In a Room is a conversation series where we ask our friends to share their favourite domestic spaces. For this edition we’re joined by writer and editor Myffy Rigby.
Myffy is one of Australia’s most distinctive food voices, known for her sharp wit, deep curiosity, and unmatched ability to translate the culture of dining into words. A long-time restaurant critic, Good Food Guide Editor, and Qantas Insider travel writer, Myffy now hosts Yes Chef — a video produced by Rare Medium where she visits standout restaurants, tastes their signature dishes, and learns how to make them at home. Whether she’s writing, interviewing, or eating, her work always lives in the delicious space where storytelling and hospitality meet.
In this edition, Myffy reflects on the rooms that have shaped her: from a childhood spent in a lighthouse keeper’s cottage to the kitchens where conversation flows as freely as the wine. As a lifelong renter, she speaks candidly about creating warmth and character in impermanent spaces, with art, books, and intention doing the heavy lifting. Her reflections are funny, generous, and grounded in the kind of intimacy that turns any room—no matter how temporary—into something that feels like home.
Myffy Rigby
Photo by Nikki To
Which room are you in today?
I'm currently in my office, a cosy little space where I keep all my cookbooks. I like to think being surrounded by all those wonderful culinary voices helps me write a little better.
Which room is the heart of your home?
The kitchen, for sure. My love language is cooking, and it's how I best express myself.
Is there a room from your past that has stayed with you?
I grew up in one of the lighthouse keeper's cottages at the Byron Bay lighthouse. Every night, I'd go to sleep with the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliff and, because it's the most easterly point of Australia, I'd get the first sunrise in the country through my bedroom window. It was really special. I also had two pet baby goats who used to sleep in my room with me. It must have stunk. .
What makes a room feel like home and not just a space?
I think it comes down to the energy and the intent. I'm a lifelong renter and no matter where I've lived - and I've lived in some serious mould palaces - I've always been able to see past it and create a great atmosphere. I think indoor plants can really help, along with indirect lighting, soft furnishings and as much art as a wall can take.
What sort of rooms do you try and avoid?
Rooms with no books in them. I don't trust people who don't have books - they're constant companions to me. Even if a person has no style or expression of their own, if they have a pile of books, the room will automatically be beautiful. .
Is there a kind of room you’re always drawn to?
I'm always drawn to the kitchen, in anybody's home. It's the place where the action happens. If you're feeling shy at a party, hanging out in the kitchen and doing a little job automatically makes you part of the action. It's the one room where you're not compelled to sit down, and I think that brings its own type of energy, too. I love sitting at bars in restaurants, being close to the industry, feeling like you can catch a little bit of their vibe. .
What is your all time favourite room?
My favourite fictional room is the roof on Linda Radlett's apartment in Nancy Mitford's 1945 novel, In Pursuit of Love. There's this beautiful scene where she's sunbathing with her French bulldog puppy without a care in the world, while the rest of London is being bombed around her. Outside of the obvious issues of the aristocracy and everything that comes with it, it's just the most stunning visual from a time when the outrageously rich really knew how to spend their money. .
"In Pursuit of Love" by Nancy Mitford
