Design Anatomy

Welcome to Design Anatomy , where we examine the world of interiors and design. With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled, and lived-in spaces, Bree Banfield and Lauren Li are excited to share their insights and inspiration with you. YouTube channel launching soon.

Design Anatomy is a arts podcast hosted by Bree Banfield and Lauren Li, with 73 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Bree Banfield and Lauren Li hosts Design Anatomy, a arts show with 73 episodes published.

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  Episode #1

  Design Anatomy Live @ Decor + Design: Ask Us Anything

  Jul 29, 202650 minS4

  Bree & Lauren are back for Season 4 of Design Anatomy! Kicking off this season, we start with an episode recorded in front of a live audience at Decor + Design Show Melbourne 2026 and we answer the questions people actually ask us, about renovating, hiring a designer, or trying to build a design business. From budgets and joinery to AI and Milan Design Week, we give practical answers and a few spicy opinions along the way. • How to decide between an architect, interior designer, decorator, building designer or drafts person • What to look for when choosing a designer, beyond a matching aesthetic • Why listening and fit matter more than a perfect portfolio • Small budget upgrades that change the feel of a room • What $5,000 can do when you spend it on the right layer • When custom joinery is worth it and where to save instead • Pairing dining chairs with a vintage travertine table and bench • Design rules worth questioning, from ceilings to colour • Where AI helps and where it harms the designer client relationship • Controversial takes on dark rooms, white paint, boucle, and project photography • Favourite new products spotted at Milan Design Week • Quick-fire debates on bedside tables, curtains, lighting, plants, baths and more • The one skill to hone in a tech-heavy industry • The essentials for a sustainable, profitable design business If you enjoyed this one, subscribe, share it with a design mate, and leave us a review. Bree is now offering a 90-minute online design consult to help you tackle key challenges like colour selection, furniture curation, layout, and styling. Get tailored one-on-one advice and a detailed follow-up report with actionable recommendations—all without a full-service commitment. Bookings now open - Book now Lauren also offers design consultations, so if you're needing expert guidance & inspiration for your project, please reach out @sisalla_interior_design Would you love to be part of a small group of 8 designers joining Lauren & Bree on The Design Anatomy Tour of Paris & Milan Design Week in 2027? Please reach out to us via DM @design.anatomy.podcast , or @sisalla_interior_design & @bree.banfield

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  Design Anatomy

  The Perfect Seat: Choosing Dining Chairs That Actually Work

  Jun 17, 202635 min

  Buying dining chairs should be fun, but it’s also one of the fastest ways to waste money if you skip the basics. Bree Banfield and Lauren Li, are getting practical about how to choose dining chairs that look great, feel comfortable, and actually work in your home day to day. We start with the brief most people forget to write: who’s sitting there, how long they’ll stay, and what kind of meals happen at your table. That simple thinking leads straight into the details that decide whether you’ll love your chairs for years or quietly resent them. We talk arms and mobility, casual versus formal dining, and why your location matters more than you think (hello beach towels, chlorine, and fabrics that can’t cope). From there we go deep on fit: chair width, how many seats you can realistically fit, and how the chair interacts with your table base. We also cover the underrated annoyances like chair legs snagging on a dining rug, scratched timber floors, and why “matching” can backfire. If you want upholstered dining chairs but you’ve got kids, we share what’s changed in outdoor fabrics and why they’re now a genuinely stylish, durable option. We also get into leather, vegan leather, patina, and what you’re signing up for with each. You’ll hear our favourite chair picks, plus a more grounded shortlist of brands and stores to explore when budget matters. We also share what’s coming up for Design Anatomy, including our Sydney Milan in Review event at Hali Rugs on 24th June at 6 pm and our live podcast on 17th July at the Melbourne Convention Centre where we answer your questions. Sydney Milan in review 24th June 6pm event tickets here Live Design Anatomy Podcast Melbourne - Decor + Design Show 17th July 12pm Hit play, then subscribe, share with a design mate, and leave a review. Got a question you want us to answer live? Send us a DM and tell us if you want to stay anonymous. Bree is now offering a 90-minute online design consult to help you tackle key challenges like colour selection, furniture curation, layout, and styling. Get tailored one-on-one advice and a detailed follow-up report with actionable recommendations—all without a full-service commitment. Bookings now open - Book now Join Lauren for The Conversation Circle beginning Monday 15th June. This fortnightly small-group mentoring program is designed for interior designers, decorators and stylists who are ready to fast-track their business growth, gain clarity, and have the support and accountability to take action. To ensure everyone receives personalised guidance and mentoring, the group is intentionally limited to just 6 designers . This creates space for meaningful conversations, individual feedback, and practical support tailored to your business. For more info & application process please see below: The Conversation Circle 2026

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  Episode #15

  In Conversation with Anna-Carin: The Music Behind Great Design

  Jun 11, 202659 minS3

  A lot of interiors look “right” and still feel wrong. We’re chasing something harder to name: the feeling of a home that actually belongs to you. That’s why we loved this chat with designer Anna-Carin , who has built a client briefing process around an unexpected tool: music. We talk through her signature question: if your project had a theme song, what would it be? From there, she layers in a project name and three feeling words to create a brief that’s clear, emotional, and genuinely personal. We unpack how rhythm can hint at a client’s quirks, how a “raw” track can give you permission to propose bolder ideas, and why starting with mood helps you avoid the copy-and-paste trap of image-led design. If you’re an interior designer wanting a stronger client connection, or a homeowner stuck between “nice” and “mine”, this approach is pure gold. The conversation goes wider too: Scandinavian rituals, seasonal living, and what happens when a culture loses the small traditions that anchor us to time, place, and each other. Anna-Carin also shares her career story, the mentor who taught her the power of five millimetres, and why commitment to the person behind the project is what turns a house into a home. Check out Anna-Carin on her socials below: Instagram: @annacarindesign Web: www.annacarindesign.com.au If you enjoyed this one, subscribe, share it with a design mate, and leave us a review. What would your home’s theme song be? Bree is now offering a 90-minute online design consult to help you tackle key challenges like colour selection, furniture curation, layout, and styling. Get tailored one-on-one advice and a detailed follow-up report with actionable recommendations—all without a full-service commitment. Bookings now open - Book now Join Lauren for The Conversation Circle beginning Monday 15th June. This fortnightly small-group mentoring program is designed for interior designers, decorators and stylists who are ready to fast-track their business growth, gain clarity, and have the support and accountability to take action. To ensure everyone receives personalised guidance and mentoring, the group is intentionally limited to just 6 designers . This creates space for meaningful conversations, individual feedback, and practical support tailored to your business. For more info & application process please see below: The Conversation Circle 2026

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  Episode #14

  How To Choose The Right Sofa: Comfort, Scale, Style and What Really Matters

  Jun 3, 202635 minS3

  <p>A sofa is never just a sofa. It’s where you crash after work, where friends pile in with a glass of wine, where kids build nests out of cushions, and where the whole room quietly takes its cues. That’s why we’re kicking off a practical “how-to choose” series with the most high-stakes piece in the living room: the sofa. <br/><br/>We start with the question that saves the most money and regret: how do you actually live? From entertaining versus Netflix sprawl, to seat height for different bodies and stages of life, we break down how lifesty...

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  Episode #13

  Rugs, Lighting & Reality Checks: The Design Details That Matter

  May 27, 202623 minS3

  <p>Your place can have great bones, beautiful light, cool vintage pieces, and still feel oddly unfinished. That gap between inspiration and reality is where so many people get stuck, and it is exactly what Lauren tackles solo while Bree is off travelling and living her best design life. We talk about the real reasons people book interior design consultations, and why it is rarely about “just picking a sofa” and almost always about getting the home to feel calm, cohesive, and emotionally right.<br/><br/>We break down five repeat problems that show up in homes across Australia and beyo...

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