It was the year when Instagram grids were still perfectly square and a time when Japandi was being tipped as one to watch, Hamptons style was at its peak, and shabby chic continued to charm with its lived-in romance. It was also the year Home Beautiful magazine debuted online.
Given I’ve been here almost the entire decade and know that we are still grappling with how to choose the right white paint (our first-ever topic tackled on homebeautiful.com.au), with 2016 throwbacks filling our feeds, I took a little trip of our own down memory lane to rediscover the homes, trends faces and finishes that shaped 2016 and remember what was exciting us in the world of interior design a decade ago. Join me on the journey.
Celebrity homes in 2016
The Japandi trend
Surely one of the most enduring trends to emerge in 2016, Japandi continues to resonate today, as our homes increasingly reflect a desire for honesty, simplicity and beautifully made spaces. Blending Scandinavian functionality with Japanese restraint, the style champions natural materials, muted palettes and craftsmanship that prioritises longevity over excess.
Discover how Japandi has matured, why it’s still influencing interiors today, and how to bring this quietly confident aesthetic into your own home.
Catriona Rowntree’s beautiful home
A doyenne of interior decor then and now, Catriona Rowntree has shown us all how to make your home your own, by embracing shabby chic style in her country homestead back in 2016 (like Catriona’s home, our article was refreshed in 2022) and gracing our pages in February this year to kick of another decade. Take a tour of both features to see how to decorate with enduring style.
The march of mudrooms
While in 2026 it’s hard to imagine a modern country home in Australia without a mudroom, this now‑essential space is a relatively recent addition to our homes. Once considered a purely practical drop zone, the mudroom has evolved into a design‑forward hub to catch clutter at the door, while setting the tone for the rest of the house.
From clever cabinetry and hardworking storage to built‑in seating and even pet‑friendly zones, today’s mudrooms prove that function and beauty can coexist.
Hamptons style
Oh! The Hamptons style buoyed us all with its fresh white-washed paint finishes, timber details and celebration of our collective obsession with blue-and-white decor. Interior designer Melinda Hartwright captured the essence of the look in her own home, which we featured in Home Beautiful magaznine in September 2016, but the real testament to the enduring appeal of the pared-back Hamptons style is that we featured the latest iteration of that same home, updated and renovated by Melinda in 2022.
Loft-style interiors
Blame Carrie Bradshaw or blame urban sprawl, loft interiors and industrial style decor were everywhere, with vintage industrial lamps positioned against exposed brick walls, polished concrete flooring creeping underfoot, while steel-framed, oversized doors and windows bathing our homes in natural light. Even actress Meg Ryan embodied the trend via the renovation of her Soho loft.
Home Beautiful’s 50 Beautiful Rooms competition
Consider this your front‑row seat to the rooms that sparked inspiration and set the benchmark for beautiful design in 2016.
A sneak peek inside our September 2016 issue
The best of 2016
As 2016 drew to a close, we were already looking back to move forward. Revisit our favourite stories of the year, as chosen by you in 2016.
