Melbourne Women of Design – Mim Fanning

Miriam Fanning (Mim) has been designing for more than 20 years, and is Founder and Principal Interior Designer at the award-winning multi-disciplinary practice Mim Design, respected for its creativity, high end finishes and attention to detail.

Mim has led her firm to be a powerhouse nationally and internationally, with Mim Design nominated for and winning a myriad of awards for work on projects including Seed Heritage, Upper West Side and the Lexus Design Pavilion at the Melbourne Cup Carnival, and most recently the Sub-Zero & Wolf Transitional Kitchen Global Winner.

Her philosophy is to produce unique and individual design results that not only reflect the client or their brand but also enhances their lives. This is especially relevant in her work for The Grace in Albert Park where she worked beside the architecture of Fender Katsalidas. The Grace is a luxurious and unique concept for luxury retirement living available exclusively to the over 55s. Mim says in designing the interiors ““we designed spaces to engage with the residents and create a sense of pride, nostalgia and calm.”

When you meet Mim you can sense her keen eye for detail and quality. There’s no hiding your true feelings from Mim which is fortunate because great interiors designers are normally part-therapists.

“I’m a Melbourne girl and love working in Melbourne as our clients and architectural styles are so diverse. I feel all clients are different and individual no matter what state they are from,” she said,

When dreaming of future projects, Mim would love the opportunity to design an amazing resort, gallery, or vineyard, and in her own home she features timeless styles. “In my home I love timeless features such as high ceilings, natural stone, well-proportioned rooms, and enough wall space for artwork,” says Mim.

Commencing her career at an architectural and design firm – where over a period of 12 years she progressed to become an Associate Director within a team of more than 200 people – Mim combined her interest in retail with a love of design and worked on both Australian and international projects, in New York and Los Angeles.

Time working overseas paired with leisure travel throughout Europe and America opened her eyes to the large world of design and fuelled her passion for following world trends in retail and hospitality.

Miriam founded Mim Design in 2000. Based on Bond Street in South Yarra, Mim Design is a mid-sized studio with a team of 25 that delivers design projects from individual and multi-residential, through to hospitality, hotel and retail.

In 2017 Miriam was a proud recipient of a place in the Dulux DIAlogue Tour visiting Stockholm and the London Design Festival where she and her fellow designers were given the chance to share in creative inspiration encouraging design diversity.

Miriam believes in being continually inspired by surrounding environments and seeks a strong sense of design and rational use of purpose for each individual project. Miriam sees every project as a design opportunity to think differently and bring fresh timeless ideas, along with tailored planning and sense of proportion.