Designer talk with Darren Palmer

Sydney-based interior designer Darren Palmer knows a thing or two about renovating and styling.

He is, after all, one of three judges on Channel Nine’s winning series The Block.

His face is beamed into around one million Australian homes five times a week, making him one of the most recognised and celebrated designers in the country.

This year, The Block has taken a step away from the usual apartments with the contestants renovating period homes in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick.

“I think it’s safe to say that this is the most competitive Block we’ve ever seen.

“The highlight for me is very general, in that each week I am seeing ideas well carried out in different ways in different houses,’’ Palmer tells My Renovation.

“It’s great to see houses too as a departure from the last few seasons’ apartment buildings. They offer up some unique opportunities that are really great to see.

“My favourite thing about working on The Block [is] I basically get to turn up each weekend, talk about something I am passionate about that I am also knowledgeable in and do so with friends to boot.

“It’s a great job and I really love sharing information so that people at home can create their own perfect home, in their own way.”

A LOOK AHEAD

These are the four design points that Darren predicts will be the focus of 2018.

Colour – It’s big in furniture and kitchens and obviously this applies to decor and homewares.

Pattern – We’re seeing this in static things like tiles and kitchens so it’s easy to embrace that in your decorating choices.

Individuality – With education many more people feel freer to colour outside of the lines and carve their own decorator path.

Customisation – Not just creating an individual style, but creating individual pieces through embellishment, adornment or personalisation through monogramming, as well as creating new pieces from scratch using local artisans.