Cross country

In an extract from her first book, City, Coast & Country, designer Adelaide Bragg takes inspiration from beautiful Australian landscapes to craft colour-kissed interiors

- ADELAIDE BRAGG & ROBYN LEA | PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN

At the beginning of her career in the early 1990s, Adelaide worked at Colefax & Fowler in Sydney under the tutelage of Australian designer Martine Burns. A number of those lessons continue to influence Adelaide's work today.

“Martine used to say that a room needs something to muddle it up, that imperfection can make perfection.” That guidance aligns with Adelaide's vision today and her affinity with the imperfections found in the natural world. A torn autumnal leaf, the tiny idiosyncrasies found in handmade seagrass wallcoverings or artisan-blocked textile patterns are equally appealing to her eye.

Adelaide frequently incorporates a painting, cushion or rug into a room to create an unexpected clash with the overall design scheme, piquing visual interest.