When Yellowtrace started some 10+ years ago, most of our content was sourced from overseas. Oh, how things have changed in the last decade, as Australian Design has picked up its pace, with local Architecture, Interiors and Products now forming a substantial component of the content we champion. So what better way to kick off our best of 2021 Archives than with all things homegrown—from extraordinary Australian homes (which we know how to do oh so well), to a handful of compact residential renovations (something we need to get better at), through to commercial, retail, wellness and hospitality interiors (something we’ve become exceptional at in the last decade), through to products and a bunch of talented and hard-working independent designers.

Having had a few recent conversations with fellow local creatives, we’ve all concluded that Australian creatives—irrespective of their field—have always felt the need to work extra hard to make things extraordinary. This could be due to the lack of product availability when sourcing for projects; our existing building stock is not as impressive as European palazzos, etc. Hence, when Aussies do something, they do it exceptionally well and smash it out of the ballpark. Case in point—the 60+ exceptional examples below.

Explore our archives through the years: 2020 Archive / 2019 Archive / 2018 Archive / 2017 Archive / 2016 Archive / 2015 Archive / 2014 Archive / 2013 Archive / 2012 Archive / 2011 Archive / 2010 Archive

Flashy Yet Modest, Eccentric but Purposeful: Sir Roy Grounds House in Balmain by Conrad Johnston.

Viktoria & Woods Chadstone Flagship by GOLDEN.