100 beautiful rooms: The stunning spaces everyone will want to copy

This fabulous dining room in a coastal town of Connecticut in the US is sure to get guests talking. Interior designer Ariel Okin tackled a tricky brief that saw the husband’s preference for polished sensibilities blended with the wife’s love of colour and pattern. This space celebrates both order and fantasy, the latter thanks to the exotic mural by Iksel.

Soothing blue walls, drenched in ‘Surat Sisal’ wallpaper in Chambray from Jim Thompson Fabrics with Dulux Oceanic trims, deliver a calming and contemporary twist to this Victorian living room in Melbourne. Designed by Adelaide Bragg, it floats easily between formality and informality, its sisal flooring a counterpoint to the classic custom seating. A large artwork by Thomas Tjapaltjarri aids this duality.

Interior designer Shona McElroy of Smac Studio is justifiably proud of this Sydney pool with a difference. “We knew we wanted to make a splash, if you will, and the fabulous pink chequerboard tiles are probably one of the coolest things we’ve done,” she says. Those harlequin ‘Marseille’ pool tiles from Teranova match the kitchen floors, connecting the interior and exterior zones.

This 1970s apartment on the Sunshine Coast is a bolt hole for its Brisbane owners. A recent makeover by CG Design Studio has been a breath of fresh, salty air. The living area has a relaxed coastal vibe, evoked by a sandy palette with tactile rattan and timber. A freeform ‘Solomon’ coffee table by McMullin references the breakers beyond.

Interior designer Shona McElroy added a dash of drama in this powder room in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, courtesy of tactile leathered Fusion quartzite from Avenza Stone. Against a sea of soft pink microcement, the wonderfully wavy Murano glassframed mirror echoes the curvaceous splashback.

Who said work’s a chore? This space in Sydney’s Inner West, by Stanton Architects, is a study in chic, thanks to walls in moody timber veneer, a green marble desktop and a sculptural De La Espada ‘Vega’ chair from Winnings. The 1960s Romeo Rega lamp adds shine.

The lucky occupants of a children’s bedroom on Sydney’s North Shore are on cloud nine – and plenty others besides! The Anna French ‘Cielo’ wallpaper, from Boyac, gives the period room a fun, fantasy feel. It lends a light touch to the original features of the room, such as the detailed, decorative chandelier. “For the little girls, the calming wallpaper is like sleeping in clouds,” says its designer, Marylou Sobel.

For a homestead set beside the tranquil Murray River, it seems only natural that the owners’ brief called for a sense of place. And interior designer Kate Nixon has delivered in spades with this earthy bathroom. A Taj Mahal quartzite vanity, by AMU Stone, beautifully complements walls in ‘Coolum Random Ashlar’ stone cladding from Eco Outdoor. Timber beams cap off the organic appeal.

 A powder room is the perfect place to make a scene, as revealed by this beauty located in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Handelsmann + Khaw paired Iksel ‘Italian Promenade’ wallpaper, sourced from Boyac, with a marble benchtop from Granite & Marble Works. Contributing to the other-wordly beauty is a sink skirt, which elegantly falls from the vanity to the floor. The result is a big impact in a small space that guests will surely be jostling to see.

Prepped for entertaining on a grand scale, this luxury wine cellar on Sydney’s North Shore features stone, dark-stained oak and Articolo Studios ‘Fizi’ sconces, in an Australian rendition of the northern hemisphere’s classic ski lodge style. “Inspired by Canadian design, we introduced sandstone pillars to add texture, character and a strong architectural feel,” says interior designer Lauren Mahoney of Studio Trio. Regardless of the weather, this is one stunning room to hunker down in.

Titanium granite from CDK Stone is generously served up on the kitchen island, benchtops and splashback in this Sydney kitchen. With fabulous swirls of black, white and gold, the stone makes a bold and dramatic statement. Yet balance is key, and interior designer Kate Nixon knew just how to strike the right note. Plain and unadorned, the dark cabinets both complement and contrast with the signature stone.

Interior designer Janette Stritt of Stritt Design & Construction knows how to make an entrance, but in a welcoming, not showy, way. For this Sydney home, the owners wanted ‘Scamptons’ design or, as Janette describes it, “a modern beach house bringing together a Hamptons exterior with Scandinavian decor”. In the entry, the door in Dulux Black provides a crisp contrast to walls in Dulux Lexicon Quarter. The gate-leg table, from Manon + Moss, lends warmth.

The owners of this abode in bayside Melbourne asked Melissa Balzan to create a Cape Cod-style home with a room that includes their red Chinese dresser and lamps. Rising to the challenge, Melissa teamed them with a ‘Melville’ mirror and stools from Highgate House, together with faux-weave Thibaut ‘Bankun Raffia’ wallpaper.

With walls, ceiling and joinery slathered in Dulux Powdered Gum, this gorgeous Gold Coast bunk room resembles a tree-house retreat for its lucky young occupants. Designed by Kate Walker of KWD, it also features an Afghan ‘Maymana’ kilim from Cadrys, adding a kaleidoscope of playful colour on engineered European oak flooring.

This Mornington Peninsula mudroom received the timeless touch of interior designer Amy Spargo in line with the owner’s brief for a home that mixes old with new. Taubmans Wharf Blue graces the wall above Perini ‘Bata’ floor tiles. The character continues with vintage art and a French settee from Miguel Meirelles Antiques.

“Let’s go for it” was the owner’s reaction to interior designer Greg Natale’s daring renovation plan for her Neo-Gothic home in the NSW Southern Highlands. And, true to form, he made waves with a 25-metre indoor pool, featuring tessellated Moroccan-inspired flooring from Renditions Tiles and walls in Dulux Blue Garter. The elegant Visual Comfort lanterns were the final masterstroke in the stunning space.

This pristine laundry in a Hamptons-style waterfront home on Vancouver Island, Canada, has its owner in a spin. Andrea Rodman of Andrea Rodman Interiors added brass hardware and woven baskets to the white-on-white space for tactile warmth. A Visual Comfort ceiling light and DeVOL sconces provide layered lighting options.

 ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ aptly describes this smart walk-in robe by Lauren Mahoney of Studio Trio. Chic perforated-metal shelving, in urbane black and with adjustable heights, is perfect for shoe storage (and the odd Chanel bag !). The ‘Foster 620’ side table from Walter Knoll provides a sculptural final flourish.

For her new home in Noosa, Kristy Giumelli of Gmelli Design wanted to channel a resort ambience redolent of Mediterranean clifftop villas. The design inspiration is evident in the romantic guest bedroom with its Early Settler four-poster bed, adorned with dreamy muslin curtains and a Weave Home throw.

In a grand Italianate home in inner Melbourne, th e main ensuite is a study in restraint according to interior designer, Sarah-Jane Pyke of Arent & Pyke. Walls in travertine and ivory tiles are dramatically offset by bands of Verde Guatemala marble from Euro Marble, framing an Agape ‘Lariana’ bath from Artedomus.

Wallpaper adds instant personality and colour to a room. This is especially true when it’s teamed with a dynamic artwork, as in this Melbourne living room by Sarah McPhee of Sarah McPhee Interiors. Far from a mere feature wall, GP & J Baker ‘Ferns’ wallpaper appears across the entire space, including arched alcoves that house open shelves for books and treasures. A framed Brief Encounter movie poster by Romuald Socha extends the vibrant approach.

 A shell-like beachy vibe pervades this vibrant villa overlooking Bondi Beach, designed by Handelsmann + Khaw. But, with its cloisters, rendered walls and oak furniture, it’s an approach to coastal with a distinctly Mediterranean twist. In the dining room, an oak table from Chatsworth Fine Furniture is teamed with woven Howard Carver chairs from Lincoln Brooks, vintage French ceramic shell sconces and pendants by Anna Charlesworth.

The renovation of this 1930s home in New Jersey in the US was inspired by the film Father of The Bride. According to interior designer Ariel Okin, her client wanted to balance a classic and timeless style with a welcoming feel , just like the movie set, designed by Sandy Veneziano for the Nancy Meyers film. Even the modest mudroom fulfils that brief handsomely, with papered walls, panelled joinery and a flush-mount Visual Comfort ‘Woodruff’ light.

This wine room in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs was part of a refresh of a grand Neo-Georgian family home by interior designer Phoebe Nicol. The original coffered ceiling and French doors, complemented by new chevron flooring, reflect the home’s heritage. But the interior palette wouldn’t be truly timeless without traces of other decades thrown into the mix. These include the 1970s slate and chrome coffee table from The Vault Sydney, which delivers a mid-century twist.

With branches that stretch gracefully around the room, the Iksel ‘Xanadu Landscape’ wallpaper, sourced through Boyac, evokes a sense of dreaminess. The powder room is the work of interior designer Phoebe Nicol, who deftly proves that grandeur can be right at home even in small spaces. Calacatta Bettogli marble sweeps across the floating vanity, basin and splashback, while an antique mirror sourced from The Vault Sydney grounds the whimsical touches.

A four-poster bed lends romance to a main bedroom, especially when it sits under a lofty, delicately decorated ceiling such as this. For the grand Federation home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, interior designer Tamsin Johnson enveloped the bed’s wrought-iron frame in crisp Pierre Frey linen, while the tactile rug, curvaceous Spanish console and Fontana Arte table lamp all hail from her own curated showroom.

This room has style that seems to have stood the test of time, but the butler’s pantry adorns a brandnew Tudor Revival home in Vancouver, Canada. Created by Kelly Deck of Kelly Deck Design, the pristine space has been colour drenched in Farrow & Ball Pigeon to offset the Morris & Co ‘Montreal’ wallpaper – on the ceiling and walls for optimum cosiness! Woven baskets and potted herbs lend an earthy warmth.

The Roman blind and bed curtains in Schumacher ‘Le Citron’ lemon-print fabric add fun and – er – zest to this bunk room, designed by Carlene Duffy. The room serves as a retreat for the owner’s grandchildren and playfully proves that lashings of style are best served sunny side up.

A four-storey apartment block on Sydney’s Northern Beaches has been reimagined as a single family home. Studio Pulp created vast voids, such as in the kitchen, where Apparatus ‘Arrow’ pendants make the space their own. A built-in ladder maximises every centimetre of the custom shelving.

An elevated approach to beachy style informs the renovation of a weatherboard cottage in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs by Anouska Milstein of Studio A.mi. The kitchen features marble benchtops and splashbacks, accented with golden striations. ‘Grace’ woven dining chairs by Rachel Donath are breezy and relaxed, while a Zachary Frankel ‘Fold’ table provides the final twist – literally!