Anna Spiro imbues effortless style. It would seem it is in her genes as she credits her mother and grandmother for helping shape her early interest in seeing the beauty of an environment and creating deeply comfortable, beautiful homes. Anna's outdoorsy upbringing in the warmth of beachy Queensland has clearly also played some part in her colourful, relaxed and welcoming interiors. With an aesthetic to her impressive portfolio that would seem just as at home in England as in Australia - her approach is considered, collected and without a hint of pretension. "I think my style is one that a lot of people feel comfortable with. It’s not too perfect, it’s not too contrived”, she tells us. "It feels familiar to a lot of people.”

Anna's bold use of colour and clever layering of print, pattern, art & antiques results in uplifting, joyful and enduring interiors. Anna Spiro Interiors work on both residential and commercial interiors in Australia and abroad, and produces much sought-after textiles and wallpapers, as well as curated treasures through Spiro Store - available online and imminently launching a bricks and mortar store in Brisbane. "I really want to support the local arts and crafts community and celebrate things made by hand...special things....things that people will treasure for a lifetime", Anna says. "I am also hoping that Spiro Store will be the go-to place for customers who want to order a custom-made sofa or an armchair in a fabulous fabric." As if this all isn't enough, Anna is also the author of two books - 'Absolutely Beautiful Things' and her latest release 'A Life in Pattern'.

With projects all over Australia, Anna currently lives between her hometown Brisbane and Melbourne, but her beach house on Queensland’s Stradbroke Island is "the place I feel happiest in the world” she says. "I think it’s the most beautiful place on the planet.”

Here we chat with Anna about her beach house retreat, favourite projects, and tips for us to refresh our homes; and she generously shares her go-to’s for decorating, visiting Australia, and so much more...

Can you tell us a little about your upbringing in Australia?

I was born in Brisbane, Queensland which is in the north-eastern part of Australia on the coast. I spent my childhood going to the beach most weekends at my family’s beach house on North Stradbroke Island and a lot of time in the garden with my mum and grandmother.

How did your upbringing in Australia inform your design aesthetic?

I think living in Queensland with its warm climate and sunny, colourful outlook has influenced my design aesthetic greatly. I am always drawn to the colours of the ocean and strong bold colours that make me feel happy and joyful, warm and welcoming.

What about your earlier career before starting on your own?

I was always drawn to interiors and fashion as a young girl. I was obsessed with magazines and still have many that I started collecting in my early teenage years. I must thank my grandmother, Ellie Spiro, for helping me get my first job out of school at the age of 17 with a Brisbane Interior Designer who was also her friend. I started in a junior role and worked in the business for several years before starting Black & Spiro. In 2017 I changed the name of the business to Anna Spiro Design and moved into an old building in New Farm that I am currently renovating to include a new store, Spiro Store which is due to open this Spring.

Has your design style evolved?

I think my style is always evolving. It’s like anything in life, the more you practice, the better you get. I think I am much better at editing than I used to be and honing in on exactly what a room needs. However, my core principles of buying quality over quantity will never waiver. I am a great believer in only buying the best quality you can afford. If you can’t afford to buy all the pieces you need, just buy what you can afford and wait for the other pieces. Buying pieces that will last and stay with you for your entire life is what I like to try to educate my clients to do rather than buying items that are cheap and not well made. These are the pieces that you can waste a lot of money on as they don’t last, and you end up having to dispose of them much sooner than pieces made well. I am extremely passionate about helping my clients spend their money wisely and steering them towards furniture that is beautiful and made with great care whether antique or new.

I am currently working on several houses for a client in Melbourne (one in the city and two at the beach on the Peninsula) which are going to be fabulous. They are a very cool young couple who love colourful, interesting interiors and they are so trusting of me and my team so I’m excited to be working with them on their projects.

Your online shop is filled with beautiful textiles, antique finds, and other treasures – what do you look for when curating and creating products for the shop?
I am always looking for things other stores don’t have. Things I am always trying to find in stores myself for my own home. I also love to support local artists and craftspeople and we are offering more and more one-off pieces, special things that you just can’t find everywhere. I am also hoping that Spiro Store will be the go-to place in Australia for customers who just want to order a custom-made sofa or an armchair in a fabulous fabric. They may not want to do the full design with me, but they can just come in and get a piece of what we do. I hope people really embrace that.