I spend every day immersed in the work of some of the most talented architects and designers across Australia, New Zealand and North America. It’s a front-row seat to the ideas shaping how we live – and a clear view of the themes defining architecture and design today. While these trends often emerge in high-end homes, great design isn’t limited to big budgets. The best ideas show up just as often in inner-city apartments as they do in multi-million-dollar builds it’s all about how you bring them to life.
Indoor-outdoor connection
We talk about this one a lot, and for good reason – it’s become more important than ever for people to connect with the outdoors as we search for slower, more sustainable ways of living. There’s a grounding quality to bringing the natural world into our homes. We are seeing it most predominantly in the rise of skylights, internal courtyards, and floor-to ceiling windows and doors that blur the boundary between inside and out. Outdoor kitchens are evolving too – they’re more considered, more elevated and becoming extensions of the home rather than afterthoughts. While structural changes can be costly, small shifts make a difference. Start with layering greenery indoors to bring the outdoors in, softening the pace of your everyday life.
Tactile materials
There’s a real shift away from polish and perfection and towards materials that feel lived-in and full of character. Stone and timber have always been favourites, but we’re seeing them used in more daring, expressive ways – such as in cladding, rendered finishes, concrete slabs and handapplied plaster walls. These materials do more than just look good – they tie into passive design thinking and environmental performance. There’s something timeless and powerful about materials that age gracefully, weathering over time and telling a story with every imperfection. Even in tiled spaces, swapping out uniform tiles for ones with variation in tone, texture or shape can dramatically change the character of a room.
