Above a certain budget the constraints move. The money stops being the limit — and the site, the builder, the lead times and the documentation become the things that decide whether it works.
Read MoreCurrent project in Upper Beaconsfield
What Drives the Cost of a Custom Home (and What You Can Control)
Not all cost drivers are equal, and not all of them are yours to move. Here's what genuinely shifts the number on a custom home — and which decisions do it early.
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How Natural Light Should Shape Your Floor Plan
Most Melbourne homes are planned around the block, then given windows. Reversing that order — letting light decide where rooms go — is the cheapest upgrade to how a home feels.
Read MoreDesigning for summer: indoor-outdoor living that actually works in Melbourne
Indoor-outdoor living sounds simple until a Melbourne summer tests it. A Melbourne architect on the design decisions that make the connection between inside and out work all year, not just in the brochure.
Read MoreWhat Actually Happens in a Feasibility Study: Your First Three Meetings With Me
Every piece I write points to "a feasibility study." Here's exactly what that means — three meetings, what we cover, and what you'll walk away knowing.
Read MoreDesigning for Melbourne's Climate: Orientation, Glazing and Comfort
Melbourne's climate should shape a home's design from day one. Orientation, glazing and comfort, explained by a Melbourne architect, without the jargon.
Read MoreWhat Melbourne homeowners are asking for in 2026: five design themes from the drawing board
Five design themes shaping Melbourne renovations and extensions in 2026 — drawn from real client briefs, not trend lists. From a Melbourne architect.
Read MoreOpen plan or defined spaces? What Melbourne homeowners are choosing in 2026
Open plan had a twenty-year run. Here's how Melbourne homeowners are now balancing openness with rooms that actually fit how they live.
Read MoreHow homeowners can view their house plans before building
The different ways homeowners can view their plans before building, from simple 2D floor plans through to immersive VR. The blog should position Mark as a guide who helps clients better understand scale, flow, light and layout before decisions are locked in
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How to Use Tech to Create a Look Book of Ideas for Your Home Renovation
Planning a Melbourne renovation or extension? Learn how to use Pinterest, Canva, Houzz, Milanote and AI tools to create a clear look book that helps your architect understand your style.
Read MoreCouncil Approvals 101: What Melbourne Homeowners Should know
Planning a renovation, extension or new home build in Melbourne? Learn when you may need council planning approval, how it differs from a building permit, and how to avoid approval delays.
Read MoreGood Design on a Renovation Budget: How to Create a Better Home Without Overcapitalising
enovating in Melbourne during a cost-of-living squeeze? Learn how thoughtful design can help you improve your home, control costs and spend where it matters most.
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Embracing Green Spaces: Integrating Plants into Your Home Architecture
Incorporating plants into home architecture is not just a trend, but a movement towards creating more harmonious living spaces. Let’s explore the latest trends in green spaces inside homes, how to seamlessly integrate these into your architectural designs, and highlight some exemplary projects leading the way.
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Source: Pinterest
Courtyards as a considered part of your house design
Courtyards are a fundamental element in architectural design, offering a range of advantages that greatly enhance the functionality and aesthetics of a home. Here are some key benefits:
Read MoreWhat to consider when designing outdoor spaces
When designing outdoor spaces, there are several important factors to consider. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind:
Read MoreGreen living walls
Bringing the outside in has been a feature of the Australian housing market for some time. We like to be surrounding by nature and our climate means that we can have big open spaces that face our open spaces like our gardens. However now I have noticed the trend to make living green walls part of the architecture of the home. Living green walls have become a feature that many home lovers are getting on board with.
What use to be confined to a commercial use in foyers and window dressings are now making their way into our homes.They’ve recently become some of the most striking and important eco-friendly features in buildings across the world.
When vertical gardens are used on the interiors of buildings, they can help improve air quality not only because plants naturally remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen-rich air, but also because plants can filter the air around them by absorbing and cleaning pollutants. When they’re used inside, living green walls frequently act as a three-dimensional, living piece of artwork, providing an aesthetic component as well as a health element.
Where there isn’t the inclination to look after a living green wall some have opted for a mural or wallpaper which gives the illusion of a green space as a backdrop to a room.
My wife is a big advocate of garden and green spaces and so I am encouraged to think more about green spaces when designing homes, especially in tight spaces where a touch of green can really make the space come to life.
