Houses

For the architect, designer, home owner, home builder or anyone simply interested in the best residential design, every issue of Houses tells the story of inspirational homes, their surrounds and the products that complete them. Through generous pictorial coverage from leading photographers, floor plans and lists of selected products, you share the delight of each home presented. You’ll also meet some of the creative people who designed them and keep up with the latest design trends and issues. Be inspired!

Musings

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Houses

HOUSES AWARDS 2026 • The winning and commended projects of the 2026 Houses Awards reveal once again how Australian architects and designers honour, challenge and enrich the way we live.

Fresh finds • Some objects are designed to be the talking points of a home, while others are quieter in their beauty. This collection encompasses both ends of the spectrum.

HOUSE FREDDIE BY STUDIO BRIGHT • This adaptation of a midcentury suburban residence strikes a balance between retention and refinement, resulting in a contemporary home that is seriously joyful.

CLIFTON HOUSE BY MATTHEW CRAWFORD ARCHITECTS • A Perth home designed in 1951 by Marshall Clifton, compromised by gradual accretions made in subsequent decades, is reclaimed in a careful and coherent process of repair.

BORLAND CROSSMAN HOUSE BY WOWOWA ARCHITECTURE • A spirited restoration of a distinctive 1978 house by Kevin Borland honours the legacy – and the bravery – of the existing architecture.

THE GUEST HOUSE • Driven by a growing demand for adaptable homes, three small-footprint additions offer flexible spaces that easily pivot between guest houses, work-from-home spaces, and independent living quarters for adult children.

Studio Friend • Built on the strong foundations of a longstanding friendship, this studio – based in Sydney and Bellingen – strives to do good work for good people.

Zachary Frankel • Trained as a silversmith, this Melbourne-based designer now makes furniture and objects that are intuitive and tactile.

VICTORIA PARK ROAD BY RUSSELL WITH CO • A rich and relaxed farmhouse in northern New South Wales hinges around protected outdoor spaces, allowing the setting to become part of the rhythms of daily life.

STUDIO 8 BY PARTNERS HILL • A delightfully different one-bedroom apartment renovation in Roy Grounds’s Quamby flats is testament to the creativity and critical thinking of its Gold Medal-winning architect.

EGLINTON STREET BY RICHARD STAMPTON ARCHITECTS • A conversation across generations, this update to Charles Duncan’s Ramsay House balances whimsy with reverence, bringing play to the process of respectful renovation.

Curious Practice • Based in Newcastle, a city with a rich and evolving built history, Curious Practice interrogates conventional expectations of housing, producing delightful homes that are centred around people and place.

Jacobs House by Allen Jack and Cottier • Designed for Justice Kenneth Jacobs by Russell Jack, this house in Sydney's Wahroonga received the Wilkinson Award in 1963 for creating a “restful background for day-to-day living.” Today, it endures as an undramatic and timeless residence, just as its owner and architect intended.

Casa Manyana • Built following bushfire, this freestanding studio in an architect’s front yard is a digitally fabricated model for resilient, adaptable shelter.