Your space is always speaking to you.
The question is, what is it saying?
Most spaces are designed to look beautiful.
But a space that truly works, that makes you exhale the moment you walk in, that holds you gently at the end of a long day, that makes everyone who enters it feel somehow more themselves.
That requires something more than aesthetics.
It requires intention. Sensitivity. A deep understanding of how the human senses experience a space before the mind has even formed an opinion.
This is sensory-led interior design. And it is what I do.
INSPIRING SENSORY-LED INTERIOR DESIGN
I’m Michelle Canny, an interior designer with over 10 years of experience creating spaces that are designed to be felt, not just seen.
My work sits at the intersection of interior design, emotional wellbeing and sensory experience. Every project begins not with what looks beautiful, but with what feels beautiful and builds outward from there.
I work with homeowners who want their space to truly feel like them, and with boutique property owners and accommodation hosts who understand that the guest experience begins the moment someone walks through the door.
Five-time Houzz Best of Design and Service Award winner 2022 – 2026
You are in the right place if...
You walk into your home and feel a quiet tension rather than relief.
You know your space could feel better, you just don't know where to start.
You've tried adding more - more furniture, more décor and it still doesn't feel right.
You're an accommodation host who wants guests to feel genuinely cared for from the moment they arrive.
You believe that how a space feels is just as important as how it looks.
You're ready to stop tolerating a space that doesn't support you and start living in one that does.
tHERE ARE TWO WAYS TO WORK WITH ME...
Both rooted in the same sensory-led philosophy, tailored to where you are and what you need.
"When I design a space, I don't start with what looks beautiful. I start with what feels beautiful." — Michelle Canny
FREE E-Book!
Sensory Design
Enhancing Wellbeing Through the Senses
This free e-book helps you create a home that feels calm, supportive, and aligned with your everyday needs. Through simple sensory design tips, you’ll learn how to use colour, texture, sound, scent, and layout to support emotional wellbeing—especially for sensory-sensitive households.
Interior Design Services
Sensory-led interior design for spaces that restore, connect and inspire.
Whether you’re refining a single room, designing a boutique accommodation or creating a wellness focused retreat space, Michelle approaches ever project through the lens of sensory experience.
Each space is carefully considered through, texture, lighting, material choices, spatial flow, atmosphere and emotional connection.
The result?
Spaces that don’t just photograph beautifully but genuinely support the people within them.
Based in Sydney it made it tricky for us to come up at the drop of a hat to help with the project. Michelle single handedly managed the whole process from clearing the old furniture from the unit, accepting all the deliveries of new furniture and then assembling and styling the space with new furniture and styling items. Michelle stuck to our budget and kept us well informed throughout the project. She exceeded our expectations in every way and created a home away from home for us to enjoy.”
She kept us up to date with regular communication, alerting us to construction issues, providing design advice and progress photos that greatly reassured us. The finishes that Michelle achieved with the suppliers is outstanding and surpassed our high expectations. We highly recommend working with Michelle on any project you have, large or small. She's great.”
I would recommend Michelle without hesitation to anyone that wants to create a special space and doesn't have the skill or knowledge to do it on their own. You won't get a cookie cutter design or a "gone fishing" sign in your beach house! I look forward to working with Michelle again in the near future when I build my own home.
Thank you Michelle, you are wonderful!”
Michelle went above and beyond in what we agreed to and we deeply appreciate her commitment. When we considered Michelle's modest fee and the really beautiful end result, it was well worth, what we consider (as a percentage of the total renovation) a small investment to have our place looking and feeling like "our place" and something we will love for years to come.”
I love the end result- it is stunning. With an incredibly bust life I couldn't have survived without Michelle. From selection, to ordering to delivery and styling Michelle covers everything.
A pleasure to work with. Highly recommend.”