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The Studio is inspired by Mighty Mouse. Bright red, yellow and matte black, this tiny apartment is designed to pack a punch -- in spite of its size.

By removing the internal walls of this unit and incorporating plenty of built-in joinery, it feels more spacious and modern.

When you've got a growing family, only 36 m² and a limited budget to play with, it takes a lot of imagination to create a workable living space…

An incredible collaboration between the owners of a furniture company and the architects creates a light and bright coastal home.

Like a real doll's house, this addition is two spaces stacked on top of each other and uses furniture and joinery to divide spaces instead of doors and walls.

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

Rather than gutting and starting again, a simple reconfiguration was all it took to make this home brighter and more comfortable.

Making a compact space work means making it work hard. But how, exactly, do you achieve that? This remodel shows you how...

Tucked away in a subdivided backyard in Melbourne's Inner North, Nest Architects created a delightfully compact two-bedroom home with a beautiful sunny garden.

Meaning 'shield' in Old French, Escu House creates an expanded North facing living area protected by floor to ceiling timber screen.

On an extremely small parcel of land Beach Avenue House is designed more like a finely crafted joinery unit than a typical home.

Not a square metre goes to waste in this tight Darlington terrace renovation to create a modern, multifunctional home.

Considering an eco-friendly upgrade to your home? Look no further for inspiration than Collingwood Compact.

East West House, near the top of Richmond Hill, contains the unexpected. A large roof deck is hidden behind the heritage protected Victorian roofline.

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

This heritage warehouse has been sensitively transformed into a home with the careful insertion of joinery units to divide the space.

With low ceilings and only the rear of this living area above ground level, this terrace needed something big to feel like a home...

In this woman's retirement plan? A desire to downsize and determination to age in graceful style in a city central apartment.

A clever modern makeover of a young professional couples' apartment provides plenty of space for work, rest and play.

Rearranging this apartment opens it up to the views, builds in lots of storage space and finds room for a home office space to boot!

This home had good bones, but forty years of use left it feeling tired. A clever facelift offers a fresh start for its new owners.

A new extension negotiates the slope of the land, looking out to the view and connecting the living area to the garden.

Both architecture and furniture, the joinery unit designed to fit in the middle of this studio apartment allows for numerous functions.

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

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

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

This robust home for a family of six will be knocked about by the young family and accumulate character through the passage of time.

The only way was up at this home, but renovating meant this family were able to achieve everything they wanted without having to move.

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

Making the most of the site's assets, this new addition overlooks the lush park behind the home to stunning effect.

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

Like all good '80s movies, this dated home has been given a modern reboot. The home was transformed within the existing footprint.

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

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

Clever planning allows this small apartment to feel grand and glamourous. Wait until you see how the dressing room transforms...

Scandinavian design is clean and minimal, but the use of natural timbers and stone avoid it becoming sterile. This home nails the look.

An internal renovation which opens up spaces and turns the house upside down to put living areas on the brighter, airier, upper floor.

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.

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

A series of spaces at this small weekender create numerous places sit and enjoy the inspiring surrounds which are comfortable year round.

Discover how a first-time homebuyer revamped their space for family life with smart design, warm materials, and functional updates.

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

The roof and layout of the original home serve as the inspiration for a new addition, but a modern twist creates perfect family home.

Celebrating the suburb's history, this laneway house demonstrates how to create high-quality housing in the inner city with flair.

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

With views over the golf course, the architect achieved a mid-century-inspired design, while adhering to local design guidelines.

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

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

Kelvin House is refurbished to create a new open plan living area while a new deck creates better access to the north light.

This modern farmhouse combines a manager's residence, stable and self contained two-bedroom apartment in finely detailed modern sheds.

This space efficient home maximizes living spaces by cleverly concealing bedrooms behind Japanese inspired screens.

Damp-ridden, cold and leaking, this 1960s home needed a revamp. Luckily, a sensitive approach retains the home's unique character.

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

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

Previously cut off from the backyard by a hefty level change, this new addition flows effortlessly between inside and out.

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

Simple, yet intelligent changes, which reference to the home's post-war cream brick heritage create a period drama of a difference.

With a grid system and the flexibility to adapt to various sites and needs, Allen Key House is the 'Billy' of the housing world.

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

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!

"Our clients now enjoy a home flexible enough to allow for their family to grow, without creating excessive rooms."

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

Hilltop House is a small, carefully crafted dwelling on the steep eastern slopes of Pittwater, a waterway to the north of Sydney.

A detailed but classic palette, combined with expert attention to detail helps Paddington Terrace age gracefully as its family grows.

From very early on it was clear that a simple box would dramatically improve the amenity of this home. And what a beautiful box it is!

An extremely small house extension transforms a heritage cottage. You'll be surprised the difference clever planning and small addition makes to occupants.

A modular home constructed of engineered timber (instead of steel) is the perfect fit for a steel slope in New Zealand's seismic zone.

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

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

Timber's warmth and laid-back nature meets clean lines and expanses of glass to create a style that is sophisticated yet relaxed.

When the inhabitants of your suburban fringe block include a number of old native trees, mimic their style and go timber all over.

A complex, compact site on a slope and facing a busy road calls for a creative solution: switching the front and back!

The renovation of this post-war house leans on mid-century details and views of the native landscape to create a special home.

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

Inspired by a nearby converted factory, this home brings its own spin to the saw-tooth roofline and the inspiration doesn't stop there.

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

This extension provides new living areas, a specialised sound recording space and performance area for a family of musicians.

The Cloud House is a recent home extension by architects, McBride Charles Ryan. From the front it's a typical home. From the back, it's a whole other story.

It's not what you expect when you think of a modular home, but this tricky house continues the surprises continue inside...

Chimneys of the old brickworks immediately caught the architect's attention and she knew this renovation needed to capture that view!

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.

It's hard to believe 1994 was nearly 30 years ago, but this home was sure showing its age. No more thanks to a fun and bright revamp.

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

With numerous facets to bounce light around the home, Cloud House feels like living in a cloud surrounded by beautiful, diffused light.

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

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

Winscombe Extension deals with a growing family and a strong desire to establish a connection to the manicured rear garden…

Casual House's low maintenance, no frills materials create an affordable yet compelling extension to the rear of a family home.

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

On a magnificent, but challenging site, Tinbeerwah House is a beautiful, economical home that sits lightly on the land.

A project home from the 1970s with poor solar orientation is reconfigured and realigned. Now it catches the sun for energy efficiency.

This beautiful double-fronted home in a heritage precinct of Hawthorn East is renovated and extended for 21st century living...

By removing poorly constructed add-ons and creating an open-plan living area as the new heart, this quaint cottage is transformed...

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

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

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

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

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

A renovation to a Victorian-era home and detached studio shines thanks to the three Rs plus local manufacturing and craftsmanship.

The owners of a mid-century home loved the qualities of their home but needed a modern addition to bring it into this century.

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.

Would you be game to renovate and reduce the size of your home? This design proves it's not always more space you need, after all.

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

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

Just because this tiny house is affordable, sustainable and socially responsible doesn't mean it's not stylish to boot...

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

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

Three sculptural walls create nooks and niches within a larger open-plan space, creating the opportunity to mingle or seek solitude.

Renovating an older, inner-city home comes with a peculiar set of challenges - how to make it seem bright and spacious when it's not.

It's Playtime in this fun-filled extension with secret hatches, a bridge, sloped walls and an aquarium of curious creatures.

The architectural equivalent of a lamington made with Swiss cheese and dusted with paprika sounds like a recipe for disaster, but is it?

This renovation for a woman with a busy work life needed to be relaxing and low-maintenance - the perfect retreat after a long day.

A series of separate, disconnected rooms are transformed by a central, open planned living space that maximises north light.

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

Thanks to a clever refurbishment this South Melbourne House becomes a communal multi-zoned space in keeping with the family's desire to live and work together.

After stripping back years of unthoughtful additions, Richmond House receives a bright and modern interpretation of a lean-to.

MAMIL haters, beware. Bike House is designed for a family of four bikes-lovers who have foregone the family car for a two-wheeled alternative.

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.

Coromandel Bach was conceived as a container sitting lightly on the land for habitation. A 'bach' is a New Zealand term for a simple holiday shack.

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

A new two-storey addition reorients this home to garden and the sun, creating a light-filled living space for everyone to enjoy...

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

This home has a surprise at the end of the typically ornate Edwardian-era hallway, and it's far from your average terrace renovation!

Turn an existing clothing warehouse into a bold new home without losing its industrial aesthetic? Let's see how it turned out...

A focus on the small changes with the biggest impact was key to keeping the renovation of this 1980s project home budget-friendly.

This Carlton terrace renovation updates ageing interiors to create the perfect home for a collector of colourful art and furniture.

A simple, rectangular, double-storey addition was a cost-effective way to gain the space this family needed. Plus some indulgences...

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.

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

A west-facing backyard and poorly-designed additions left this family with dark mornings and overheated afternoons, but no longer...

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...

Despite facing north-east, this apartment felt small and dark not at all appropriate for the capital of the sunshine state!

While older homes have character baked in, they're not built for modern living. But, you can have the best of both worlds; old and new!

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

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

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

Like a tiny, irritating grain of sand creating a lustrous pearl, sometimes a projects' constraints lead to the most charming solutions.

When a couple who both have homes designed by the same architect get married, their new home together is bound to be adventurous!

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

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

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.

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.

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?

In a street of Californian Bungalows, it was important to maintain the status quo. It's a whole other story at the rear of this home...

The '80s was responsible for numerous crimes against taste (but some pretty fabs music). What can you do to right some of those wrongs?

We love simple projects that make a big difference. And it doesn't get much simpler than a sunroom and a fence.

Floating above the original milkbar is a recently renovated pavilion which makes this unique family home feel like it's a treehouse.

This flexible new home built behind the existing is accessible by rear laneway; it could be used as a garage, studio or living space.

By designing a separate, self-contained studio, this family have gained the extra space they need now and flexibility into the future.

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

Owned by a landscape gardener, this 1880s bluestone cottage is now connected to the garden and full of natural light and sea breezes.

As Torquay becomes increasingly cosmopolitan with more permanent residents architects are rethinking the traditional Aussie beach house.

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

'Ethel' has a number of delightful surprises up her sleeve, proving there's more to this humble Victorian home than she lets on...

This renovated interwar house is now perfect home for a retired couple and adult family member plus a meeting place for nearby family.

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

This two storey house near the beach was designed like an arrangement of stacked boxes to create protected balconies and decks.

This renovation revolved around the premiss of maximising spaces and opening up to the generous view and natural light.

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

Tent House is designed to encourage freedom and protection from a hostile (but beautiful) landscape — like a permanent tent…

Musk is a stylish modern prefab cabin designed as a secluded retreat to relax and enjoy 360 degree views of natural bushland.

Behind these unassuming terraces' heritage facades is an unexpectedly modern home blurring the boundaries between two once separate houses.

Renovating and extending a typical Victorian terrace always poses a unique set of challenges. Hawthorn House exceeds those challenges.

Middle Park Studio isn't a house. But if it were, it would be a great example of how we can develop backyards with laneway access into smart, sustainable homes.

Dubbed 'The Ark', this child-friendly house has loads of character and a story to tell. It's the antithesis of a minimalist white box.

The old house faced the wrong way and missed out on natural light. With the help of a clever skylight, this renovation turns things around…

Tackling difficult topography, a heavily treed site and a modest budget, Blackpool House defiantly lofts amongst the treetops - a modest, modern treehouse.

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

A quintessential tin shed is reworked into a modern living/working space in Syndey's gritty inner city.

A former 19th Century warehouse is transformed into a modern residence which knows how to balance light and dark for dramatic effect.

This modern replacement for a derelict weatherboard cottage takes full advantage of the sun, the surf and views of the rolling hills.

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

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

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

Getting the transition right is a challenge in any addition. Here, a courtyard creates breathing room between old and new.

Surrounded by bushland, this home is off-grid and bushfire resilient to deal with its beautiful but challenging location.

The owners would have ripped this out-of-place fireplace out if they'd had their way, but it's become the centrepiece of this reno...

Sitting on top of the garage with leafy views, the new self-contained living space is perfect for adult children or visiting family.

Despite a seemingly impossible set of constraints, this terrace has been transformed into a light-filled and sustainable family home.

If you love the curved lines and detailing of the Art Deco period, but crave open spaces and natural light, this home is for you...

A more efficient floor plan could unlock the space for an ensuite, open-plan kitchen and plenty of storage without extending...

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

An injection of pattern and brings plenty of personality to this cottage addition, perfect for a creative young family.

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

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

These owners didn't want a 'generic open-plan box'. Instead, a series of interconnected rooms are linked by a dramatic brick colonnade.

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

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

What this home lacks in a dining room is made up for with a fun, communal island bench for seven: a perfect way to host a dinner party.

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!

Sometimes, reevaluating and reconfiguring what you have proves that you already have enough. It did for this family of five...

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

Where a traditional terrace is dark and cellular this renovation finds light and open space, creating an addition of contrasts.

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

Reimagining a heritage home to fulfil the modern needs of three generations of the one family, highlighting its layered history.

An architect squeezes a new study and bedroom in the only available space on this tight Melbourne block - above the living area.

It can be costly, but moving the 'unmovable' like a bathroom or kitchen in your renovation could be the best decision you'll make.

Clad in zinc, this simple rear addition creates a light-filled, low-fuss extension for a young family to grow.

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?

With the sun and a majestic tree in one direction and views of a distant nature reserve in the other, this home manages to have it all.

A small extension combined with 'reprogramming' the original layout means more natural light and a better connection to the outdoors.

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...

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

Alterations to the rear of this house to draw in green vistas, sunlight and cooling breezes making the most of the weather year-round.

Rather than demolish and rebuild the rear 1970s addition to this home, the architect incorporated the walls into new, thicker walls.

Like a giant three dimensional puzzle this home defies its tight block with no views, houses on each side and a high wall to the north.

On a windy and exposed site, nestled behind a hill, sits a metal clad nugget; a home for a gold prospector and his family...

A home previously owned by the client's Grandmother wasn't a good fit for a young family. An innovative extension changes all that.

Built on top of an existing brick double garage, Stradwick House feels more spacious thanks to double height spaces and large windows.

A new studio and a reworking of the original home dramatically improves liveability at South Durras House.

Through high quality design, the compact Darlinghurst Apartment provides an affordable option for inner city living…

Befitting a regionally based sculptor, Sawmill House is a hand crafted upgrade from his existing rather rustic bohemian abode.

Sliding Wall House makes the most of a small space by tucking a bedroom behind a sliding wall. One minute it's a desk, next it's gone…

As you round the corner of this quiet street, a cheery extension greets you. Quite literally… It says 'Hello'.

Easterbrook House uses a humble set of materials and simple forms to ensure the landscape its rightful place as the highlight.

A previously dark terrace is transformed into a light and bright home with the help of some unusual 'light cannons'.

A landmark post-war apartment gets an entirely new fit-out on a very lean budget and a minimalist aesthetic.

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

Moor House's family needed was a well designed renovation to provide space and privacy for their growing children. Oh, and all within just 4.5 meters width!

What if you outgrow the Mornington beach house that's been in the family for years? Architect Clare Cousins designed a 'treehouse' extension for the big kids.

Located in a tight lane way in Fitzroy, Little Gore Street Studio is a truly unique response to urban densification...

An unashamedly modern extension manages to integrate old and new by putting a modern spin on materials and colors from the original home.

Tight site, stringent planning and heritage controls, and a difficult orientation -- Nic Owen Architects pull off the architectural equivalent of a miracle.

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.

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.

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

Clever thinking achieves a simple timber beach house the client desired while still meeting bushfire and energy efficiency regulations.

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

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

You might be surprised how little extra space you need if you take the time to get the floor plan right...

With copious amounts of timber inside and out, this modern interpretation of a workers cottage feels natural, warm and welcoming.

Sweeping views of hills, beach, rocks and ocean inspired the fan shaped plan of Fleurieu Beach House - a model for coastal living.

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

Stonewood House is a modern, but sensitive home which sits comfortably with homes of heritage significance.

Eco-friendly Bruny Shore House reaches out from one of the steepest parts of the site to take in the dramatic Tasmanian coastline.

Raven Street House brings new meaning to 'open-plan' with curtains, shutters and dazzling colored glass where the walls should be. There's even an indoor tree!

The charred timber addition float in front of the home, complementing the original cream brick and transforming the street appeal.

A beautiful new living space wrapping around a courtyard deck plus main bedroom suite creates the perfect home for a family of six.

When you think of an off-grid house you typically imagine a remote cabin in the bush, but these eco-townhouses tell a different story.

It's not the size of an addition that counts, it's the functionality it adds to your home. This micro addition achieves hefty results.

Renovating an inner bayside family home to be flexible as the family grows and subtly remind the owners of time spent on beach holidays.

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

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

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

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.

Like the slow food movement, Pirates Bay House is a reaction against our hectic lives. It's a home for slow living on Australia's Mornington Peninsula.

A mid-century-inspired home designed to navigate a long, skinny block is this creative duo's forever home...

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!

Using the slope to its advantage, this beach house cascades down the hill and focuses your attention on the stunning coastline views.

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

Sitting on an exposed hilltop, this off-grid retreat deals with a hostile landscape, but it's worth the effort for that view...

From the street, this looks like a house with no windows, but once inside you realise it's the exact opposite...

Experimenting with ideas of affordability without sacrificing liveability, North Street House is the perfect home for a young couple.

Precast concrete and timber combine to create a low-maintenance home that will get better with age.

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

An elegant and restrained timber addition provides the perfect modern living space for a family of five (plus two energetic dogs).

Small in both budget and footprint, but clever thinking and innovative solutions have produced a home which ticks all the boxes...

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

Jost Architects mediate heritage controls and an eager client brief to deliver a delightful update to an inter-war home.

Two avid climbers, a professor and a gallery owner, teamed up to build a house in the Blue Mountains to host fellow climbers and artists.

This timber-clad four bedroom beach-side family home is perched on a steep dune in a quiet pocket of the Mornington Peninsula region.

The timber-clad Links Courtyard House prioritises simplicity over size leaving more of the budget for beautiful indulgent finishes.

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

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

North Perth House sets out to prove an affordable yet generous family home can be constructed on a small inner city block.

Westmere Alteration merges inside and out with a contemporary aesthetic and an unbelievable connection to the outside plus upper level sea views…

Cranky Corner doesn't sound like the ideal retirement home, but this farmhouse in the Hunter Valley is a comfortable and sustainable place to retire.

Tucked into a particularly wild and isolated part of Victoria's Central Highlands you'll find this small bush house built with trees found on the site.

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.

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!

House Eadie proves it's possible to retain unique quirks and a sense of history while integrating new, multifunctional spaces for contemporary living.

At first glance it's a typical Victorian-era worker's cottage. Only on closer inspection you realize there's something unusual going on behind that facade...

Hiding at the bottom of a London garden, this glowing writer's shed is the perfect whimsical escape for an author/illustrator who loves children's books.

FMD Architects have taken a tread from their client's brief and stitched the old and new together in this clever home extension, Cross Stitch House.

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.

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.

Despite a tall neighbour to the north, this renovated home is full of light and lush views. Plus, they were able to disconnect the gas.

A new family home to complete this farm complex takes advantage of views over rolling hills and complements the existing buildings.

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

Built to Passive House standards, this home has exceptional energy-efficiency performance for comfortable living year-round.

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

'It's the way things have always been done' doesn't mean it's the best solution! Questioning the norm can unlock hidden gold...

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

A new asymmetrical frame encloses the original shack, wrapping new living areas all around to take advantage of the views.

The dramatic timber ceiling sails over new living spaces and outside, shading the home but retaining the best views.

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

Inspired by shearing sheds in the area and rhyming with the original home, a clever addition transforms this weekender.

Built in an area that sometimes encounters snow, this home in the hills has a small footprint, but large volumes make it feel spacious.

Light and dark, east and west, new and old, Dark Light House's new living pavilion contrasts without simply doing the opposite.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

An elegant timber extension at the rear of this heritage home is bathed in natural light thanks to its northern orientation.

Black sheep. Odd one out. Dark horse. Whatever you want to call it, there's something different about this home - and we love it!

This incredible barn conversion retains much of the original stone and timber work highlighted against new insertions where necessary.

This striking house of contrasting black and white with touches of warming timber is exciting and dynamic in-spite of its compact size.

Arranged around three courtyards, this new open-plan extension is a delightful counterpoint to the existing Californian Bungalow.

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

This compact inner-city townhouse has been transformed from an unremarkable '70s era building into a timeless, light-filled home.

Watch the clouds float by in this home which has an unexpected sense of space and light in spite of its narrow, overshadowed site.

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

Defying gravity, a protected timber box for sleeping zones sits on top of a glass box for living in this renovation of a Sydney semi...

A two-storey rear addition to a classic Edwardian-era home is sympathetic to its origins, but unashamedly modern at the same time.

Brick Bay House's L-shaped plan has a number of benefits - sheltering from winds, blocking road noise and embracing the ocean view.

In an effort to find more space for a growing and ageing family, Andrew Maynard Architects created a home that has shared space and more private zones.

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.

Rammed Limestone is the perfect material for Wall and Wall House — locally sourced, beautiful texture and natural colour and high thermal mass.

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

Maylands Additions is a highly crafted addition that builds on the materials and detailed richness of the existing heritage-listed house.

Kids Pod is just for the little ones, connected to the house proper by a glazed bridge. And it couldn't be more fun…

Tennis Avenue Residence new timber pavilion, added sensitively to the rear of a humble old cottage feels like living in a modern treehouse.

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.

A renovation of a Victorian terrace house, the Bondi House was conceived as a first floor timber tube above a ground level brick box.

On a site covered in mature trees, Under Pohutukawa House is designed to represent the stumps of trees removed for construction.

House C3 sits comfortably in its neighbourhood of 19th century workers' cottages neither shouting its modernity nor mimicking the neighbours.

Heritage controls, difficult soil, tight access and a small west-facing block. A delightful, light-filled home on a difficult site…

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.

There's no moat at Fortress House, but this quiet weekend retreat ensures a private, relaxing counterpoint to the owners' busy lives.

Merton House reinterprets the bay windows, scale and arrangement of internal spaces to create a contemporary kitchen and living spaces.

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

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

The Plinth House proves bigger is not always better. The extension provides a more comfortable living space and kitchen in a minimal footprint.

A rundown stone cottage on a sustainable timber plantation undergoes a massive transformation to become a simply stunning family home.

The design of Orange Grove House is so good the clients couldn't stand to sell as they'd planned and decided to move in instead!

A modern interpretation of the traditional granny flat is a very stylish summer pad for this family's grandparents from overseas.

A new living \'pod\' provides more than space at Mountford Road - bringing light, volume, air and dramatic results to this small-scale project.

A palette of masonry, timber & stone is pushed to their physical limits. Fairbairn House is a material delight…

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

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

Fitzroy Terrace by Welsh & Major Architects works with the exiting layers of history. The house tells the story of its 170 years of occupation...

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.

Old terrace houses are not the most efficient beasts. But this Darlinghurst terrace renovation proves you can have a terrace and aim for sustainability too.

Bushfire regulations are a challenge. Homes can end up like bunkers. Chenchow Little's Stewart House is a bushfire proof house that doesn't sacrifice looks.

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

If a real estate agent tells you a house has 'good bones', it's rarely a good thing. The Eagle's bones (timber studs) are proudly on display. And they're not good; they're stunning.

You don't get homes much more unusual than Cocoon -- a zeppelin-shaped home lofts above its steep site, nestled in the canopy of Australian native treetops.

Westgarth House is a delightfully simple project that addresses our changing family needs by adding a modern, spacious living area to an existing home.

Profile House is an extension that pays homage to the varied buildings in Brunswick East. BLOXAS Architects created an unexpected space inside, and out.

Rachel Nolan of Kennedy Nolan Architects designed a weekender for her family called Merricks Beach House. It cleverly redefines the Australian beach house.

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

This creative decided to transform his double garage into a functional and beautiful home office - just *before* the pandemic hit.

By thinking differently about the floor plan, this modular beach hosue is able to take advantage of stunning ocean views.

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

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

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

A terrace house typically makes you think, long, narrow and dark. This terrace might be long and narrow, but it's also light and lush!

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

A double garage has the perfect amount of space for a new multi-functional studio the owners will get far more use out of.

An addition sitting high and dry (literally) above the flood level, creates a refuge from the main family home and potential floods.

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

With COVID-19, remote working and a beautiful new home in the country, the time seemed perfect for this family's tree change.

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...

The substantial renovation of this terrace transforms the home, but reminders of the past are woven in to create a rich tapestry.

In many ways, Feng Shui aligns with the principles of good design. Here, Feng Shui achieves a light, harmonious and delightful home.

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

An addition to this mid-century gem keeps the essence of the original while ensuring it's fit for family life in this century.

Renovating is a messy art full of compromise but, if you roll with it, the result can be the perfect-imperfect home for your family.

With hints of those classic beach houses, but all the modern needs of a family home, living here would feel like an endless holiday.

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

With dated bricks and dutch-gabled eaves, this home was definitely a child of the '90s, but now it's been given a contemporary twist.

By reimagining the way this existing addition functioned they were able to transform this home, adding only 15 square metres in total.

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

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...

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

This stunning modern Australian beach house has a whole wall of glass, taking in spectacular views of the beach and headland beyond.

This home defies its tight site by using screening and careful window placement to grab light and views without exposing itself.

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

Materials are reused in new and unusual ways in this renovation, instilling the home with unique personality - even the new parts!

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

In an area with challenging heritage overlays, Splice House fits an impressive modern addition within the allowable setbacks...

This tropical home locks down when it's not being used, but when it's open, it embraces the natural landscape in every direction...

With a folded roof form and charred timber cladding, Pleated House has plenty of flair for its design-conscious owners.

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

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

This family were miserable in their south-facing living areas, but thanks to a clever addition, their home is now light and bright.

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

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

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

This home takes advantage of its location near the Botanic Gardens to create a living area which feels like an extension of the garden.

This warm, textural home creates a connection to place, captures views and creates a humble retreat from the elements (and the city).

This house had become a squat and burnt down during the design stage, but Dean and Lisa transformed it into a modern, sustainable home.

It's surprising how many everyday items can't be recycled. Being fully recyclable, this home is surprising for the opposite reason!

Living at home while your extension is built sounds like a nightmare, but this clever idea allowed the owners to live disruption-free.

The history and beauty of this old home are respected and celebrated by a bustle dress-inspired addition.

Perched on a hill in rural New South Wales, JR's Hut has all you need for the relaxing opportunity to switch off and reset.

With a passion for sustainability, these owners salvaged whatever they could to reduce the carbon footprint of their renovation.

'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...

After the bushfire of 2015, Wye River slowly rebuilds. Let's hope all the new homes are as beautiful and sympathetic as this one...

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

To unite all living spaces without creating one large space, a unique nest-like studio sits above the living area in this reno.

Clad in shiny galvanised steel with arrow-like ends, this budget studio looks almost otherworldly in its country Victorian backyard.

With the option to demolish and start from scratch, MRTN Architects instead create a sensitive addition to this Victorian cottage.

A series of small additions left this home's living areas dark and detached from the garden, but Trace Studio have changed all that.

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

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

"There are too many beautiful old shacks being demolished, and Austin Maynard Architects won’t be part of it."

This light-filled extension has an industrial feel to it thanks to using the mix of nearby garages and light industry as inspiration.

Unlike many of the ubiquitous lean-to-style additions in the area, this modern lean-to transforms the original home.

At this highly visible corner block, the architects have designed a black extension to contrast with the white Edwardian original.

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

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

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

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

A stainless steel net for growing deciduous vines wraps this narrow home, transforming it into a nest for vertical family living.

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

Each room of this addition steps down with the contours of the site, while the plan zigzags to access light and connect to the garden.

Additional floor area provided by this renovation offers much needed functional space for a growing family, without any excess or waste.

An extension to a double fronted Californian bungalow reuses salvaged materials from the demolition works in an extensive renovation.

We don't often feature multi-residential projects. But when we do, they're beautifully innovative projects like this one.

The use of humble timber dowel rods in various forms throughout this refurbishment serve a practical, decorative and unifying purpose.

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

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.

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

Skin-Box House is a compact but refined home that maximises the sense of space with full height glass and quality materials...

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

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

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

Incorporating the qualities of a traditional farmhouse ensures this modern farmhouse will feel like a home from the get-go.

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

A 1960s Architect-designed home undergoes 21st Century transformation into a gracious new house fit for modern living.

Off form concrete draws on the solidity of an original masonry structure whilst introducing a new materiality at this home in Glebe.

Located on a windswept coast line, Moonlight Cabin is a place to retreat from and engage with the landscape’s ephemeral conditions.

This treehouse in Separation Creek enjoys panoramic views, perched on a steep forested hillside above the Great Ocean Road and Bass Strait.

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.

Today, thanks to a modern addition, Arcadia bears its name proudly and a family enjoy the peace and pastoral happiness of its setting.

A brief that might have disheartened some architects inspires a humble renovation that dramatically improves 'dog's breakfast' house.

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

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

The owners of Matai House lived in this early 1900s home for several years before the alterations, so they knew what needed to change!

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

Architect Will Harkness placed this holiday home carefully among a number of established Gum Trees to take advantage of the view.

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

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

A separate gabled guest pavilion adds both space flexibility to an existing weatherboard weekender, making it the perfect family getaway.

The future of suburban laneways is vibrant and active if this Erskineville Studio project by Pivot Architects is anything to go by.

A modest, energy efficient home in New Zealand's spectacular wine country makes the most of sweeping views…

A combination of good design and plenty of storage makes inner city downsize house feel just as spacious as the owners' previous home.

Modest extension creates an infinitely more liveable home compared to a previously gloomy and confused hodgepodge of poor additions.

When there's snow on the slopes, there's no better place to head after a long day than this finely crafted ski lodge. There's even a Japanese style bath to soak your aching bones.

Named Soe Ker Tie (Butterfly) Houses by the workers on site, these six innovative pavilions provide affordable accomodation for Thai orphans.

Über Shed is not *just* a shed. It's also a rural retreat that reinterprets the rustic charm of traditional agricultural sheds for modern living.

Queens Park House designed to create a series of spaces in the old and new house which are flexible over time.

The narrow (3.9 meter) Erskineville House gets a spacious and light makeover thanks to a double height, multi-functional light-well.

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

An inner city Victorian cottage of heritage significance is renovated with contemporary design and sustainable building practices.

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

A sustainable, flexible and contemporary living space grows out of an existing home. It's reverent and cheeky, radical and conservative.

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

From the outside Hill Plain House has an Australian agricultural feel. Inside, it's another story; dark moody and richly detailed.

Designed more like a sophisticated tent than your traditional home, The Mook can be built on any site with minimal disturbance.

Since the cows moved out, this old shed has been transformed into a modern home for humans

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

Views in one direction access to the garden in the other? Which do you choose? At House Chapple, you can have both!

Salt Creek Rural Retreat is a one bedroom, one bathroom sustainable accommodation. The tiny prefab building enjoys beautiful views over 20 acres.

Karri Loop House has two irregular-shaped courtyards which are centered around three majestic native Australian trees. This is what happens when trees are given the chance to shine.

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...

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.

Sean Godsell's Edward Street House in inner-urban Melbourne has a lot of surprises in store. It's full of hidden secrets just waiting to be discovered...

Going against the status quo in this beach town, sustainability meets style in a thermally-consistent, biophilic, family home.

Explore how this family built a sustainable, energy-efficient home using innovative hempcrete construction in a stunning location.

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

A beautiful studio on Tasmania's coastline offers the perfect place to relax and soak in the views.

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

Just because your home is on a tight, inner-city site doesn't mean it can't feel spacious. You just need to use the right tricks!

This triangular beach house nestled among the gums and grasses is the perfect slice of beach house living only an hour from Melbourne.

Your home is definitely your castle at this renovation which uses an elegant take on fortification to protect the home from noise.

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

Redbrick and terracotta-tiled Californian Bungalows are beautiful homes, but they can be dark. Here's a bright solution...

When you think of ageing in place, you might imagine ramps, grab rails and a lot of linoleum. But it doesn't have to be that way...

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!

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.

Looks can be deceiving. Hidden behind this narrow frontage is a spacious, light-filled and fun home thanks to a recent renovation.

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

Not much larger than the original shack but makes better use of the site and views; the perfect place to host friends and family.

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 clever design captures bush views and sunlight and turns away from the neighbours so you feel like you're in a world of your own...

Far from the classic box-like addition, a series of unique spaces unfurl from the rear of the cottage, opening up to light and garden.

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.

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

The amount of space you have is one thing, but its functionality, light and flow is a whole other thing.

An addition to this period home sits comfortably alongside the original, oriented to catch the light and open up the backyard.

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

A generous north-facing courtyard becomes the best part of this house, bringing light, breezes and the outdoors into every space.

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.

Others overlooked this heritage-listed home because of its exposure on three sides, but a playful addition turns it into an asset.

This beach house is all about creating informal living spaces, decks and shelter from the sun and wind for optimum beachside living.

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

Defying its narrow site, challenging east-west orientation and heritage restrictions, this skinny home manages to feel spacious.

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

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...

A beach house doesn't need to feel like a glass box on stilts, this home feels intimate while still celebrating the views.

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.

Stunning Queenslander renovation retains the character of the original home while creating a modern addition for a growing family.

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

This new addition is unquestionably modern, but it has an enduring, timeless quality which makes old and new perfect companions.

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.

Shop tops in Victorian-era buildings are often dark and often empty these days, talk about a wasted opportunity!

Downsizing from a large family home to an inner-city pad, this couple were prepared to compromise on space, but not on function!

For tree-changers Matt and Leanne, an important part of their ideal home was making the most of their spectacular site.

Architecture isn't about the bells and whistles. It's about creating spaces which help to improve your lifestyle. Like this home!

A modern farmhouse for a couple with overseas relatives needs to adapt from a comfortable home for two to a home for many more.

Want a sustainable home, but don't know where to start? An architect can help you create a comfortable, sustainable home...

Unusually-shaped boundaries can be a challenge, particularly on sites as tight as this; you've got to turn a challenge into an asset!

Can you have too many beds at a family beach house? A reno retains the character of this beloved beach house but maximises flexibility.

Creating a family home requires more than a coat of paint and some pretty cushions. It requires good design and long-term thinking.

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.

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

Three distinct options and three years later they settled on a design, but when you're building forever, take the time to get it right!

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

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.

In spite of a narrow block, this home expands its interior to the edge of the site, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors.

An incredible home for a much-loved grandmother allows her to live independently (but close by). It's better than a retirement village!

An addition to the front is just one of the atypical parts of this project full of surprises and innovative solutions.

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

With housing (un)affordability growing and our city limits bursting, this project shows us there's still space in the inner city.

A private, yet light-filled coastal home is the perfect fit for a retired couple, with plenty of room for visitors.

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

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

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

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

The clever design for this challenging site allows the home to deal with the threat of bushfire, while still taking in the views.

A creative design for two new townhouses defies many of the qualities of these types of developments to create bright and breezy homes.

A surprising, angular addition pops out of the rear of this home, but it does more than just look dramatic...

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

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

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

Oikos, ancient Greek for 'home', is a short-term rental demonstrating luxury is achievable if we down-size our ambitions.

Instead of sacrificing their productive garden, plants are encouraged to grow up the walls of this clever backyard studio.

This home holds special memories for the architect, Pat Jost, making it important to retain the elements that fill it with character.

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

Hiring an architect to design your new home or renovation is a big commitment. So how do you know you're making the right choice?

When you've got active young kids, your home must be robust enough to withstand a lot of punishment. This kitchen is built to last.

It's not often you get to build a new house in the inner city. What would you do if you had a clean slate?

A new house, in an old area, on a tight site, with space for a family of four that won't upset the neighbours? Are they dreaming?

And he said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. Thanks to a new double height space, this cottage is transformed.

This home's meticulous maintenance record details upkeep such as 'biannual repainting'. It was in A1 condition, but still needed modernising.

Two Halves House steps down the landscape, separated into a sociable living space and a private sleeping zone.

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.

At the top of the hill overlooking Peka Peka Beach, this location could be hostile, but this home has a few tricks up its sleeve...

Craving more space (and sun) and considering a move? Are you really better off uprooting your family and moving somewhere new?

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

Sitting sympathetically in an open paddock, this off-grid house captures views without compromising on environmental performance.

Thanks to recycled brick, this new studio looks like it could be the oldest building in this Richmond laneway.

Built from rammed earth, timber and hempcrete, this home is a healthy and environmentally sensitive space for three generations.

A deceptively simple and elegant addition which could be considered a prototype for sustainable, affordable homes.

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

A new addition slides under the eaves of this home, complementing the 1950s original, but reflecting the changing needs of Australians.

A delightfully fun, cubby-like folly at the bottom of the garden provides extra space and encourages the full use of the garden.

This compact home was made even smaller yet better, proving the amount of space you have is less important than how you use it...

What do you do with a triangular site? Perhaps the best solution is to think outside of the box. Or triangle, as the case may be...

A beautiful attention to details and respect for the original home creates a modern space that effortlessly blends old and new.

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

This new living space is a sun-lover. Turning to face the sun, it is also a fun and happy space, not to mention a cost-saver.

This compact addition proves small spaces can be highly liveable with plenty of storage, daylighting and a connection to the outdoors.

A deep soil green roof improves this home's environmental credentials, looks great and satisfies the owners' love of gardening.

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 fur-babies, travel, colour and fun are ticking some mental boxes for you, you'll love Casa de Gatos (or 'House of Cats' in Spanish).

A breakout area and new master bedroom within a self-contained white box give this Fremantle home more flexibility and room to breathe.

Your home doesn't need to be physically big to feel spacious. There are a few tricks to make your home feel larger than life.

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!

A modern retreat for an elderly couple built on the family property - the perfect spot to enjoy retirement close to family.

Small changes can make a huge difference to the comfort and practicality of a home. New windows and a pivot door transform this studio.

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.

From the heritage facade you'd never expect to find this light-filled, colourful and playful home which spills into the backyard.

Set well away from the original house, this new addition creates a central courtyard which all living areas wrap around.

A rear extension takes advantage of a North-facing backyard to connect to the garden and generate electricity for the whole house.

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

Living in a barn is one thing, but living in a barn in the city? Well that sounds absurd, but it's a reality for this lucky family.

For cost efficiency this project creates two identical houses, but thanks to a clever folded facade each home fits the site.

With our home that was feeling a bit tired and out of step with the way this family lives, a rethink and renovation was in order.

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

At their Toorak Texture project, NORTHBOURNE Architecture + Design quickly realised there was no need to waste time and money extending.

'Kensington Palace' challenges the idea that a home needs to be expensive and expansive to be your dream home.

If you want the look and feel of luxury at your home, it pays to think a bit smaller and pay attention to the details.

With sliding doors and a fold down bed, a rumpus room/third bedroom provides built in flexibility while reducing the overall footprint.

Within this alteration and addition a ribbon of cabinetry touches every room and brings functionality and cohesion to old and new.

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

A small addition and internal reconfiguration of a '60s home designed by a renowned New Zealand architect makes it fit for a family.

It takes a lot of 'stuff' to run a family. Just because you're interested in sustainability doesn't mean you need to go without...

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

Clad in COLORBOND® steel with a contemporary take on the traditional pitched roof, this prefab house looks right at home in the bush.

With an ageing population our homes must be designed to allow us to live in them as long as possible. This house shows us how.

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

The journey through this home is one of contrasting light, colour and materials, making this narrow extension feel bright, warm and rich.

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

A 1970s-era weatherboard holiday house gets a serious revamp to make it perfect for Grandparents' retired living.

Carefully planned around a central courtyard to maximise light and connection to the garden while minimising its impact on the street.

With a green roof and other sustainable elements this beach-side residence touches the earth lightly physically and metaphorically.

Inspired by the surrounding '60s estate, James Russell Architects takes the humble breeze block to new heights of style.

A lot of mistakes were made in the '80s, Nic Owen Architects attempts to rectify one of them with a modern pod-like extension.

Thanks to a double-height space and an expansive openable wall of glass to capture the view, this home feels positively spacious.

This home is "designed to give the same carefree relaxing ambience as a bach - step in, kick off your shoes and grab a glass of wine."

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.

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

While this modern farm house feels shiny and new, traditional elements like the generous verandah gives it the best of both worlds.

The renovation of this Fitzroy house marries two influences — a refined industrial aesthetic and traditional Victorian architecture.

Period ornamentation out the front, contemporary simplicity out the back. This home makes a beautiful transition from old to new.

A rabbit warren-like early '90s apartment is transformed by C+M Studio into a chic coastal residence focusing on warm natural materials.

With a fun colour scheme, humble materials and nooks to while away the day, Field Way Bach reminds us of back-to-basics beach holidays.

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.

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.

Home to a professional couple and Biggles the cat, this modern design aims to enhance the owners daily living experience. And succeeds.

One of Balmain's earliest homes, a humble sandstone cottage, is renovated to reveal its inherent beauty - revealing layers of history.

Too often homes dictate how we should live. Upside Down Back to Front House is different — a redesign suits how the owners really live.

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

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

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

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.

This Artist's Studio is a beautifully detailed, creative space for painting and sculpting to encourage and inspire creativity…

Thanks to an owner with an interest in sustainable building, Mona Vale House incorporates passive and active sustainability features.

The site of Invermay House has a great view over Ballarat, but vegetation hid the view. This new home cantilevers to capture it back.

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

Turning this tight inner-city terrace into a light-filled, open-plan home for a family of five was a challenge. But was it a success?

Concrete House features a tapered concrete second story which focuses the view of a garden and the city beyond.

At West End Cottage by Vokes and Peters, the new work preserves and extends the pattern of rooms in respect of the existing plan…

Normally we fill our homes with objects that remind us of our past. At Bower House, the house itself is made up of elements to remind the owners of their past.

An eclectic couple of homes in Sydney's Marrickville demonstrates a new model for urban consolidation…

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

This innovative prefabricated studio was the first of its kind in New Zealand, and what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty!

A Collection of Spaces new spaces arranged around two courtyards revitalises a traditional worker's cottage without compromising its historical significance.

The Pohutukawa House stands at the coastal foreshore of a wild beach on a site almost overgrown with mature Pohutukawa trees.

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

Small but with delight, M House looks at how a modest renovation can make a positive contribution to the way a family live.

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.

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.

From possum-infested DIY-renovated nightmare to sunny and spacious home, Holden Street House has been transformed.

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

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

A modest retreat provides shelter, warmth and comfort in the wild and isolated of the remote setting.

At Alexandria House 2 full height glazing and louvers let the house breathe and skylights are used strategically to maximise natural light…

This passive solar home was designed to maximise available light and space on an oddly shaped block in the inner suburban Melbourne.

A contemporary extension of this Elsternwick House is clad in contrasting dark zinc to draw a very deliberate line between new and old.

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

A central courtyard makes this inner city home feel spacious and light despite its modest size and materials.

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

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

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

Hover House by Bower Architecture is built on a disused backyard tennis court in Mt Martha -- a great example of infill housing.

Just like the Doctor's TARDIS this home has a surprisingly big interior. Inside is a completely self contained studio apartment!

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

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

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

This home is tucked into lush forest on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island. Entry is via a wooden draw bridge! And that's just the beginning…

In the middle of a bustling Vietnamese city, architects a21studio have designed a low-budget but high-style oasis for a renowned architecture writer.

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

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

A highly crafted 'pod' extension achieves a level quality and joy in what is essentially a very simple, easy to construct little box.

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

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

The 8.2-Star Energy Rated Leura Lane House is an impressive 2-bedroom prototype for energy efficient housing perfect for rural sites.

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

How exciting to unload an architecturally designed house off a truck, unwrap it (like a giant Christmas gift) and move straight in -- with Happy Haus, you can!

The location was right. But it would take a lot of imagination and a leap of faith to transform this dilapidated shed into a home...

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

Bridge House takes full advantage of a naturally stunning site, straddling a creek bed and touching the earth lightly environmentally and physically.

Snowy Mountains House is designed for living off the grid in style. The home works with nature to resist extreme winds, collect rainwater and shed snow.

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.

When designing this small, 100 m² home in Victoria's goldfields, Architects Design Office started with the dining table to make the house fun and sociable.

Casa 31_4 Room House is a Coolgardie Safe for living. But it also uses the layering of history to transition a traditional house into a vibrant modern home.

Pump House is a compact, off-grid home for simple living. Owners and guests can enjoy a quiet night, a cup of tea and quality time with their horse, George.

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

Sled House sits in two sleds making relocating it with a tractor a cinch. The whole area is within a coastal erosion zone; All structures must be removable.

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...

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

Edwards Moore Architects's Cubby House is a pint-sized apartment packed full of fun. A cubby house made not for kids, but for sophisticated adults.