of Brisbane architect Brian Steendyk is an absolute winner. You may recognise this room from my blog post right here. Photography by Maree Homer.


Offbeat, light-hearted with lots of personality, but at the same time very clean and elegant. Love, love. By Mac-Interactive Architects. Photography by Murray Fredericks.


Dramatic, rich and sassy with bold use of colour and vintage furniture. Room by Michael Bechara Design. Again, you may recognise this room from my earlier blog post right here (hey, at least I’m consistent!) Photography by Justin Alexander.

“Hello there Interior – please meet Exterior. From now on, you two shall become inseparable…” Or something like that. Love this space by Melbourne firm Architects EAT. Photography by James Coombe.

Last week I was very fortunate to get invited to the launch of the Top 50 Rooms event hosted by Australian House & Garden magazine. The event was held at a spectacular award winning home in Vaucluse where H&G’s Editor-in-Chief, Lisa Green, presented an exclusive preview of 2010’s design highlights. And let me tell you, there were a number of to-die-for rooms shown during the presentation, so I decided to share with you my Top 5. Yay!

This year H&G readers are given the chance to vote online for their favourite room and go in the running for some paint and kitchen packages from Wattyl and St George. The Top 50 Rooms Collectors Edition issue of House & Garden is on sale now. To vote online, go to the H&G website and follow the prompts to cast your vote for your favourite room.

It was great to mingle with the clever and fabulous design crowd and also meet the team behind House & Garden – such a lovely and super friendly bunch of people they are. It was also fantastic to meet David Whittaker who’s work I’ve admired for many years. Turns out David is a big fan of the blog, which is such a huge compliment.

Oh and by the way, if you were at the event and know who the caterers were, can you please let me know (cause I can’t remember now)? How good was the food? Betel leaf with pork belly – OMG! I died and went to pork heaven.

x dana



About The Author

Founder & Editor

With a disarming blend of authority and approachability, Dana is a former refugee-turned-global design visionary. Through her multi-faceted work as a creative director, keynote speaker, editor, curator, interior designer and digital publisher, Dana empowers others to appreciate and engage with design in transformative ways, making the sometimes intimidating world of design accessible to everyone, regardless of their familiarity with the subject. Dana's been catapulted to the status of a stalwart global influencer, with recognition from industry heavyweights such as AD Germany, Vogue Living, Elle Décor Italia and Danish RUM Interiør Design, who have named as one of the Top True Global Influencers of the Design World and counted her among the most visionary female creatives on the planet. Her TEDx talk—"Design Can Change the Way You See the World"— will challenge and transform your understanding of design's omnipresent and profound influence. Through her vast experience in interiors, architecture and design, Dana challenges the prevailing rapid image culture, highlighting the importance of originality, sustainability, connecting with your values and learning to "see" design beyond the aesthetic.

8 Responses

  1. Linda

    vroom .. that’s me heading down the drive going to get the new issue.
    and yipee re: DW reading your blog. of course he would. you cover it all my dear.

    have a wonderful weekend.
    hope the sun shines where you are.

    (-:

    Reply
  2. Galit

    Some really inspiring spaces. The 3rd and 4th are my favorites (although they are very different from each other). I adore the 3rd room asymmetric esthetic’s. The owner’s choice of not having matching chairs for their dinning table, for example, is refreshing and gorgeous. Love it.

    Reply
    • yellowtrace

      Thank you for your comments guys, and glad you like my selection. It was really tough to narrow if down to just five! Plenty more gems left for everyone to discover.
      Linda, you’re a machine – ha ha ha!
      x dana

      Reply

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