Inside the many homes of Collette Dinnigan

Fashion designer-turned-interior designer

In 2013, iconic Australian fashion designer Collette Dinnigan made headlines as she closed 24 boutiques across Sydney, Melbourne, Paris and London. With a handful of prestigious business awards in her pocket and officially included in the Australia Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame – she decided to make the leap from dreaming up bridal dresses to decking out interiors.

You may well know her for her ethereal, romantic and elegant bridal, evening and lingerie collections and we certainly can see this translate in the interior spaces she designs.

“Fashion was all about fit, colour, texture and attention to detail. I’ve always had a passion for interiors and to me they have similar parallels. Proportion and layout are paramount, with quality finishes, colour and the mix of textiles and furnishings.”

Dinnigan's beach home in Palm Beach | Image: InStyle

Dinnigan's Sydney home in Paddington | Image: Collette Dinnigan

Dinnigan's country home in Milton | Image: Collette Dinnigan

From her years of extensive globetrotting, Dinnigan has gathered inspiration and materials from around the world to furnish and decorate her many homes. “That’s what I think luxury is now; it’s having personal time to collect.”

Every piece tells a story – from the elegant European marble she has chosen in her bathrooms, to the glittering 19th Century French chandeliers hanging above her dining tables and rustic wooden chairs and bright colourful fabrics she has found during her many visits to Indian markets.

Dinnigan's Sydney home in Paddington| Image: Collette Dinnigan

Dinnigan's Sydney home in Watsons Bay | Image: 9 Homes

She has beautifully renovated a number of her own private homes since she embarked on her career in interior design whilst at the same time transforming a long list of residential accommodation including a block of luxury apartments in Surry Hills, a boutique beach hotel and converted stables, now available to rent on airbnb.

Milton Surf and Stables airbnb Property, Designed by Dinnigan | Image: Collette Dinnigan

But she doesn’t stop there! A lifelong love affair with antique textiles has resulted in her most recent collaboration with Melbourne-based homewares label Linen House. She has created three bed linen designs for them which she describes as “both feminine and crisp, with a hint of bohemian style.

The collection features azure-blue floral and European folk-style accents across finely embroidered white 300-thread count cotton percale quilt covers, sheet sets, and pillowcases, as well as luxury bath towels.

“For many years a lot of my customers have been asking me to do interiors and homewares and I think it’s a kind of a natural progression because I’ve got such an affinity with textiles and especially the different finishes and embellishments such as embroideries and things, that it kind of goes hand-in-hand.”