From Perth to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and beyond, these Aussie residences demonstrate what it means to optimize a home for indoor/outdoor living.

A Multitiered Addition With a Lush Courtyard Revives a Federation-Style Melbourne Home

Melbourne architectural studio WALA revived a Federation-era bungalow with a two-level extension that incorporates a rear garden and addresses the home’s flood-prone site. At the rear of the structure, full-height, sliding glass doors open to a raised deck that connects to a self-contained pavilion with a study and second living room. The large, rear courtyard is anchored by a Japanese maple tree that works to harmonize the old and new buildings." layout="" credit="Photo by Tess Kelly" photoUserId="6662800920089243648"/>

This Energy-Efficient Prefab Is One Family’s Weekend Retreat by the Beach

A Breezy, Modern Addition Opens Up a Historic Melbourne Home

A Melbourne family with three young sons called upon local practice Mitsuori Architects to expand their venerable Victorian home with a two-level rear addition. On the ground level, a spacious living, dining, and kitchen area opens to the patio and backyard through large sliding glass doors that feature a telescoping design, which means they fit into one another and can therefore maximize the opening to the outdoor space." layout="" credit="Photo by Michael Kai" photoUserId="6133562573498179584"/>

A Queenslander Cottage Relishes Sunshine With a New Extension

An Australian Renovation Weaves Together Indoor Spaces With Lush Gardens for a Year-Round Oasis

A Bold Addition With a Zigzag Roof Ushers Light Into This Melbourne Home

An Angled Expansion Gives a Bungalow in Melbourne an Open-Air Slant

A Calming Central Courtyard Lets in Fresh Air and Sunlight at a Renovated Aussie Cottage

A Melbourne Home Gains a Marvelous Modular Addition

A Playful Home Inspired by Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro” Blends Indoor/Outdoor Spaces

This Beach House in Australia Is Nothing Like Its Neighbors—or Any Beach House You’ve Seen

A Family’s Queenslander Cottage Is Cracked Open With an Airy, Shed-Like Addition

A Melbourne Bungalow’s Courtyard Extension Creates a Window to the Sky

An Addition to a 1940s Home in Sydney Amplifies Its Connection to the Outdoors

A Sleek Addition Hides Behind a Federation-Era Facade in Sydney

A Couple’s Home in Australia Is a Canvas for Changing Light

Architect Kim Bridgland of Edition Office designed a single-level dwelling for couple in the Australian gold rush town of Kyneton. The garden, which is accessible through sliding, wood-framed glass window walls in the common areas, takes center stage. The thermal mass of the recycled brick used for the walls, combined with cross ventilation, allows the home to be passively cooled. An air-exchange heat pump warms the floor slab in colder months." layout="" credit="Photo by Ben Hosking" photoUserId="6133440775490265088"/>

An Australian Cottage Gets a Mediterranean-Inspired Revamp

Renovation Near Sydney Opens Home Onto a Lush Garden

An Uplifting Melbourne Addition Embodies its Owners’ Sense of Adventure

Exquisite Craftsmanship Breathes New Life Into a “Socially Sustainable” Home

Melbourne practice Studio Bright reincarnated a declining Edwardian into a contemporary family home with playful design details and a rear extension. The western perimeter contains a walled garden with a secondary entrance. Cream-colored LOHAS Nilo Rustic bricks clad the addition to remain “sympathetic yet differentiated” from the existing red-brick structure." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Rory Gardiner" photoUserId=""/>

Related Reading:

16 Impressive “Before & After” Renovations in Australia

The Eco-Friendly Guide to Upgrading an Existing Home

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An Uplifting Melbourne Addition Embodies its Owners’ Sense of Adventure