Designing a home that looks great and works for family life can be a bit of a balancing act. You want a space that feels stylish and reflects who you are, but it also has to hold up to sticky fingers, toys everywhere, and the general chaos that comes with kids. The good news? You don’t have to choose between chic and child-safe. With a few thoughtful choices, you can have both.
Bunratty House sits gracefully on five acres of rolling hillside in The Gap, just a stone’s throw from Brisbane’s CBD. Texturally rich and oriented to capture sweeping views of the city skyline, this long-term family retreat balances contemporary elegance with laid-back outdoor living.
Family Heritage Home by Luigi Rosselli Architects dispels the notion that heritage houses cannot support modern family life. Rather than feeling outdated, this late-1880s residence—designed by English architect Walter Liberty Vernon—welcomes a young couple, their children, and grandparents.
Austin Maynard Architects transformed a single-storey weatherboard cottage into a dynamic family home. By embedding solutions into the design language, they crafted a space that balances togetherness with private retreats—perfect for work-from-home parents and two teenage daughters.
Perched gently atop a ridge in country Victoria, Marraweeney House offers a refined and peaceful response to its vast rural surroundings. Designed as a weekend retreat, the home embraces a philosophy of restraint and calm. Rather than imposing itself on the land, it settles into the site with grace—allowing the sweeping landscape to remain the main character.
House for BEES, designed by Downie North Architects, represents more than a clever acronym drawn from a family’s names—it captures a design philosophy centered on connection, craft, and care. Located in Mosman, Sydney, this thoughtful addition redefines the rear of a Federation-era home, creating a fluid relationship between house and garden.
Little Birch House embodies the art of intentional living, offering a thoughtful response to urban compactness through refined detail, atmospheric calm, and architectural clarity. Designed as a private retreat for a young family, this home transforms daily routines into a resort-like experience—bringing serenity to the everyday without compromising functionality.
Perched at the summit of a scenic hill in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, Gruyere Farmhouse—affectionately known as Hilltop Hood—is a refined architectural response to a breathtaking yet challenging site. Designed by Rachcoff Vella Architecture, this secluded retreat, located just an hour from Melbourne, exemplifies what’s possible when vision, resilience, and deep respect for nature come together.
House Kimberley is a single-storey, pavilion-style residence designed to blend effortlessly into its natural surroundings while delivering a refined and highly functional living experience. Conceived as a private retreat, the home was designed for a family seeking to reconnect, relax, and welcome guests in an environment that balances openness with privacy.
