City, coast and country: A top interior designer reveals her tips for nailing each look
As one of Australia’s most decorated interior designers, Adelaide Bragg brings a timeless approach to the homes she designs for her high-end clients living in the city, beach and country.
Having grown up in country NSW, he leans on the countryside for inspiration – from the way the sky, sea and sheds inform his colors within the home, to the dirt roads and the way light reflects from the world to inspire the spaces he fills.
Leading interior designer Adelaide Bragg shares how to create a country look in your home. Image: Provided
Ms. Bragg says her interior is part memorial, part design exhibition: elegant yet profound, built with an encyclopaedic knowledge of fabric, bold use of color, and a passion for craftsmanship honed over three decades.
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Interior designer Adelaide Bragg. Photo: Facebook
He spoke to realestate.com.au about the unique skills involved in designing coastal, country and urban homes.
The city
“To me, a town home like this needs to feel strong and kind,” Ms Bragg said. “It’s about creating a place that feels alive with art, memory, and luxury.
“You have to feel alive, polished but not precious.”
“Art, memories and luxury” are the keys to decorating a city-style home according to Ms Bragg. Image: Provided
Ms Bragg’s latest project, a South Yarra residence close to Domain Road shops and the Botanic Gardens, started as a new kitchen, but grew into a full house renovation with architect Russell Casper.
The living room overlooks the green courtyard; greenery from the garden was the inspiration for the color scheme including the upholstery and soft furnishings, while the new steel-framed windows and doors fill the space with light and dissolve the line between indoors and outdoors. The existing staircase was preserved and repaired with Venetian plaster.
A three-story light installation by Cox London was commissioned to anchor the interior of the house, making the floors more impactful.
“It gave the house a backbone, a core. We designed around it, allowing it to occupy the space,” Ms Bragg said.
A three-story light installation by Cox London. Image: Provided
Soft textures and layered finishes were key to creating a home that felt welcoming without being too feminine.
“We used modern architecture as a base, then brought softness and warmth through fabrics, rugs, and layers,” Ms. Bragg said.
In the powder room, a decorative mirror sets the color scheme, while commissioned wallpaper by Gabrieth & Paul adds personal depth. A vanity painted bright blue turned the windowless space into a gem-like wonder.
“When you don’t have natural light, you have to be brave.” That small room became one of the most attractive in the house,” she said.
This powder room has no windows, but feels open and bright. Image: Provided
Upstairs, the double bedroom combines traditional touches with a modern sensibility – wallpaper and Bennison fabrics add pattern and softness.
“We wanted their art collection to feel celebrated, so the Venetian plastered walls were taken as a gallery-like backdrop,” she said.
The coast
Ms Bragg said coastal homes need to be windy and catch the sun but also withstand the wear and tear of salt, sand and family life.
“With water, the palette is always soft,” said Ms. Bragg. “There is something about the rhythm of the sea that calls for freshness and calm, but also strength, because these houses have to withstand the life of a family, salt and sun.”
Beach houses suit a soft palette. Image: Provided
He pointed to a Melbourne Bayside residence that started with a blank canvas.
Working closely with the clients, Ms Bragg was able to ensure that the living and dining rooms became the focal point of the home, specially designed on the first floor to ensure they framed the stunning harbor and views beyond.
Classic coastal style kitchen. Image: Provided
A wall of decorative composites anchors the living room, while tongue-and-groove installation wraps the walls in texture and warmth.
Coming from a Victorian home with a very different palette, the clients wanted a complete change of tone to something fresh, layered, and full of light.
“The vision became our palette,” he said. “Every choice is made to let the atmosphere flow into the room.”
The white and blue palette complements the rich textures. Image: Provided
Custom pieces designed by Bragg & Co – including raffia side tables and coffee table lamps present bespoke craftsmanship. Cane baskets, rattan side tables, and fabric lamps soften the space, while pottery and shells give a nod to the seaside setting.
“My favorite thing is how those windows frame the harbor,” said Ms. Bragg.
“The house almost breathes – it breathes its surroundings.”
The country
“The country is where I feel most at home,” Ms Bragg said.
He said a country house needs durable materials that can withstand time – wood, stone, among other natural elements were used to create a family home that lives more.
Ms Bragg says country homes are all about warmth. Image: Provided
Big, deep sofas to sink into, antique dressers full of china, and windows with heavy curtains to let in light or keep it cool.
Here, color, warmth, and time-honored materials combine to create a modern home feel. Upholstery in textured linens and wool blends add warmth, while pinks, warm reds and caramels are accented by oak floors and kilim rugs.
The walls are hung with works of art collected over the years, while canvases with horses, roosters, and cowboys add a hint of nostalgia.
Country houses are not about minimalism. Image: Provided
Ms Bragg’s first practice in Victoria was on the Mornington Peninsula, and it has continued and developed as her clients’ lives have changed from raising young children to welcoming grandchildren.
Originally conceived as a weekend getaway, it is now a permanent family home.
The late architect David Wilkinson, a close friend of both clients and Ms Bragg, collaborated on the project. They wanted simple and functional accommodations for regional life and recreation.
“It was one of those rare situations where the friendship and trust between the client, the architect, and the designer meant that every decision was a happy one. That kind of collaboration is what creates real success,” he said.
The house also has a garden designed by Paul Bangay.
One of Ms Bragg’s design projects on the Mornington Peninsula. Image: Provided
For Bragg, country houses carry a certain kind of depth. Homes embrace comfort and well-being, where spaces are laid bare – mud on the back door, fires at night in the winter, children and dogs running in and out.
“They’re not about perfection,” she said. They are about warmth, and how a home holds a family for generations. That’s what makes them so adorable.
