Sarah Tilley | Director & Principal Designer
Our founder and director Sarah is a powerhouse of creativity and professionalism, with an unwavering dedication to crafting timeless designs that expertly balance form and function.
Truly believing that beautiful spaces have the power to transform daily life, Sarah possesses an intuitive ability to combine pattern and colour in ways that inspire and invigorate. ‘Fabric and textiles are my real love’ says the passionate designer who started her career in fashion.
Sarah studied fashion at the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Sydney and worked in production for the heralded label Morrissey Edmiston during the golden age of Australian fashion. Life took her to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she found her rhythm in the fast-paced world of TV production. Sarah continued her career in broadcasting upon her return to Australia, becoming a production manager for large-scale TV events, including Formula One Racing and the ARIA’s.
“Fabric and textiles are my real love, the combinations and textures are endless and can change the mood from bold and glamorous to serene and romantic”
Sarah Tilley
Sarah is known for her impeccable taste and graceful ease. When friends and family started seeking out her fashion styling advice, Sarah quickly tuned in to design’s ability to boost people’s confidence and enhance their lives. The requests for wardrobe editing soon branched out to home styling guidance and interior design solutions. Sarah’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and she established Mi Designer with the belief that our homes should enrich our every day. “I moved the focus from fashion to interiors but the outcome of the work is the same,” Sarah explains. “We now help people feel amazing by editing their homes.”
Growing up on a property located outside of Katherine in the Northern Territory gifted Sarah life skills that she wouldn’t trade for anything – resourcefulness, a knack for problem-solving and the ability to tell a story that will hush the noisiest crowd. An interest in indigenous handicrafts and cultures, locally and globally, adds to Sarah’s rich imaginarium of creative references.
Sarah brings her years of design, project & client management experience to each and every project, enhancing lives with a holistic design approach that encompasses so much more than selecting finishes and furniture.
Understanding that interior environments have a powerful impact on our wellbeing, Sarah’s ethos is to design spaces that support, enrich and empower her clients.
Q&A
A luxurious upgrade that’s next on your list.
I want our newly renovated house to smell like the Westin Hotel in Bali, I have sourced the scent and getting it installed directly into our ducted aircon so we can swirl around in the delicious scent of White Tea, Fig and Jasmine every day…. My idea of heaven…..
If we tipped out your handbag…..what interesting things would we find….
Ekkk… ok, this is where my stylish and practical sides come out……. I have everything in my bag…my favourite perfume Jo Malone Red Roses its like walking through a divine rose garden….. so fresh , 2 kinds of lip colour – Revlon Lip Gloss – colour 530 my all day “go to” & Guerlain lippy in the coolest mirrored compact, its so gorgeous, I love it. I can’t go anywhere with out my mothers day gift of a beautiful blue mock croc wallet from Oroton, which my kids gave me. I always have a tea bag or two in my bag……..current favourite flavor is a Chai tea. I have post it notes, a variety of pens and highlighters, earphones, piece of citrine and quartz crystal to keep vibrations high. yoga socks. Some tools of the trade – an allen key, 3mtr tape measure, business cards & couple of tile samples. Weirdest thing in my handbag that I just found is an ice scraper from our last trip to Cardona Resort in NZ.
List 3 random facts we don’t know about you
I was born in Katherine in the Northern Territory on a property 30kms out of town. This upbringing made be resourceful and organised – you had to be able to sort out an issue or problem solve with the tools and resources around you – you couldn’t just pop next door or into town to borrow or buy something.
2. I love singing…….. I sing where ever and whenever I can….. I am the lady you see in her car at the traffic lights belting out a tune at the top of her lungs…… I am currently obsessed with the sound track to “ a star is born”….. I am gaga for Lady Gaga.
3.The favourite part of my job as an interior designer is seeing a clients smile light up a room when we have nailed the brief or exceeded their expectations. Their smile is pure gold and it is the fuel that feeds my soul to keep tuning into my intuition and trusting that if I listen to the space between my thoughts I can hone in on exactly what I need to do to create magic in a client’s home.
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@midesigner
Swipe to see the plans for this beauty! Floor plans and elevations are key to make sure tapware, vanities, mirrors, tiles and lighting are perfectly placed!
Interior design @midesigner
Photography @tim_con_photo
#midesigner #mds #mdsapproved #design #interiordesign #interiordesigners #interiordesignersydney #interiordesignideas #interiordesigngoals #interior #interiors #interiorismo #interiorinspo #architecture #interiorarchitecture #interiorlovers #luxury #luxuryliving #luxurylifestyle #decoration #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiordecorating #interiors123 #sydneyinteriordesigner #interiorstyling #interiorstyle #bathroom #bathroomdesign
SWIPE FOR BEFORE ⭐
What a transformation! This apartment in North Sydney boasting Harbour Bridge and Opera House views needed a complete overhaul. We knocked down walls, removed internal sliding doors and created this complete open plan space utilising every inch of floor space. This was a white glove service where we designed and managed the build on our clients behalf.
Interior design @midesigner
Photography @tim_con_photo
#midesigner #mds #mdsapproved #design #interiordesign #interiordesigners #interiordesignersydney #interiordesignideas #interiordesigngoals #interior #interiors #interiorismo #interiorinspo #architecture #interiorarchitecture #interiorlovers #luxury #luxuryliving #luxurylifestyle #decoration #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiordecorating #interiors123 #sydneyinteriordesigner #interiorstyling #interiorstyle #styling #luxuryhomes
Hotel luxury! Our clients purchased their Rose Bay home site unseen as they were living overseas and we designed and managed their entire bathroom renovation for them. The whole experience was completely stress free!
Swipe to the end to see the before photo!
Interior design @midesigner
#midesigner #mds #mdsapproved #design #interiordesign #interiordesigners #interiordesignersydney #interiordesignideas #interiordesigngoals #interior #interiors #interiorismo #interiorinspo #architecture #interiorarchitecture #interiorlovers #luxury #luxuryliving #luxurylifestyle #decoration #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiordecorating #interiors123 #sydneyinteriordesigner #interiorstyling #interiorstyle #bathroom #bathroomdesign
Dining Room Transformation! 🍽️ Swipe to see the before.
Here we designed and installed a floating custom buffet, sourced a gorgeous new dining table to suit the existing dining chairs, a large area rug and finished it off with styling and accessories!
Interior design @midesigner
Photography @ess.creative
#midesigner #mds #mdsapproved #design #interiordesign #interiordesigners #interiordesignersydney #interiordesignideas #interiordesigngoals #interior #interiors #interiorismo #interiorinspo #architecture #interiorarchitecture #interiorlovers #luxury #luxuryliving #luxurylifestyle #decoration #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiordecorating #interiors123 #sydneyinteriordesigner #interiorstyling #interiorstyle #diningroom #diningroomdesign
Imagine showering in a bathroom everyday that made you feel like you were in a 5 star luxury hotel 💭💤🛀
Interior design by @midesigner
Photography by @simonwhitbreadphoto
#midesigner #mds #mdsapproved #design #interiordesign #interiordesigners #interiordesignersydney #interiordesignideas #interiordesigngoals #interior #interiors #interiorismo #interiorinspo #architecture #interiorarchitecture #interiorlovers #luxury #luxuryliving #luxurylifestyle #decoration #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiordecorating #interiors123 #sydneyinteriordesigner #interiorstyling #styling #luxuryhomes #bathroom #bathroomdesign