Home & Garden

Perennial gardens are known for their rambling, free-flowing style and seasonal plantings that can quickly turn any landscape into a dreamy setting. And this thriving Melbourne garden by Andy Murray Landscape Design — completed in 2023 — is a great example. The backyard of a family home in Preston features everything from massed herbaceous perennials […]

For the past two years, Ella Reweti and Huw Smith have been carefully renovating this little Victorian cottage in Preston. The couple have made a number of updates to their family home themselves, tackling everything from cosmetic works like plastering and painting, to turning the old lean-to into a living room. But they’re also working

Photographer Eve Wilson and Jon Atchison gave Studio Bright a relatively open brief when it came to renovating their Cremorne home a few years ago. ‘We wanted something with texture and colour, as much greenery as possible, and maybe some breeze blocks,’ Eve says. The couple and their two kids, Elliot (9) and June (7),

The Collingwood home of ceramicist Samantha McIntyre of The Soda Fountain, and Sullivan+Strumpf communications coordinator Elsa Bryant is a ‘beautiful compromise’ from the housemates’ previous Fitzroy home. Not wanting to move too far away, but seeking a fresh environment, they discovered this nearby converted warehouse for rent that provided the ideal contrast. ‘The wide, open

There’s an overwhelming sense of calm that washes over you as you step into this coastal home. Much of that is due to its location in Point Lonsdale, on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, but the rest is thanks to a harmonious renovation by Annabel Kerr Interior Design. ‘It was a beautiful beach bungalow — old and

For a flowery addition to your container herb garden, plant some calendula. Calendula flowers bring a wave of sunshine to my winter garden with their large yellow/orange flowers, and the neighbourhood pollinators absolutely love them. Calendula flowers can also be cultivated and used medicinally. The flowers can be dried to make a homemade salve known

The original single-fronted cottage on this Lilyfield, Sydney site was ‘bursting at the seams’ says Jemima Retallack, director of Retallack Thompson. ‘With two bedrooms and one bath to house a young family of five with two dogs, it was one of the hardest working houses we’d come across.’ As it stood, the house dictated the

When it came to designing this new family home in Eltham, the hilltop site was equal parts challenging and inspiring for Ben Callery Architects. Located on top of a hill, it had great opportunities to take in views across the established trees, and sunset vistas across the valley. But the trees also shaded much of

Zac Evangelisti, architect and director of Zarq Studio, is a firm believer that additions to historic homes should be distinct — not a ‘mere mimicry’ of the existing architecture. This philosophy underpins the transformation of his own 1920s family home in Mount Hawthorn, Perth. The existing house was somewhat charming but modest, without even a

California Ranch style is the epitome of relaxed sophistication — where a mid-century modern sensibility meets sun-drenched ease. Inspired by post-war 1950s modernism, ornate details and wide-open Western landscapes, this style champions indoor-outdoor living, natural materials, and an unfussy, grounded aesthetic. At its core, the Californian Ranch style is all about flow. Open-plan layouts, low-slung