What does “home” really mean when you strip away the marble benchtops and Instagram angles?

In this episode of The Edit, we sit down with one of Australia’s most loved interior designers and long-time judge on The Block,  Darren Palmer.  Alongside Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock, for a conversation that’s less about cushions and more about courage. It’s reflective, funny, occasionally filthy, and unexpectedly tender.

Darren opens up about growing up in an industrial Queensland town where he didn’t quite fit, learning his craft without formal training, and why curiosity, not confidence, has shaped his career. We talk about why great design should never look the same twice, how formative homes stay with us (whether we like them or not), and what happens when you finally stop editing yourself for public consumption.

Along the way, Darren shares the story of being outed by the media and how choosing honesty changed everything, plus why Almost Home isn’t really about houses at all, but about memory, identity and the spaces that make us feel safe enough to be ourselves.

There’s also a joyful deep dive into his current home: colour, texture, scent, sound and the artwork that follows him everywhere because it still makes his heart beat faster.

We also catch up with Mel Nottage from Luxaflex on the quiet shift happening in Australian homes away from hard finishes and toward softer, more cocooning window treatments outdoors that prioritise how a space feels, not just how it looks, with more people looking to entertain at home. 

It’s an episode about ambition, vulnerability, and the quiet power of showing up as you are, Zara outfits, filthy jokes and all.

You’ll hear:

• Why Darren believes you can teach skills, but never attitude

• The real story behind Almost Home and why it’s a double entendre

• How childhood homes quietly shape adult design choices

• What it was like growing up queer in regional Queensland in the ’80s

• The moment Darren decided to stop hiding parts of himself publicly

• Why the most powerful art isn’t décor, it’s emotional

• How design can be used to genuinely change lives through charity work

• An audio home tour that hits all five senses (yes, including scent)

Get comfortable, this one stays with you! 

Thank you for listening ❤️

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Inside Darren Palmer's Kitchen

Darren's beautiful Bondi home

Hamptons Style Easily Done

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Darren Palmer Products

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL