15 of Our Most Popular Home Tours of All Time

Over the past five years, we’ve toured a lot of homes for our much-loved Journal series, The Makers. Two hundred and fourteen, to be exact; tiny inner-city apartments and sprawling country estates, from Sydney, to Los Angeles, to London.

We’ve taken a peek inside the spaces of some of our favourite creatives, from Flex Mami’s colour-drenched dream home, to cosmetic doctor Dr Naomi’s glamorous Sydney terrace, to Maxine Wylde’s maximalist apartment. And through their spaces, we’ve had a glimpse into their lives.

From Courtney Adamo’s 120-year-old house transformation to Rowi Singh's technicolour rental apartment, these are the jaw-droppingly beautiful homes you liked, loved, and saved since The Makers inception in 2019.

1. Courtney Adamo's Transformed 120-Year-Old House

When Courtney Adamo stepped inside one of the oldest houses in Bangalow she immediately knew it was the one. “When I walked into the house, I felt immediately at home. It sounds so cliche, but it’s true," she shares. "Having lived in London for 12 years, always in old, Victorian homes, I felt right at home in this old house with its creaky floors and old windows, tall ceilings, and rickety old doorknobs. I felt like I was being hugged.”

Some pretty serious renovations were in order: the Adamos remodelled the house, moving the kitchen to the rear of the home so that it would overlook the garden, and added a laundry room, second bathroom, and one final bedroom. In terms of decoration, Adamo went for simple, open, and inviting, hanging the family’s treasured pieces of art from their travels on every wall and letting in as much light as possible through big, open windows.

The result is an airy and relaxed family home, full of life and love.

Take a tour of the transformed 120-year-old house.

2. Journalist Pandora Sykes' Playful Victorian Terrace in London

As a journalist and author, Pandora Sykes obviously has a way with words, but she also has an eye for interior design, which is evident throughout her beautiful London terrace home. Boasting whimsy and sophistication, it's a study in how to use colour, pattern, and eclectic décor to create a home truly reflective of your personal style.

From the turmeric-toned living room to the pink-hued main bedroom, her Victorian terrace is swathed in lashings of colour, executed in a way that feels harmonious from room to room. "I like colour and I like decoration but there’s also a restraint, I think, because I don’t like rooms to look like rainbows and I hate (hate!) clutter," Pandora explains.

Take a tour of the Victorian London terrace.

3. Editor Justine Cullen's Family Home in Palm Beach

Amidst the chaos of a demanding career as an editor and juggling four children, it's no wonder Justine Cullen's home is soothing and tranquil – a place of respite to come back to at the end of a long day. The light-filled space in Sydney's beautiful Palm Beach radiates a similarly pared-back and refined aesthetic as her fashion choices.

Swathed in predominantly white, her waterside abode – which she shares with her husband and four sons – is fresh and timeless. And while the interior colour palette may be led by neutrals, the home is filled with plenty of character with its stained glass windows, exposed rafters, and coastal-style finishes.

Take a tour of the family home in Palm Beach.

4. Emma Lane’s Spanish-Inspired Homestead in the Byron Bay Hinterland

As far as dream homes go, entrepreneur Emma Lane's is one of our favourites. Her sprawling property dubbed The Range, in the Byron Bay Hinterland, is set on 120 acres of land and boasts idyllic views of rolling hills and gorgeous coastline.

"We had spent some time living in Spain and loved the Spanish architecture. We used this inspiration to merge with our Australian lifestyle and I think what we ended up with was a perfect blend of both," she shares.

Stucco walls, arches, natural materials, and a warm, neutral colour palette prevail in the homestead and play into the Spanish aesthetic. The home embraces rich decorative details albeit in a paired-down way as Emma likes to "keep it elegant and simple."

Take a tour of the sprawling homestead.

5. Artist Jai Vasicek's European-inspired Haven

When artist Jai Vasicek met his partner Matt, a filmmaker, the couple bonded over their shared love of film, art, fashion and culture. Their love for all things theatrical would go on to inform the couple’s life together. It’s the guiding inspiration behind their maximalist dream home in Brunswick Heads, and the reason for several of their decorating choices.

“This space takes me back to the spaces of Europe,” Vasicek explains. The spaces that remind him of cinematic, Luhrmann-esque settings: wide, tiled terraces overlooking greenery, an antique-filled kitchen with a cherry red splashback, and a ceiling plastered with a decorative motif. “When you enter our place you feel a presence that is very global,” the artist says. “Every door and window is from somewhere other than Australia. It feels amazing to live in Australia and feel like I’m in Europe.”

Take a tour of the European-inspired home in Brunswick

6. Frank Body Co-Founder Bree Johnson's Tranquil Inner-City Oasis

With its sleek aesthetic and natural tones, Bree Johnson's home embraces a similar "clean" design ethos that the beloved beauty brand she co-founded, frank body, does.

She and her husband chose a textural palette of natural materials from warm concrete, steel, light timber, and linen, all of which not only look great but are sturdy, too perfect for a growing family. "Our house is made to be lived in so we needed pieces that can withstand a toddler climbing over them with peanut butter hands," she says.

The open-plan kitchen and dining area spills out onto a quaint, vine-filled courtyard area via large bifold doors. This section of the home is ideal for entertaining and allowing natural light and air to enter the interior living spaces. "For furniture we chose quality, timeless pieces with a focus on comfort and functionality," she says. 

Soothing blue and green hues prevail in each room, creating harmony between spaces and an overall soothing aesthetic.

Take a tour of the tranquil inner-city oasis

7. Makeup Artist Nam Vo’s "Glowy" Loft Apartment in NYC

The need to create is in Nam Vo's DNA. The naturally gifted makeup artist and influencer has received widespread attention for her infectious personality and beautiful makeup looks which she primarily creates in her minimal and ultra-chic New York City loft.

As a makeup artist, plenty of natural lighting was a must and the large arched window in the open-plan living/dining area keeps her New York City apartment looking fresh and inviting. The ultra-stylish living room is perhaps the star of the loft with its luxurious marble tables and curved boucle sofas. 

The home aptly utilises shades that mimic a dumpling. From the flooring to the walls, everything is swathed in warm neutral shades. The dialled-down palette combined with curvaceous furniture and decor creates a look that's utterly soothing and acts as a calming retreat and workspace. "My mind is very busy, and I’m a shopaholic so I wanted it to be clean," she says.

Take a tour of the glowy apartment in New York.

8. Josh & Matt’s Maximalist Rental Home

Maximalism is a tricky design style to nail. The "more is more" aesthetic can quickly turn chaotic and cluttered rather than eclectic and extravagant. Design duo Josh & Matt have mastered the art, inspiring a community of over a million loyal followers who find inspiration from the unique spaces they create. And what's exciting about their current home, is that it's a rental.

The creative duo, however, have been able to completely transform the interior and make it feel like a home by layering it with their design flair. "We’re planning to live here for years so we're putting in as much effort as possible to turn it into a home that truly represents us without any permanent changes," they share with Bed Threads Journal.

From the vintage star marble dining table from Mood Objects to the vintage Cleopatra chaise they reupholstered, this home is a playground of special finds.

Take a tour of the maximalist rental home.

9. Olive Ateliers Founder Kendall Knox’s Relaxed Venice Beach Home

In Kendall Knox’s Venice Beach pad, there are windows galore, hardwood floors, a mint green bathroom, and views over the trees. It is, in short, a perfect home base.

The colour palette is muted and cosy, leaning heavily on sage green, oatmeal, and white, with little touches of turmeric. Antique accents, such as Moroccan oil jars or vintage French vases, style well with Knox’s investment furniture, including a sprawling lounge and an elm wood coffee table in the living room and an armchair by Six Penny in an airy corner of the main bedroom, the perfect reading nook.

She’s purposefully styled her bedroom minimally in order to maintain that air of relaxation and repose: aside from the bed, some stools, the chair and a big mirror, there’s barely any other furniture in the space. “For us, it felt important to minimise the clutter,” Knox explains. “You don’t want to wake to chaos every day.”

Take a tour of the Venice beach home.

10. Entrepreneur Cyndi Ramirez's Chill Apartment in New York City

Cyndi Ramirez is the founder of wellness brand Chillhouse. The New York City and Paris outposts offer spa treatments like manicures, massages, and facials in an ultra-chic and cool setting that lives up to its name. "I’ve always been in the business of making people feel their best," she shares.

Her home is her dream apartment and takes on a similarly relaxed yet ultra-chic vibe that exists in the Chillhouse retail spaces. Retro design dominates the rooms which feature pieces like mid-century low-set timber consoles, an '80s-style chrome coffee table, and '70s-style coloured glass pendant lights.

A painting by friend Lindsay Sherwin sets the tone for the living area where warm hues shine through in the form of Terracotta and Turmeric cushion covers, and a yellow striped Pieces of Aesthetic Pursuit rug.

Take a tour of the chill New York City apartment.

11. Artist Lauren Freestone's Newcastle Home

When we visited Indigenous artist Lauren Freestone’s home for this feature, she was actually in the middle of renovations. There are splashes of paint on the floor, chunks of carpets pulled up and strips of wallpaper coming down. “There must have been around five different types of wallpaper, including textured red velvet,” she says, all of which they decided to remove while renovating.

Open and inviting, you simply want to spend days lingering in her home. Lauren’s aesthetic is “simple” – she prefers to focus on earthy tones and natural elements to create a relaxed and warm atmosphere. You’ll find plenty of woven rugs, cane armchairs, and leather couches here, where the colour palette echoes the Rust and Terracotta linen on her bed. “Less is more for me," Lauren says.

Take a tour of the neutral-toned Newcastle home.

12. Kellie Brown's Eclectic Los Angeles Home

If a picture paints a thousand words, then consider Kellie Brown’s Instagram to be an extensive essay on style, self-love, and personal expression. The LA-based content creator and founder of Deeply Madly Modern shares everything from colour blocking ‘fits to musings on a recent ‘random act of kindness’ with her 150k+ strong Instagram following, showcasing both her impeccable taste and bubbly personality in equal measure.

The same can be said for her Los Angeles home, where both substance and style are on full display. “I like my space to inspire imagination,” she tells Bed Threads Journal. Blending retro influences with contemporary details, Kellie’s home showcases her creative nature. From her enviable collection of vintage furniture, bespoke tapestries, abstract artworks, and a kaleidoscopic collection of coffee table books, Kellie has interspersed meaningful pieces that spark joy throughout her home.

Take a tour of the eclectic Los Angeles home.

13. Artist Mafalda Vasconcelos’ Colourful Melbourne Home

Artist Mafalda Vasconcelos, who originally hails from Mozambique and is now based in Melbourne, estimates she and her partner looked at about 50 different places without any luck. Then, they stumbled upon this little jewel; a '70s-era build with “a backyard, a front garden, a deck, large windows and a lot of light”.

In the living area, a vaulted ceiling gave the whole space a sense of ceremony. The couple were sold. “This is not our dream home,” Mafalda adds, “but it is an amazing and cosy home to start.”

Because her art practice is so grounded in colour – she trained first in fashion design but now paints portraits and nude studies of women – Mafalda wanted her home to be more of a tranquil sanctuary. Some small changes included painting the walls and ceiling white, and paring back any excess furniture. “Because I work creating ‘things’, I wanted the house to be quite minimal in terms of furniture,” Mafalda explains.

Take a tour of the light-filled home.

14. ‘The Daily Aus' Co-Founder Zara Seidler's Peaceful Mid-Century Apartment

It's no mean feat starting your own media business, let alone in your early twenties. It requires a clear vision, plenty of drive, and a strong supporter to back your idea. Enter Zara Seidler, the co-founder of Australia's leading social-first news service, The Daily Aus.

When it comes to her home, the former political advisor's charming home feels youthful yet refined. The abode leans towards a relaxed mid-century aesthetic with its stereo players, retro lighting, and vintage chairs. Lashings of pastel hues enliven the apartment from the Slim Aarons' print which hangs above an aqua sideboard in the open-plan living area, to the Pink Clay and Terracotta linen in the light-filled bedroom.

Elegant details like leadlight windows and an ornate ceiling design bring further character into the home and elevate it to a more sophisticated level. 

Take a tour of the mid-century home.

15. Rowi Singh's Technicolour Rental Home

This apartment was fashion and beauty content creator Rowi Singh’s first home of her own – previously, she lived with her parents – and so she approached decorating it with care. “Don’t rush to fill your place for the sake of it,” she advises. “Collect pieces you love by curating a mood board, doing lots of research and hunting down second-hand pieces where you can.”

Singh knows that it's decorating that helps a rental become a home, especially when you can’t make any major changes or renovations to the space itself. As Singh says: “[Our apartment is] very unsuspecting from the outside. But we’ve elevated it and made it our own with colourful finds both new and old.”

You can see Singh’s taste everywhere. The space is cool, striking and full of life, just like the incredible makeup looks she creates online. “My home is very reflective of myself, my partner, and my art,” Singh says.

Take a tour of the colourful rental home.