Perth’s Most Beautiful Spaces, Revealed

Now in its 23rd year, the annual Australian Interior Design Awards has just dropped its 2026 shortlist, recognising the most beautiful commercial, residential and public spaces of the year.

This year, WA’s hospitality industry rose to the top, with five design-led spaces named among Australia’s best. Each reflects WA’s diverse and growing collection of elevated, design-led experiences on offer, from steamy bathhouses and heritage hotels to sophisticated dining gems designed for lingering.

Here are the most beautiful spaces (and design studios) to know right now in Perth.

Light Years

Popular modern Asian restaurant Light Years Diner made waves when it landed in Perth in 2025. Known for its chic tonal interiors, punchy cocktails, and share-style dishes, the Byron Bay-born restaurant was already named 2025’s Best New Perth Restaurant in the inaugural Sitchu Awards. Now, they celebrate the venue’s impeccable design, which features intimate pockets, layered materials and an enveloping gradient of light and hue. The result is refined yet warm. The kind of space that wraps you up and pulls you in.

140 Williams Street, Perth

Design by Studio Plenty and Sarah Ellison

Garde Hotel

In true Fremantle fashion, the new Garde Hotel brings understated luxury to a historic site once home to convicts and prison guards. Within its heritage walls, you’ll find 83 refined new rooms and an all-new spa and wellness centre alongside the existing Warders Cottages, which now form part of the Garde Hotel. Each offers a serene rest spot where contemporary design and local craft meet character-rich architecture, materiality and five-star comforts.

“We wanted to create an environment that felt deeply embedded in Fremantle, not imposed upon it,” says Founder & Director, Adele Winteridge. “By collaborating with our network of local makers and drawing on the area’s distinctive history and character, we’ve shaped a space that authentically reflects Fremantle’s identity.”

Throw in their newly opened Japanese and Korean fusion hotspot, Angelsea, into the mix, and your stay in the buzzing port city is sorted. 

Book your stay with Booking.com

Corner Parry Street and William Street, Fremantle

Design by Foolscap

Cuccini Gelato Victoria Park

Since opening its Northbridge doors in January 2023, Cuccini Gelato’s artisanal small batch gelato has become a firm favourite in Perth — pushing the boundaries of traditional gelato-making with its inventive and indulgent flavour combos, all made from scratch daily. When opening their second outpost in the foodie hub of East Victoria Park, they took a similar approach to the store’s design — taking it far beyond what you’d expect to find at your usual neighbourhood gelato shop. Raw concrete, steel, local granite and plastered shell give the space a refined industrial feel, drawing inspiration from the indulgent textures and handcrafted nature of the gelato itself.

868 Albany Hwy, East Victoria Park

Design by Ritz and Ghougassian

Ember Bathhouse

Ember Bathhouse is an immersive sanctuary designed for those looking to restore stillness. A truly rejuvenating space, where you can embark on a sensory adventure guided by ancient wellness rituals of Japanese Onsen, Turkish Hammams and Finnish Sauna traditions. The experience starts from the moment you step inside. Textured halls, the subtle glow of warm light, and natural materials invite each guest to flow effortlessly through the space, finding their own calm. It somehow feels cavernous and intimate all at the same time, encouraging you to journey inwards, away from life’s distractions with each passing minute.

“Ember Bath House represents more than a dream project for our design studio,” explains Creative Director, Tracy Zorich. “It reflects our beliefs and daily work principles that design is fundamentally about human experience. Every choice, from material to light to spatial flow, is made with empathy, considering the user’s emotional and physical experience. For us, design is a conversation between the environment and its occupants, creating moments of quiet reflection, comfort, and presence.”

4 Donovan Street, Osborne Park

Design by Studio Traces

Alchemy Saunas Karrinyup

Alchemy Saunas latest retreat has opened within Karrinyup Shopping Centre’s Wellness Precinct, bringing contrast therapy to Perth’s premier shopping and lifestyle hub. The new space is perhaps the most elevated of Alchemy’s yet, with five fjord ice baths, four Brooklyn Copper Co showers, a sleek hangout zone, and two spacious saunas kitted with 21-kilowatt heaters and three-tiered seating. The warmth of the sauna is reflected in the warmth of the design. Think rust tones, diffused light and depth of texture. Stepping inside, the space feels instantly peaceful and restorative — a world away from the daily hustle and bustle of the shopping centre outside.

Enjoyed reading about Perth’s most beautiful places? Check out more of the best new bars restaurants in Perth and book in for a design-led staycay at these Perth hotels.

Writer

Claire Logan

17 April 2026

Perth writer, Claire, has built a career around connecting people with the places, experiences and products they'll love. Whether putting locals onto the hottest new wine bar, helping travellers uncover the city's hidden gems, or gushing about the coolest fashion labels, she's never short of a good recommendation. Her insatiable appetite for discovering, curating and sharing is what led Claire to her first media role at Urban List, where she held the Perth Editor gig for four years before joining Sitchu. Away from the laptop, she's likely feeding her oyster addiction somewhere by the sea, with a good dirty martini in hand.