Impatient to get cracking on your next design project? Allow our ‘Design Directory’ to lend a helping hand
Like most Australians, when I was growing up, I spent the last few days of every year tuned in to the Boxing Day Test – an annual cricket fixture that starts on 26 December. Hunkering down in front of the TV, with a standing fan blasting cool air at my face, was an ideal way to beat the heat while our national team invariably smashed the competition.
This would involve watching a lot of commercials for the post-Christmas sales. Among them, those for Australia’s biggest DIY supplier, Bunnings Warehouse, were consistent standouts. Its smiling staff would invite you to make the most of the holidays by buying the supplies necessary to finish projects around the house. For my family, that meant painting the beach house or staining the deck – tasks that, to teenage me, felt like an outrageously big ask. It was all a response to the hardware retailer’s perfectly timed pitch: what better occasion than the dawning of a new year to realise your vision of a better home, a new office or refreshed vacation digs?
It’s in this spirit that we unveiled our first Design Directory in October, an annual publication that has been on newsstands over the final few months of 2025 (and you’ll still be able to find it there in early 2026). As its name suggests, at the heart of the magazine is a directory of carefully selected designers from every continent. From emerging architecture studios such as Oslo-based Fjord Arkitekter to skilled craftspeople including Tank from Tokyo, it furnishes you with contacts for transforming any space. Think of it as an address book for navigating the world of design.
We have included architects, landscapers, furniture makers and industrial designers who meet a simple set of criteria: they have to put people first by prioritising human scale and proportion (think doorways that welcome and spaces that accommodate both gatherings and solitude). We have sought out those who are creating works that balance comfort with beauty in a marriage of form and function. A respect for place is crucial too: this could be embodied in everything from the use of natural or locally sourced materials and an embrace of vernacular architecture to a dedication to reuse and adaptation. Such practices make for work that’s not only in tune with the environment (and thus more likely to be sustainable) but also distinctive. And it goes without saying that the people we included had to have an appreciation for artistry – we need buildings and objects that lift the spirit.
These values and design principles ensure the delivery of high-quality places and products. They ring true whether you want to take inspiration from Bunnings and get your hands dirty or, if your handyman skills don’t quite stack up, you’re thinking of commissioning a designer. So pick up a copy of our Design Directory. It’s the perfect way to kick off 2026.
Nic Monisse is Monocle’s design editor. To buy our annual design-focused publication, the ‘Monocle Design Directory’, click here.
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