On an exposed site with historic mining tailings lies Black Quail – a breathtaking new home designed by Bergendy Cooke. 

Located in Bannockburn, Central Otago (New Zealand’s southernmost wine region), beneath the client’s own vineyard, the brief called for a house protected from the elements, that simultaneously embraced its extraordinary river gorge views. 

The solution – a sculptural home crafted from a quietly robust material palette, with multiple outdoor areas to suit extreme climate variations. The residence appears naturally embedded in its site, with the intention of disappearing into the mining tailings over time. Breathtaking!

The owners of this 1947 cottage in Beaconsfield, Fremantle came to Simon Pendal Architect with a simple request: more space.

Finding beauty in the original home, the architects stripped back and restored its existing rooms, alongside a series of new cave-like chambers seemingly carved from recycled brick.  

Rear openings to the garden and engagement with natural elements (the rising of the sun, the phases of the moon, and the value of breeze to soothe) reveal a home deeply rooted in its environment.  

You wouldn’t believe it from looking at it now, but before it was a light and bright family home, this house was a dilapidated brick dwelling filled with damp and asbestos. That was before it got the Aileen Sage Architects treatment….

The result is a beautiful, light-filled renovation of a heritage home – what a transformation!

A graceful, grand backdrop of towering gum trees sits behind this breezy weekender in Palm Beach. It was these natural surrounds and the sense of calm they evoke that inspired designers Arent&Pyke when they were engaged to reimagine the interiors of the home.

Steering clear of the typical beach-house aesthetic, the designers drew on serene blues, natural textures and native scenery to create a modern coastal look. It’s a timeless, updated holiday space that feels like home!

Some renovations projects call for an extensive overhaul of an existing space, others just a little finessing. The latter was the case for Engawa House in Ivanhoe, Victoria, which required only necessary works to update its energy efficiency and spatial planning. 

Only 15 square metres is a true addition to the house – the remainder simply a reconfiguring of the existing space, designed by Inbetween Architecture as a natural reaction to the client’s curious collection of souvenirs.

As the director of Inbetween Architecture John Liu explains, the house aims to be unapologetic in the pleasant messiness of living with ‘things.’

The clients of this interwar bungalow in Hawthorn came to Ha Architecture seeking a complete transformation inspired by Japanese architecture – a minimalist, tranquil space full of natural materials and connected to the outdoors.

Ha Architecture delivered on this brief and more, designing an almost entirely new home behind the original frontage to meet heritage restrictions. 

This entrance offers a discreet experience, with a new internal Japanese courtyard revealed only as one moves through the home.

The Mays Point House by Tanner Architects is an exercise in robust, yet refined architectural design, amongst incredible natural surrounds. 

By utilising a resilient and muted material palette, alongside a subtle interior scheme, the house allows the incredible South Arm Peninsula environs to take centre stage. This holiday home is an understated and respectful response to its sublime context.

The real estate market has been hot hot HOT at the moment with so many great properties for sale, but this has to be one of the best we’ve seen recently!

Built in 1957, this North Balwyn home has impeccable wood detailing, soaring ceilings and panoramic greenery all around it! The design also includes so many unique architectural features, including *that* floating study. As Trish Callan from Modernist Australia said on Instagram, ‘We are not worthy!’

Read more of her expert take below.

This 1960 Ivanhoe East house, originally designed by architects Hipwell, Weight & Mason, was close to perfection upon its completion. Subsequent ‘90s renovations unfortunately compromised its design integrity, leading to a recent interior restoration by Pop Architecture. 

Looking to the original house plans for inspiration, Pop Architecture enhanced the home’s spirit by removing superfluous details and introducing subtle modern materials. The home’s leafy outlook to the Yarra River was also reinstated, once again serving as the home’s intended focal point.