Style: modern, natural, minimal and timeless
Age: 34
Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria
Melbourne’s entry, Matt Derrick, is one of the most experienced designers in the homeMADE competition. At 34, this former actor and windsurfing instructor has had a stellar design career since graduating with a BA of interior design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
His design experience is diverse, having worked on a number of different-sized projects including restaurants, casino and luxury hotel design for one of the world’s premier resorts, the new Aman resort in Bhutan.
“Design is a real passion for me. I live and breathe it. I love anything to do with design and that translates into clothing, furniture, objects and all the other things design is about,” he says.
“What I don’t like in design is predictability. I truly dislike fads that you can see will be gone tomorrow. I want to do houses that will still look great in 20 years. So while I call my style modern and minimal I’d also describe it as enduring and timeless.
“Leaving a home a better place for a client is really why I do interior design. Some designers try to force their style down a client’s throat,” he says. “I’m all about working to a brief to create the best design for the client and making their visions a reality.”
He says living in Melbourne is one of his greatest advantages. “Let’s face it, everyone in Australia knows that Melbourne is the greatest design city in the country, so being from Melbourne, together with the experience I have had working around the world, will give me the edge that I need to win Homemade.”
