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Beachside towns were once dotted with simple fibro beach shacks. This modern home reinterprets that classic style.

Tucked away on a treed site on Australia's beautiful Great Ocean Road, Treehouse takes in stunning ocean and tree views.

Internal courtyards are the answer to finding natural daylight and preventing overlooking issues in this inner-city renovation.

The reordering and extension of this Art Deco home frames a view of an existing and prolific cumquat tree at the rear of the property.

This heritage home has been renovated with new living spaces. A covered outdoor space ties all these new spaces together.

Never underestimate the power of a well-designed outdoor living area to transform your home. This clever verandah is a great example.

Melaleuca House was designed to embrace an outdoor lifestyle for a family relocating from Darwin to more rural Howard Springs.

Parts of the original house are left intact to create sheltered outdoor areas in this renovation, grounding the home to its history.

Somers Courtyard House is a low maintenance home to accommodate an expanding family with regular guests. The best part? It's completely off-grid!

Like all good beach houses, Marcus Beach House explores lightness, filtering natural breezes and integrating indoor/outdoor spaces.

For less than the price of a new car, a rusty old shipping container is transformed into a stunning guest house. What a bargain!

Haberfield House demonstrates an innovative response to restrictive heritage controls in an historical neighborhood.

Yarra Street House is a pavilion-style extension designed to fit perfectly with a family who loves cooking, outdoor living and entertaining in style.

Paling Fence House by NASA (National Architecture Space Agency) manages to fit a modern and spacious family home into an Australian suburban backyard.

Discover how a dated 1950s brick house was masterfully renovated into a stunning, light-filled contemporary home in Melbourne.

An L-shaped floor plan creates sheltered outdoor space, maximises the view and builds in flexibility to this beautiful home.

By using similar colours, materials and proportions as the original home without copying it, this addition fits in effortlessly.

Previously a general store, this South Melbourne terrace is now a light-filled family home while retaining its character and quirks.

Ultimately council agreed to let them make some changes behind this heritage facade, convinced no one on the street would be the wiser.

The secret to this Tiny Haus's success? Creating easy access to the outdoors, so 32 square metres doesn't feel like 32 square metres.

A tired 1970s apartment undergoes a massive transformation without relocating structure or services.

As soon as you enter the front door of this 1950s home, you are drawn to the light and openness of the new, rear addition.

Buying an extra slice of land from the owners' corporation enabled this 1960s one-bedroom unit to become a modern three-bedroom home.

We love to get out and enjoy the backyard, but too often our homes are disconnected from our outdoor spaces. Here's what you can do...

No, it's not a Clive Palmer/Gina Rinehart franken-baby. It's a suburban beach house with a view.

Dealing with poor orientation this North-facing cloistered space acts as circulation and additional indoor/outdoor living space.

This modern beach house wraps around courtyards and open spaces to blur the lines between inside and out - perfect for a beach retreat.

A playful rear addition maximises the possibilities for outdoor living, while bringing light and fresh breezes into the living area.

This apartment renovation in the middle of one of Sydney's busiest suburbs still manages to capture the relaxed nature of a beach house…

Two homes. Both owned by the same family. A new extension designed to flank the rear of both homes to provide extra space.

Do you prefer the charm of traditional homes? But you also like to have a modern kitchen, spacious rooms, and open plan living areas. Perforated House proves you can have both — even if you build a new house from scra...

Have you ever considered a house reduction as opposed to an extension? That's what MAKE Architecture did for their clients in their project, House Reduction.

Who would have thought a modest red brick project home could be hiding so much potential. The transformation is stunning...

The neighbours once dubbed this home the ugly duckling of the street, now they're green with envy at this stunning entertainer.

Access to natural light is so important, yet often overlooked. With thoughtful design, your home can be light and bright year-round.

You don't envisage a townhouse when you think of country town living, but this architect's own home is perfect for her family.

Once home to the local milkman, this quaint cottage has been transformed into a light and bright home with a surprising sense of space.

At 52 square metres, this two-storey terrace was about the same size as a two-bedroom apartment, now there's space to entertain guests.

This modular home was designed and built off-site and then transported to its remote location where it now takes in stunning views.

A long, thin addition on the southern boundary allows this home to maximise the amount of natural light and create an outdoor room.

Making the complex seem effortless in this addition on a tapering block was not easy, but the results are phenomenal.

These retirees packed up their life in Western Victoria to move to Barwon Heads. What lifestyle would you want out of a seachange?

Looking for a simpler lifestyle and to indulge their passion for horses, this modern home for their acreage is perfection.

A home for a couple and a separate home for their adult children. Plus it's on a very public, very tricky triangular site!

A new opening with integrated seating transforms this home from dated colonial-style, to modern, minimal and cool. What a difference!

A double-storey addition sensitively extends the original home, unfurling from the original roofline to create a light-filled home.

Queenslander-style homes capture breezes and create shaded, naturally cool living spaces. This addition takes it to the next level.

To grab light without taking over the backyard, this addition pops its head over the original home, saying peekaboo to the street!

Like an annexe attached to the side of this solid home, BENT Annexe is an open-plan living area that feels more like a garden room.

The careful siting of this new home helps it take full advantage of the sun and embrace a beautiful, bushy site.

On a long, narrow site, a courtyard is cleverly cut into this addition to allow the sun to stream into new living spaces.

Sometimes the constraints that can make a project more difficult end up creating something unique and wonderful.

Bucking the trend of bigger houses on smaller blocks, this compact home borrows outdoor light and views to feel more spacious.

Like many un-renovated inner-city homes, the bathroom of this Melbourne workers cottage had the best light and views in the house!

Careful to leave much of this heritage building intact, the architects have created new spaces above and behind the existing home.

Combining rich, raw materials and plenty of natural light, this compact living area feels larger and more luxurious than its footprint.

Designing a family home is challenging because the family's needs change as they grow, that's why you have to plan for change.

Built almost entirely from concrete, this striking new home makes a solid statement. It's also pretty good advertising for the owners!

The entire ground floor of this house has become one continuous indoor/outdoor space thanks to a well conceived alteration and addition.

The curse of the modern open-plan home? Noise. With flexible social spaces, parents in this house can entertain separately to the kids.

A series of courtyards weave this modern extension into the original home. A sensitive departure from the typical add-on.

A warm new home for a young family wraps around a courtyard space to create a protected area for the kids to play and the family to enjoy the stunning ocean views.

A sculptural timber pod conceals the bathroom and laundry, allowing the living area to flow seamlessly into the garden on two sides.

By creating outdoor covered spaces for dining and car parking Laneway House manages to pack a lot of space onto a tight site.

Sliding cedar shutters provide this otherwise glass box with shelter, privacy and a camouflage cloak — preparing it for every situation.

If you like living alfresco, you'll love the way Northbridge House 2 takes advantage of Sydney's climate to maximise indoor and outdoor spaces.

The Barrow extension appears as an arrangement of timber boxes, each independently rotated and subjected to varying amounts of extruding and manipulating forces.

By replacing space lost to the renovation with a roof deck, Stick House ensures not a millimetre of outdoor space is sacrificed.

A versatile multi-functional extension can become completely open to the outdoors, or close down for protection from the elements.

It can be a challenge to enjoy indoor/outdoor living without sacrificing your privacy. Birchgrove House achieves the perfect balance.

At Beachcroft Orth Residence, screens and glazed garage doors allow internal spaces to spill into the outdoors.

Islington House brings sunlight deep into the home and shows off the personality of its owners. A unique home for a unique couple.

Unlike most renovations, Park Lane House isn't tucked away in a backyard -- it's out there for all to see.

As the name suggests, Convertible Courtyard House is a home that's as adaptable as a convertible car - rain, hail or shine, this house has you covered.

The Dragonfly is a self-contained addition to an existing holiday home. It maximizes views and appreciation of the site as a model for compact living.

A Brisbane red brick spec home was showing its age. Architect James Russell cleverly transformed the dated home into a bright and modern courtyard house.

You wouldn't expect a modest, low-budget renovation in Sydney's luxe suburb Tamarama. Despite the budget, this house has some Tamarama glamor -- Glamarama.

This family want to live in their home forever. They just need an architect to create a home to suit them for years to come -- in just 3.6 meters width.

A single tea tree on the site of this beach house became the focus of the project. The aim became to showcase nature, rather than try to dominate and control it.

Brunswick House is restrained and space-efficient, but surprising spaces like a rooftop terrace provide a new perspective on its eclectic neighborhood.

Venus Bay Bach is a beach home built on a tight budget, but spacious enough to house family and friends for the weekend. And it doesn't ignore the views...

This Art Deco home renovation references the original to create a home that is full of character and perfect for modern living.

Architect attempts to design her own renovation of a 1950s stunner while heavily pregnant. What could possibly go wrong?

Responding to its unique landscape and climate, this home is the kind we should be building in Australia, not more McMansions.

Transforming a run-down, dark and poorly insulated Californian Bungalow into a comfortable, efficient and sustainable home...

Opening up the back of this semi to light and the backyard has created the perfect entertainer.

The owners of this coastal block enjoyed years of beach holidays before deciding to build. Here's how it shaped their home...

With the water at the back door and a lush tropical courtyard bringing in light and breezes, this duplex has the best of both worlds.

The front verandah of this Californian Bungalow is reinterpreted at the rear of the home to create a shady outdoor living space.

Not that you'd know it now, but this sleek, modern-Japanese-inspired home was once a tired '70s brick pad and what a transformation!

Creating a light-filled addition where the garden and outdoor spaces feel like an extension of the living areas for year-round use.

Rather than relocate, this family decided on a Queenslander renovation to create the home of their dreams in the street they love.

A new 60 square metre addition creates a bright and modern living space for this inner-city home.

Perfect for entertaining, this new living pavilion at the back of a 1910s home is light, airy and open to the backyard.

An addition which doesn't overshadow the original heritage house, but improves the home's spaciousness, access to light and the yard.

This home, inspired by a jewellery box, is perfect for your most treasured people and possessions: beautiful, safe and ordered.

Even a block in a typical housing estate can benefit from an architect's touch, creating a home that's a joy to live in year-round...

Transforming a 1980s house into a warehouse loft-inspired home involved removing the roof but the results are more than worth it!

Passive solar principles, high-quality yet affordable materials and thoughtful design brings high-quality housing within reach.

Three distinct pavilions create the breathing room needed for maximum light and breezes on this narrow inner-city block.

Pooling for a pool: would you join forces with your parents to create the ultimate inner-city pad complete with a rooftop pool?

Bringing together all the things they loved from previous houses, their new home represents the good life for this family of five.

This post-war brick house has been transformed into a stylish modern home with a thoughtful addition and creative reworking.

Some clever solutions mean even a home on a long, narrow block can capture scenic, wraparound views of the ocean.

If you're squeezed for space but can't justify the disruption and cost of either moving or renovating, this might be the answer...

With only minor changes over its 50-year life, this mid-century home retained its original charm but desperately needed a little TLC.

Full of light and opening onto the pool and outdoor area, this modern pavilion is the perfect addition to this heritage home.

This flexible beach house is the perfect surf trips big and small because it's focussed on the outdoors to create extra living space.

A back deck completely transforms the functionality of this home, creating a hub connecting living areas with the backyard.

The practicality of a classic hat proves the perfect design inspiration for an off-grid home in Australia's outback.

If you focus on the basics first in sustainable house design, everything else becomes a bonus and your reduce greenwashing overwhelm.

Embracing the garden with a huge double-height space, 7 metre-wide door and patterned screen which fills the home with dappled shade.

New living areas and a backyard studio centred around a landscaped courtyard make this home perfect for current and future generations.

Running the two homes perpendicular to the street allows this dual occupancy design to maximise views and maintain privacy.

A new two-storey addition transforms Bill and Kate's home, connecting it to the backyard and creates dramatic interior spaces.

When you've got a tight block, you need to use every square centimetre. That's how you make a compact home feel spacious.

Bringing a sense of space and plenty of natural light to a narrow block is tough, but clever design and engineering make it possible.

This environmentally-considerate home is carefully planned to ensure it's compact yet spacious: the least house necessary.

A new covered deck is the showpiece of this home's transformation, drawing its owners out to enjoy the backyard.

Can a house be both a cosy refuge and open to the outdoors to create a breezy outdoor room? In this case, it can!

By designing a new, open-plan addition to this heritage home, the owner has a light-filled space to inspire his creativity.

Extending heritage homes respectfully is a challenge. Allowing this addition to recede into the shadows was the sensitive approach.

At this minimal home, the space in between the living area and bedrooms is just as crucial as the spaces themselves.

We've heard of tiny houses and micro-apartments, but could a micro addition be the answer to your space issues? Let's see...

Splitting this home into two separate pavilions creates flexible spaces which also solves a number of challenges.

A decked courtyard connects this existing home and extension, providing light, breezes and an indoor-outdoor connection to old and new.

These owners decided to work with what they had rather than start afresh. The result is a functional and character-filled home.

It's a tale as old as time: dark, dank terrace seeks space and light. And yet architects are still finding new ways to tell the story.

If there's an old tree in your backyard, don't cut it down to make way for your new reno. Instead, make it the centrepiece.

With open-plan living and shared sleeping areas all opening onto the outdoors, this is a home to connect with nature and each other.

Breaking out of the old, brown-brick home, this new glass box for living is surrounded by birdlife and the sounds of insects at dusk.

Blessed with a large block in a good area, this family decided to downsize in the backyard, in spite of the constraints.

In a street of single-storey timber houses, this playful new home reinterprets its neighbours so it feels at home in the street.

By dividing a complicated inner-city block into a patchwork, a new home sits comfortably between heritage buildings and gritty laneway.

The kitchen is the heart of Chef and Restaurateur, Scott Pickett's home, making it the perfect place to entertain friends and family.

By opening up to kitchen to the living area and creating a better connection to the deck, this apartment makes better use of its space.

A home near Noosa is designed for the area's sub-tropical climate and to maximise the owner's enjoyment of the bush setting.

With a good architect, much of the stress of building can be alleviated. This home was renovated while the owners were overseas!

Built for a family bursting with creative souls, this shack needed to be as stylish and as interesting as the people living in it.

A home set in an expansive garden is divided and sheltered into quadrants by cross-shaped Gabion baskets, creating a variety of spaces.

Measuring in at just 11 square metres of additional space, this tiny addition punches above its weight for its size.

A building at the bottom of this Perth garden contains a music studio and sleeping loft while connecting to semi-outdoor living areas.

A home for entertainers who also travel a lot. Claremont Residence expands for parties or locks down when the owners are away.

These two cabins have become something much grander than the typical granny flat or affordable beach shack they're usually used for...

A compact weatherboard cottage explodes from the sides of a prefabricated shed to provide space for an illustrator to live and work.

The use of up to 75 per cent recycled timber as structure and cladding brings warmth and variety to this modern beach house.

'I want it to be kite-shaped' said no potential homeowner ever. And yet with this unusual site, a kite-shaped plan works well.

A disorganised and poorly oriented extension to the rear of heritage listed home is reconfigured into a beautiful open-plan space.

This welcoming house has a verandah so generous it blurs the line between a courtyard house and a traditional Australian verandah.

Rectifying a poorly planned '90s renovation this new courtyard arrangement lets in plenty of light and feels more spacious than ever.

A timber exoskeleton-like structure allows Great Barrier House to open onto its surrounds while lifting towards a hill to the west.

Seal Rocks House takes the qualities of a family home and distills them down to the basics to suit leisure and the serene seaside site.

Long Courtyard House reorients the typical courtyard to the side of the house to bring in North light and create indoor/outdoor living.

This weekend beach holiday house is a flexible and comfortable home that can expand to host family and friends when required.

A new house set in a compact urban site, Woollahra House has a relaxed yet rich garden landscape of indoor and outdoor rooms.

A cleverly designed holiday home enjoys beach views and opens directly to the garden but is screened by a mature Pohutukawa tree.

At House 3 there's enough space for three generations of the one family to live comfortably together despite a tight site.

Sean Godsell Architects explore the traditional verandah to create a stunning beach home sheltered from the extremes of coastal life.

A large suburban home for an extended family in the suburbs doesn't need to look and feel like a cookie cutter McMansion…

A tight inner-city site is transformed with double height spaces and floor-to-ceiling, seamlessly connecting the indoors and outdoors.

Bridport Residence extension grabs northern light and creates a quiet safe haven to the rear of the property.

With the help of friends and neighbours this beautifully crafted home was realised on a budget closer to a caravan than a family home.

In this case, the Green House effect is the impact light and air can make to a family home for a florist…

Architect Peter Miglis lists “light, space, and air” as the elements that form great architecture; he has incorporated all three into his own home.

An original modernist home is extended out and up to create more flexible space for the modern family.

A reinterpretation of a traditional terrace home keeps council happy, while a series of courtyards inject life into the home.

James Russell Architects' distinctive tropical style shines through in this climate-sensitive weatherboard house extension.

At Datum House the ceiling height, rather than extra square meters, creates a generous and varied sense of space (without the cost).

Nestled within the undulated roofline of Fitzroy’s famed MacRobertson building sits a warehouse conversion and roof terrace with a difference…

This small house is sustainable, low-maintenance, affordable and it's pre-fab so it arrives (practically) ready to move into.

Talk about a constrained site - this light-filled addition is a small inner city block sandwiched between 14 adjacent properties.

This 'Bach' - a New Zealand term for a small holiday shack - is built inside a shipping container. It's a self-contained, portable, and fun retreat for a family of four.

A stronger connection to the exterior courtyards with concealed sliding doors, for access to light, fresh air and aspect.

A house inspired by 20th Century naval camouflage. There's something you don't hear everyday…

Welsh and Major Architects transform a late Victorian, inner Sydney home in a garden room.

The Great Ocean Road House proves that extraordinary locations sometimes call for a simple architectural solution.

A bayside extension clad inside and out in timber battens blurs the functional and decorative.

A modern home with great views, connection to the outdoors and a stellar location -- on a site the size of an average suburban garage.

A fun extension for a young family is unashamedly contemporary, but takes its architectural cues from the house it expands on.

Parure House in Melbourne's inner suburb Kensington is a matching set of separate architectural ideas. It displays a richness of detail and experience.

Bisley Place House is a suburban home built for family life and interaction. Bending the rules creates an incredible indoor-outdoor space for the family.

Elm and Willow House's walls seem to vanish. The living area is neither indoor, nor outdoor space -- the entire yard becomes a part of the house.

Tattoo House takes the conflicting wishes of the client, neighbors and council and creates a surprisingly leafy compromise everyone is delighted with.

Like a sunflower, Turnaround House grows from the existing home, turning to face the sun. Once dark and cramped, now light and airy -- what a turnaround!

Fairfield Hacienda offers an alternative to the often wasted front yard. MRTN Architects have created a sunny, private courtyard at the front of the house.

Discover how a dilapidated property was reborn as a stunning, sustainable Passive House, blending modern needs with classic charm.

This old home needed rebuilding from the stumps up, but the result is an energy-efficient, all-electric family home.

Transformation of a century-old cottage into a share house for mother and adult daughter with space for bonding and personal retreats.

Discover how a 58m² two-story home optimises space for three generations, ensuring privacy and comfort in a compact family home design.

Ditch the retirement village with this private accessible luxury retirement home filled with light and sustainability features...

Most terraces are dark and pokey, but with pops of colour and a full-width opening to the garden, this home is bright and full of fun.

With just 75 square metres and an awkward floor plan, this downsizing couple have a stunning, space-efficient and functional home.

A two-storey addition to a Queenslander cottage which avoids raising the original home without taking up too much backyard space...

With a national park as its backyard, the location is stunning, but there were some challenges to overcome with this country home...

What does the dream home of a multi-creative look like? Beautiful details, a relaxed beach house vibe and a healthy splash of colour.

Two pavilions offset to capture light and views and create a sheltered courtyard help this home look and feel much larger than it is.

Much of the charm of this original Edwardian cottage had been removed, painted over and, in some cases, plastered over.

Creating a modern home that takes advantage of its semi-rural setting with plenty of mid-century flair is no simple task...

Courtyard design using robust materials for a low-maintenance home that will age gracefully - perfect for a couple looking to retire.

Previously an overgrown garden and outbuildings, this space is now the perfect self-contained guest retreat facing a rear laneway.

Old homes are full of character. By carefully marrying old and new in a renovation, you can retain some of that warmth and personality.

With stunning bush and ocean views, this home is perched to soak it all in and create a space for relaxation and rejuvenation.

While retaining as much of the original house for cost and environmental reasons, this home is completely transformed.

Clad in native timber, Silvertop House is at home in the country or the 'burbs and you can purchase the plans to build it on your block!

For a client who lives alone, this renovation was about creating the perfect home for their lifestyle, not more space.

Good design means you can live larger with less, meaning this compact home feels bright, spacious and surrounded by greenery.

Constructed from two shipping containers, this tiny house embraces the landscape and can even be relocated to a new site.

A pigeon pair of townhouses allow two brothers and their young families to live side-by-side; the perfect place to raise their kids.

A house can become dysfunctional as poorly planned renovations alter the layout and strip away original details. But it can be fixed!

Getting light into living areas with a south-facing backyard is tricky. Here it's handled elegantly for an efficient and bright home.

A series of expert moves brings in more light, improves livability and connects this terrace to its courtyard all without extending.

Bungalows are charming homes, but they tend to be dark. This addition finds a way to bring light into the depths of this bungalow.

To create space for the kids as they grow, this new bedroom wing sits beautifully in the landscape and meets BAL requirements.

On a tricky, but naturally beautiful battle-axe site, this home celebrates its assets and minimises its drawbacks.

Creative ways to bring more light into the home, even when the backyard doesn't get much sun, makes this home light-filled and airy.

Transforming a 1960s apricot-brick unit into the perfect bachelor pad meant rethinking the space and adapting what was already there...

This studio was designed to minimise costs by maximising efficiency, creating a flexible space that was largely prefabricated off-site.

Modern homes can be criticised for lacking character, but modern doesn't need to equal sterile.

From the street, all you can see is a sliver of the stunning new addition, designed to protect the heritage value of the original home.

Every good architectural story needs a hero. In this renovation, it's a striking bookshelf which screens a work-from-home space...

This addition to a post-war brick home has a trick up its sleeve to guarantee access to sunlight despite the backyard facing south.

This 1980s-era home already had a stellar location. Thanks to an internal reno, it has everything else you'd want in a home, too...

It's amazing how high ceilings can offer your home an extra sense of space, just take a look at this light and bright example...

With its lush, wild setting, this home could be worlds away from the city and that's exactly what the owners wanted to achieve.

Designed for simple living to enjoy the surrounds, this home uses naturally beautiful materials to create a relaxing bush retreat.

An avid collector needed a place to display and enjoy his assortment of quirky objects. Enter Über Shed 2, a shed/rumpus room/gallery.

Originally a parsonage for the neighbouring church, this historic home has been transformed with a contemporary addition.

This new home in a semi-rural estate balances a sense of space with a need for privacy so the shift from the farm life isn't so hard.

On the corner of two main thoroughfares, a new room conceived as a large balcony gives this home a way to connect with the community.

Creating a home for an introvert and an extrovert means balancing openness with a need for privacy; prospect and refuge.

A refined and considered home in a new estate shows the power of using an architect versus buying off-the-plan from a bulk builder.

Oftentimes when you feel like you need 'more house', the answer is actually to rethink the way your existing house functions...

A thin addition to this home creates new living spaces, but the bonus is a courtyard created by leaving space between existing and new.

With a block of just 117 square metres, this inner-city reno required some creative thinking to make the most of all available space...

The neighbours are shifting uncomfortably in their seats as this new kid on the block shows them what modern living should look like...

This space-defying addition proves just because you don't have a lot of space to extend doesn't mean you can't make a big impact.

This granny (and gramps) flat is the perfect place for a retired couple to call home: close to family, yet private and comfortable.

Using passive design techniques, this new living space embraces the outdoors and will be comfortable year-round without relying on AC.

This retired couple wanted an intimate home for themselves, but what happens when extended family visit? Enter the 'connected plan'...

A total rebuild of this terrace house was required, but glimpses of its history are exposed throughout the house.

Imagine if all our inner-city homes were eco-friendly urban farms: what a difference we could make! Here's what that might look like...

Sadly lighting is an afterthought in many homes, but not here: a special lighting system demonstrates the potential of lighting design.

This 1960s home originally designed by Peter Johnson is updated to take advantage of its location without losing what makes it special.

How do you get sun, light and a sense of space when your block is only 6 metres wide? This home has some solutions for narrow blocks.

This addition to a historic bluestone farmhouse doesn't match the original building, but it pays its respects in its own way...

Revealing the layers beneath this dilapidated home helps to blend old and new, weaving a rich story from the home's existing fabric.

A simple, two-room addition radically transforms the feeling and liveability of this previously dark, introverted home.

This family extended their Queenslander over the years, but something had to be done to pull it all together and make it liveable again.

This laid back holiday home is tough enough to cope with the kids yet luxurious: the perfect escape to create lifetime memories.

A new two-storey addition to the rear is transformational, bringing new light and life to this old, previously neglected home.

A samurai's armour inspires the form and materials of this unique townhouse development, bringing a bit of Japan to the suburbs.

Having lived in the area for 45 years, this downsizer was reluctant to leave. Instead, she built the perfect home in her backyard!

Instead of demolishing this unit, the architects reimagined it, transforming it into a modern and light-filled 3-bedroom home.

An efficiently-planned rear addition to this narrow house creates space and light to grow a family without losing the home's charm.

With modular, off-site construction you can remove the headaches of extending your home and still end up with a beautiful result.

Oriented for passive heating and cooling and taking in stunning views of the landscape, Paddock House feels right at home in the bush.

If the stress of renovating isn't enough for you, here's a way to step it up a gear: base your deadline around the arrival of a baby!

Lean-tos aren't renowned for their good design, but rethinking the classic design led to a functional and flexible home for this family.

With an incredible site just one street from the beach and close to the city, these architects built their ideal family home.

Originally a simple apartment renovation project turned into something more after discovering air rights would allow them to extend...

A modern beach house design replaces the ageing cottage on a property that has been in the family for over 50 years.

A relatively modest-sized home feels more spacious and comfortable thanks to its connection to and interaction with five garden spaces.

Increasingly, multi-generational families are choosing to live together. In this case, how do we design homes which cater for everyone?

A south-facing backyard can feel like a curse, but an unconventional roofline could come to the rescue to let direct natural light in.

A strong visual and physical connection to the garden is achieved without significantly altering this inner-city terrace.

New additions help this home to perform more like a traditional Queenslander, helping it fit perfectly with its site and climate.

Settling into regular life takes some adjustment for a fly-in-fly-out worker who spends a month away from home. This new home helps.

Living near the beach has its pros and cons. A great beach house needs to embrace the sunshine while protecting from cold ocean winds.

Sub-tropical climates require a special approach to design to ensure they are comfortable in the sticky summers and the cool winters.

A new addition prioritises light and a connection to the garden, transforming this 1940s house into an uplifting and modern home.

This modern addition is more like a supporting actor, allowing the charm and beauty of the original home to shine through.

Opening onto a huge deck, with incredible views from every room, you'll never guess what makes this country home so unique.

Just because you have a narrow block without a north-facing backyard doesn't mean you have to sacrifice light, views and ventilation.

Architecture as a political statement. What should our suburbs look like as we attempt to squeeze millions more into our cities?

Rather than dedicate space to rooms that will rarely be used, create versatile spaces and spend your remaining budget on luxuries...

Life can change a lot in 10 years, so what do you do if your home no longer fits in with your life? Move or renovate?

This modern home captures the spirit of mid-century design, with a taste of American diner-style breakfast booths for good measure.

Cubby Office to the rescue! A fun, connected, yet separate space for the kids to play while the parents get back to work.

Old churches can be a challenge to transform into a home. There's the need to balance history and practicality. This is how you do it.

'This house was purchased by Kasimiersz and Lucia in 1955', reads a plaque on the wall. One of the ways this home remembers its past...

Transforming a dark Californian Bungalow into a sun and fun-loving family home with some clever renovation ideas.

A typical Australian home uses the full width of the block and puts a garden in front and out the back; this home is far from typical.

An architect wrestles with the romance of renovating a historic home and the challenge of meeting planning and regulatory requirements.

The rear of this home is redesigned to give an air of spaciousness, with an internal reconfiguration and the addition of two gables.

A family of five create a joyful home with a series of open, colourful and light-filled spaces for their energetic young family.

A dark tunnel transforms into a bright, open space at this Cremorne terrace which celebrates the transition from old to new.

This compact family home uses the power of the sun for heating and cooling, keeping a family of six happy and comfortable.

Metaphors of sailing a yacht or camping out in a tent are conjured in this home on the banks of the Avon River.

This home manages to be thoroughly modern while mimicking the classic gabled form of children's drawings and doll's houses.

A combination of bricks, timber, corrugated iron and translucent sheeting help this home complement its semi-rural landscape.

How does an architect update and extend a home that's been in the family for years? Without whitewashing the history and memories?

Armed with a fun and adventurous brief, the architects of this apartment reno created a family home with surprises around every corner.

An extension designed to appear more like a random collection sheds belies the clever, considered spaces within.

A huge periscope is one way to get light into Westbury Crescent Residence without sacrificing privacy. The clever manipulation of light doesn't stop there!

Just a short walk from the beach and surrounded by Moona trees, a central courtyard is the link between this home and the landscape.

If your neighbours are too close for comfort, focus on natural light. Your home will feel spacious and you'll forget they're there...

A home rich with character is updated to improve comfort, privacy and connection to the landscape without losing its vintage feel.

This professional couple felt constrained by an outdated floor plan that sacrificed living areas for circulation and formal dining...

Dubbed the Urban Cottage, this modern take on a workers' cottage feels fresh and contemporary in-spite of its early colonial roots.

This 1920s home was transformed by an extension that refocusses living areas and a master retreat on a new north-facing courtyard.

Updates to this elegant, but out-of-touch 1940s home hark back to the era it was built - when houses were small but functional.

Built from recycled timber and rusting steel, this Mt Duneed home already looks old, yet is built to last with little maintenance.

These two homes are built on a pier structure that highlights their unique creek-side location near the Mornington foreshore.

House_B is essentially a C-shape, wrapping around a central courtyard to maximise light and breezes to the home. That gets an A+ from us.

In contrast to the neighbouring weatherboard houses, this crisp, modern modular home makes a huge statement in this Melbourne street.

Renovation uses half of the original roof structure to create a new raked roof and wraps the original fibro shack in new cladding.

To construct this off-grid home on Victoria's French Island, prefabricated modules had to be transported by barge to the isolated site.

This Sydney apartment has undergone a clever and refreshing renovation which uses joinery and detailing to create a grounding calm.

Take a tiny, acutely triangular site, add a demanding heritage context and you've given your architect a challenge. But look what she did!

Finding a way to create a private retreat space for the parents of a growing family plus extra storage area in a heritage home...

After the 2003 Canberra bushfires, this site was rereleased. The new home explores the idea of new beginnings for a young family.

This family home is nestled amongst the gums, cantilevering over the sloped site so it feels more like a treehouse than a regular home.

New pitched roofs continue the style of the original home, but are reinterpreted based on the function of the rooms and need for light.

A new-found connection to the yard and pool, wine storage that's decorative yet practical and integrated seating throughout...

If you love '60s style, decor and art, you'll have to take a look at this swinging transformation on the Gold Coast.

This considered addition capitalises on good qualities of the home and fixes the less than ideal. What can be saved in your addition?

Even after a reduction in total size, this renovation works better than the previous cluster of poorly considered renovations.

A young Wellington couple with a modest budget and small and challenging block chose a Box™ design-build for their first home.

Rather than bifold doors, the rear of this house has a window seat with opening bifold windows to create an indoor/outdoor space.

Old and new are connected by a black tunnel with no end immediately in sight. But there is a light-filled end to this tunnel.

An eco-friendly, 7 star energy rated addition to an inner-city terrace feels bright, breezy and, importantly, comfortable year-round.

Orientation is the best way to make your home feel light and bright. So what can you do when your home faces the wrong way?

How to deal with a small block? Don't sacrifice the backyard, stack it on top of the house and you've got a sophisticated roof deck!

Want a new home for Christmas? With this beautiful modular prefab you could wake up in your finished home on Christmas morning...

Waitpinga Retreat designed as a casual getaway immersed in the natural beauty of nature looks and feels very Australian.

Rising costs and melting ice caps. Why not use your renovation as an opportunity to improve your home's environmental credentials as well.

An extensive renovation of a Melbourne home gives the owners all the benefits of inner-city terrace living without the drawbacks.

In contrast the cellular plan of the existing Federation-era home, this light extension is open-plan where spaces overlap and interact.

If you're an introvert you'll know that the world we live in can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes you need somewhere to hideout...

When this couple retired the farm they wanted a more manageable and contemporary home that incorporated memories of their past life.

Searching for a sustainable alternative to urban sprawl, REFRESH*DESIGN have developed an infill-development branded ‘my gardenhouse’.

Reclaimed bricks are used in various ways to bring a sense of history and weight to this inner-city extension.

Unashamedly modern ‘podium’ anchors existing home to the landscape, connecting the cottage to the garden, and the interiors to the sky.

New Zealand home and writer's studio fuses the look of rural farm buildings and the dramatic local landscape into one sculptural form.

Studio 19 are at it again, designing two stunning community houses for a not-for-profit organisation in New Zealand.

A heritage-listed chicory kiln on Phillip Island is transformed into a delightfully playful residence for a couple.

The unusual roof of the small but effective addition is the real winner - providing plenty of light to the small, overshadowed site.

This understated addition to an historic sandstone cottage is designed to age and weather gracefully to fit into its surrounds.

Scribbly Gums on the site of this new family home inspire the use of timber internally and help to generate the colour palette.

By pulling this extension away from the exiting house, the architects created sunny courtyards and maximised the natural light.

Rattling around in your family home? Looking to free up extra cash? This guy did that by down-sizing to a stylish 'granny flat' at the rear of his property.

Sandwiched between weatherboard cottages in Brunswick East, C House breaks with convention to create a warm, unique and nuanced home.

A new home in a neighbourhood of large houses scales back the status quo to provide ‘just the right amount of space’ for a family.

Mills House eliminates bulky cupboards by converting the floor into storage space, leaving the entire width of the terrace for living.

Previously the site of some outgrown kit homes, three seperate but clustered buildings provide space for all generations of the family.

In a natural clearing of bushland, this home with simple detailing and an earthy palette captures the spirit and joy of camping.

Thanks to some clever new touches, this tired beach house now takes full advantage of its site overlooking lush rainforest.

A new compact living pavilion defies its size thanks to plenty of glass and sliding doors — effortlessly connecting home and garden.

A home for an engineer and an author combines a rational, simple plan with a ton of texture and 'slight chaos' to satisfy both personalities.

At first, Lookout House looks like a whacky modern barn, but through the sliding barn door a wonderful courtyard house with spectacular views unfolds.

The compact Highway House takes full advantage of its difficult, but dramatic site — sitting lightly over Hobart and the Derwent River…

Black Rock House successfully meshes elements of old and new to create a cohesive and comfortable family home.

A home on the family property for a retiring couple, Storrs Road House aims to reflect in miniature the site and its history.

From distant water views to the nearby sculptural native trees, Bass Street Residence angles itself to take it all in…

Vader House emerges from behind its high boundary wall to disrupt Fitzroy's typical roofline and breathe new life into this Victorian Terrace.

A series of shed-esque structures lap the coast in this simple, but thoughtful addition to a rural surf town in New Zealand.

Hill End Ecohouse in Queensland is a new home constructed almost entirely from the house it replaced and a leader in sustainability…

Northcote House 2 is a three storey urban residence which utilises the existing shell of its former incarnation as a medical centre.

The Armadale House addition creates an open plan living area with a great connection to the garden, maximising the small site.

A mirror-lined void brings light deep into a square floor plan and above spatially divides the living and dining spaces without the need for walls.

A modern, but sensitively sized addition transforms existing interwar home and saturates it in natural light - in-spite of a tiny site.

Prefab's Spotted Gum cladding ensures the budget friendly modular design looks both high-class and appropriate to its coastal setting.

Sitting in an historic neighbourhood, House in House. Inside and out, it's a surprising alternative to its dark row house neighbours.

Embracing the morning sun and bay breezes, Christian Street House is comfortable year-round by making the most of Brisbane's climate.

House for Five is a home designed by an architect for his family in an area controlled by strict planning controls. See what he did…

This Melbourne Refurbishment rearranges spaces in line with modern living, but doesn't forget to have fun along the way…

A grassy green courtyard fit for a cow (ok, not a real cow) at the centre of this renovated St Kilda House adds a bright new focus.

In a quiet corner of Melbourne's Inner-North, Modscape's modular, pre-fabricated and sustainable Tower House stands out from the crowd.

Clad in burnt timber and weathered steel sheets, Pacific House is a beautiful house that takes full advantage of the dramatic site.

What looks like a contemporary shipping container pops out of this renovated Sandringham House.

Tower House's owners and their 8 year old twin sons asked for a home 'for community, art and nature to come together'. They got a village.

Seaview House is made up of a series of pavilions, designed to fit in with neighbouring old weatherboard cottages without sacrificing contemporary appeal…

A pulley system extending through the atrium of this House Bruce Alexander is designed so the owners can store bicycles and winch them out of view.

Local House is playful and intriguing — designed more like a favourite local café than a private house — creating spaces for connection and bonding.

The brick exterior of Five Courts House belies its light-filled interior which surrounds five courtyards arranged around the perimeter.

Hereston Gardenhouse pops up in a disused back yard and demonstrates a way to make cities more dense and (importantly) sustainable.

Designed in a flood-prone area, this modest, sustainable beach house touches the earth so lightly it appears to float!

A series of insertions into this period home injects light deep into the plan, making it modern and bright in-spite of its age.

Instead of a generic mass-built home, this family built a home designed to suit their lifestyle and the sub-tropical Brisbane climate.

After a number of minor additions over the years, Patterson Street Residence is reinvigorated with a modern extension to the rear.

Cut Paw Paw Inside Out House is deliberately incomplete. The owners, asked that the house be 'ridiculously inside-out'…

You can't see the sea from this modern beach house. Undeterred by the lack of view, it faces a sheltered internal courtyard instead.

Aperture House uses the humble brick in imaginative and experimental ways which belie the modest scale of the spaces.

Ilma Grove is an extension to a heritage home in Northcote, Victoria. The extension provides more space and guarantees a sustainable lifestyle.

Everyone needs a bit of sunshine in their lives. That's why Bow House goes out of its way to let the sunshine in.

A local shed company prefabricated this home, saving both time and cost. But Whyatt House doesn't look like a typical shed…

The craftsmanship of the Arts and Crafts period has been skillfully reinterpreted to create a modern extension which feels right at home next to the original home.

By wrapping an extension against the boundary, Boundary House deals with awkward residual spaces and improves access to light.

Aireys Inlet House -- like all good second homes -- creates connection to nature in contrast to the clients' busy city lives.

Semi-detached house revitalized for a young couple's contemporary lives. The transformation creates a bright new home.

Despite only adding six square meters to this home, Welsh and Major's reconfiguration and tiny pavilion have made a dramatic difference.

Side-by-side homes owned by two generations of the same family get an addition that explores interconnectedness and independence.

A modest, cement clad building sits deep on a north facing bank opening to the landscape and overlooking the valley and ocean below.

Can you spot a Japanese influence in Engawa House? 'Engawa' is an exterior hallway on Japanese homes -- the inspiration for this new extension.

Elliott Ripper House is a prime example of how a well designed, harmonious extension can provide much more than extra floor space.

In true glamping style Kurreki Beach Retreat has real beds but opens completely onto a courtyard and uses mosquito nets and shower curtains where necessary.

If you arrived at this house blindfolded, you might assume you were in a secluded jungle house. But you're actually just 3km from the heart of Sydney!

A moderate extension creates a rich space and leaves a decent-sized backyard. Jack's House is a timber 'gusset' that will serve the family into the future.

This luxurious loft apartment is full of organic curves that could be carved from butter - appropriate because it occupies space in a former butter factory.

This micro apartment is like an empty shell - to cook, dress, sleep, eat or entertain you have to rearrange modules and 'build' a new space. It's like lego!

Thornbury House might appear haphazardly crooked, but the angled facade doubles as a sunshade. This solar passive home is functional and visually appealing.

Tang House is a compact but thoughtful terrace extension that utilizes every nook and cranny to create a versatile home that defies its size.

Level changes in this home inspired its name, Jack and Jill House. It has fairytale-esque fun by the bucketful -- and not a broken crown to be seen...

Andrew Maynard Architects asked a simple question -- 'Where does the sun come from' -- and designed a Hill House in the backyard of this Melbourne home.