New work from San Francisco based interior designer Antonio Martins. The Atelier is the room he has created for the 2013 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, opening Saturday. Layers of design, layers of textures and finishes, layers of meaning. A small space that spins a story through the most basic of materials, burlap, but is refined and elegant in the telling. A man’s space, an artisan’s lair, a collector’s sanctuary. A place away and yet in the present, a place beyond and always in contact with the world. A beautiful place.

Just a few more houses from Sydney interior designer Karen Akers. The first, in Roseville, is a finalist in the 2013 Dulux Colour Awards. The second, in Gladsville, made the same finals in 2012 and was shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards as well. Traditional and contemporary. Light, bright and colourful. Joyful, fun and fab.

Dark, moody, masculine and down by the harbour. Not quite what you expect for boathouse living. Love the texture, the old wood, the play of white light against murky walls and the pops of yellow. Yes, in this case, I think pop is just the right word. A wonderful man cave by Sydney interior designer Karen Akers. Imagine sitting snug inside on a wild and windy rainy day.

Please take me away to this stunning home in Fiji by Madeleine Blanchfield. All the elements of Blanchfield’s modern Australian aesthetic are there but layered with a rich referencing of island style. A perfect holiday home or, if I had my way, a perfect forever home. Kedere rawa ni lako vata?

Timeless, understated, classic yet fresh and tactile, contemporary and carefully detailed. Sydney architect Madeleine Blanchfield creates bespoke spaces that epitomise the new Australian aesthetic. Unpretentious, casually elegant, functional and fantastic.