One of Australia’s most recognisable interior designers has quietly listed her Brisbane home — and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a woman known for breaking every rule in the book.
Anna Spiro, the celebrated creative behind some of the country’s most distinctive interiors, has put her Ascot residence on the market, offering a rare glimpse inside the layered, colour-drenched world she’s built a global reputation on.
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Designer Anna Spiro in her home studio. Photo: Tim Salisbury.
This property in Kidston St, Ascot, is on the market.
Set in one of Brisbane’s richest suburbs, the circa-1920 Queenslander in Kidston Street is anything but conventional — a home where mismatched furniture, bold patterns and contrasting colours collide.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home occupies a 620 sqm block and is surrounded by lush gardens, winding paths, and multiple outdoor spaces.
Inside the Brisbane home of interior designer Anna Spiro.
The home dates back to circa 1920.
Inside, original character features, including ornate pressed metal ceilings, hoop pine floors and breezy sash windows, form the backdrop to Spiro’s unmistakable aesthetic.
The main living space is anchored by a fireplace, while the light-filled kitchen and family zone offer a more relaxed everyday setting.
The home’s layered interiors reflect a career that has spanned three decades.
The kitchen has Spiro’s eclectic signature style.
The property is scheduled to go to auction on May 16 and is being marketed by Matt Lancashire and Will Blewitt of Ray White Collective.
Spiro began her design journey at just 17 as a junior assistant, working her way up to become a principal designer before rebranding her firm to Anna Spiro Design a decade ago.
Today, her work extends far beyond Australia, with a growing client base in the UK and US, high-profile collaborations including with global homewares giant Anthropologie, and two bestselling books — A Life in Pattern and Absolutely Beautiful Things.
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Her distinctive touch can also be seen across some of Australia’s best-known hospitality venues, including boutique hotel Halcyon House and Brisbane hotspots Mr Percival’s and Arc Dining.
The house and pool are surrounded by lush, manicured gardens.
Off the tools, Spiro splits her time between Brisbane, Melbourne and North Stradbroke Island, where she has been renovating a house she bought in Point Lookout for just over $1m in 2020.
She shares her life with husband Luke Warwick, managing director of Melbourne-based Elliott Clarke Textiles, whom she married in 2023 after the pair met through work. The couple divide their time between the home in Ascot, their other home in Toorak, and their cottage on “Straddie”.
“Three houses to manage is a crazy existence,” Ms Spiro said. “Now, we’re going bigger again so we’re nuts.”
Records show Spiro bought the Ascot property in 2023 for $2.5m.
“This house was always a temporary house for us,” Ms Spiro said. “We weren’t sure if we were moving to Melbourne or here at the time, and we’ve decicded we need something bigger and maybe a new project for me.
This property in Kidston St, Ascot, is on the market.
This colour-drenched room is a highlight.
“It’s been so perfect for us though in terms of location, and it’s surrounded by the most beautiful trees and pretty garden. It’s quiet and close to everything. It’s five minutes from New Farm, but it’s not busy like New Farm.”
The house has been repainted inside and out, new cabinetry, airconditioning and carpets installed, and Spiro’s own window coverings added.
Do her interiors come with the sale?
“If (the buyers) wants the sofa or bits and pieces, I’m open to it,” she said — although she plans to keep some of the collectable art pieces.
The couple have purchased a larger home in the same area.
“It’s a beautiful house that’s been redone, but I’ll completely redecorate it and paint it,” she said.
The listing comes at a busy moment for the designer, who recently revealed she has secured a major new project — the refurbishment of the 304-room Rydges South Bank ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
The window furnishings will come with the property.
One of the bathrooms in the home is entirely candy pink.
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