In 2025 once again reminded us just how incredibly clever Australian architects are.
Amongst the most popular architectural homes we featured this year are a charming pink 1950s brick bungalow, a family cottage with a spectacular soaring extension (totally hidden from the street), and an art deco home that proves simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
See them all below!
Inside Ararat House by SJB. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
A view into the kitchen. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
Greenery softens the robust material palette. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
The playful kitchen. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
This charming 1950s brick house in regional Victoria was renovated as a ‘gift’ from the architect to his parents, who were downsizing from their family home of 50 years.
SJB director Adam Haddow gave the old bungalow a tonal makeover, playing with warm pink and red hues to create a modest, accessible, and fun home for their next chapter of life.
Castlemaine slate crazy paving from Yarrabee & Castlemaine Stone. Photo – Tom Ross.
The restored circa 1930s facade of Goodwin House by Olaver Architecture. Photo – Tom Ross.
Olaver Architecture designed the restoration of this circa 1930s house to balance its heritage character and engage with its Glen Iris surroundings — elements both lacking in previous renovations.
The architects removed an unsympathetic earlier western addition, creating space for a new side courtyard on the corner site.
A relatively low fence allows residents to engage with passersby, creating a home better connected to its neighbourhood, context, and garden.
Rug by Loom. Artwork by Ted May. Custom wall light by Volker Haug. Large black timber vessel by Tom Dixon. Tokyo Chaise by Charlotte Perriand for Cassina. Kyoto coffee table by Gianfranco Frattini. Terrazzo side table by Thomas Coward. Vintage Grand Italia sofa by Lomazzi-De Pas-D’Urbino for Zanotta. Chair by Bruno Mathsson. Basket and face mask from Pan After. Glass blown lamp by Misseu. Photo – Sean Fennessy
Togo Sofa by Ligne Roset from DOMO in custom velvet. Black ceramic on coffee table from Eun Ceramics. Vintage Alanda coffee table. Painting by Patrick Francis. Photographic print by Derek Swalwell. Photo – Sean Fennessy
Terrazzo on benchtop from Artedomus. Artwork by Ella Dunn from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Ceramic on bench by Peta Marie. Egyptian limestone tiles from RMS Natural Stone. Cabinetry in American walnut by Guy Phelan. Appliances by Fisher & Paykel. Photo – Sean Fennessy
Adriana Hanna has exceptional taste.
After 18 years working with Kennedy Nolan, the Melbourne-based architect has officially gone out on her own, and the recently completed renovation of her own family home serves as a testing ground for some of her bravest ideas.
The latest stage of the renovation presents a contemporary reimagining of the living areas, harmonised with the original Tudor revival architecture, through the unifying use of warm timber and arts and crafts motifs.
Adriana is always analysing, refining, and learning, but the house is complete — for now!
The lounge in the original part of the house remains as it was. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
The singular and simple form of the extension is ‘beautiful, pragmatic and cost-effective’. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
Boston Oak joinery by Polytec. Island bench painted Dulux Chinchilla Chenille. Photo – Martina Gemmola.
The renovation brief for this art deco home called for more space and a greater connection to the outdoors. Melbourne architects Fowler and Ward responded not with an overcomplicated solution, but a simple 4.5-metre gable extension.
Although not significant in size, this update has given the family exactly what they asked for — and more — proving that, sometimes, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Silvertop ash clads the new rear exterior at Glint House by Imogen Pullar Architecture. Photo – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming.
Landscape design by Mcnuttndorff Landscapes. Photo – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming.
Terrazzo from Fibonacci Stone. Island bench cabinetry under powder coated in Dulux Carmen Miranda. Photo – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming.
Painting on left by Maggie Green. Sequence Table by Coco Flip. Rug by Loom. Wall hanging by Maryanne Moodie. Banquette cushions by Vanessa Taranto Interiors. Terrazzo from Fibonacci Stone. Island bench cabinetry under powder coated in Dulux Carmen Miranda. Photo – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming.
The family owners of this Edwardian home in Preston had long lived in small spaces that limited their ability to host guests.
Their new house needed to be different, so they called on Imogen Pullar Architecture to design a thoughtful renovation.
By reconfiguring the existing double storey floor plan and adding just 23 square metres, the renovation has unlocked the property’s potential as a generous and energy efficient family home.
Harvest House is a renovated Victorian worker’s cottage in Flemington. Photo – Tom Ross. Styling – Jess Kneebone.
Expansive sliding glass doors frame views of the sunny backyard. Photo – Tom Ross. Styling – Jess Kneebone.
Hidden details like pocket doors, concealed flyscreens are some of Chris’ favourite details in the house. Photo – Tom Ross. Styling – Jess Kneebone.
The curved ceiling is a nod to Robin Boyd’s Walsh Street House. Photo – Tom Ross. Styling – Jess Kneebone.
Back in 2018, Cera Stribley co-founder and principal architect Chris Stribley bought a dilapidated Victorian worker’s cottage in Melbourne with hopes of turning it into his own family home.
He got to work making it liveable, moved in, and then the pandemic hit. The silver lining was it gave him time to fall in love with the expansive backyard and harvesting his own produce, while he dreamt up the next iteration of the renovation.
This is what ultimately shaped the wholesome project known as Harvest House — where earthy materials embody the same warmth of a modernist gem, and nature takes centre stage.
Alpha House by Studio Prineas is a renovation and extension of a Sydney home. Photo – Anson Smart. Styling – Clare Del Mar
The addition of a lightwell suspends the living and dining room between landscapes. Photo – Anson Smart. Styling – Clare Del Mar
Inside the upstairs bedroom. Caramel Linen Bedcover by In Bed. Photo – Anson Smart. Styling – Clare Del Mar
The kitchen. Tiberio Stone from Artedomus. American White Oak from Briggs Veneer. Highline Pendant Light by Archier. Diiva Swivel Stool by Grazia and Co. Photo – Anson Smart. Styling – Clare Del Mar
This federation home in Sydney’s lower North Shore has been adapted to accommodate a family of five — all at very different stages of life.
Studio Prineas were tasked with creating a contemporary extension that would embrace the site’s sprawling gardens, without being visible from the street.
The resulting Alpha House now balances colour-blocked spaces with classic features, and there’s enough room for the whole family inside.
The house opens up to embrace the elements. Photo – Anne Stroud. Styling – Tilly Roberts.
Grey ironbark timber lines the interiors.
The linkway between the bedroom and living pavilions. Select ceramics by Sawpit Studios.
Inside Ochre House by MyMyMy Architecture.
With its bold Colorbond-clad exterior and timber lined interior, Ochre House by MyMyMy Architecture offers a contemporary take on regional living.
The striking home takes inspiration from the typography of traditional shearing sheds and the vibrant hues of Australia’s native landscapes to create a utilitarian yet elevated residence — where the owners can thrive living off-grid, just outside Canberra.
Carlton Cottage is the family home of the principal architects behind Lovell Burton. Photo – Rory Gardiner.
The unassuming facade also encourages interaction with the street. Photo – Rory Gardiner.
The glass pivot doors allow for seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Photo – Rory Gardiner.
The island bench with a cooktop allows for interaction while meals are being prepared. Photo – Rory Gardiner.
The kitchen is neatly tucked below the mezzanine. Photo – Rory Gardiner.
For architects Stephanie Burton and Joseph Lovell, renovating their own inner Melbourne worker’s cottage meant defining their ideal of what a family home should look like.
The couple behind Lovell Burton retained the original 1870s structure and replaced its incongruous additions with a ‘patchwork’ of adaptable new living spaces interwoven between gardens.
Their ethos was ‘loose fit, long life’: prioritising flexible zones designed to evolve as their young children grow up.
The view of the addition from the garden. Photo – Tom Ross.
Coburg House by CARD. Photo – Tom Ross.
Before its recent renovation, this delightful family home was abandoned for over a decade, leaving it without a kitchen, no bathroom, a hole in a roof and an outdoor toilet.
But with help from architects CARD, the crumbling brick cottage was salvaged and reimagined to include a light-filled extension with budget-friendly materials.
