Building a new house? Don’t start until you’ve had a look at these home building trends and home hacks of 2021.

We don’t want to toot our own horn here, but the honest truth is Australia really does have excellent tradespeople and architects living within her shores. 

As home builders, we’re constantly keeping up with the latest trends of the year. Here are some of the luxury homes we’ve fallen in love with since the start of 2021…

Nature’s own home

One of the prevalent themes for 2021 is greenery. Whether you’re chasing a backyard oasis, indoor pot plant haven, green wall facade, or a terrace draped in vines, a splash of nature is one of this year’s favourite ways of adding colour to the scene. 

Plants are also a great way to clear the air in a home – which we’re sure is something of a requirement nowadays when so many of us are spending extra time in the house.

Garden House by Austin Maynard Architects

With sustainability and a love for greener and brighter futures at the forefront of our minds in 2021, Garden House by Austin Maynard Architects has certainly captured our attention. Located on a long and narrow street in Melbourne, Garden House is an inner-city sanctuary.

Not only is it wrapped in green goodness on the outside and swallowed by warm, comfortingly natural tones on the inside, but it is sustainably built too.

“The average Australian house uses 19kwh of energy per day. Garden House produces 100kwh per day and has a 26kwh Tesla battery. A high-performing, hi tech, inner-city oasis, Garden House is our most sustainable home yet,” say the Austin Maynard Architects team.

Exposed brick

The exposed brick trend has been gradually gaining momentum over the years. It’s a nice breakup from the white washed homes we’ve come to know and love because it brings a sense of warmth, character, and texture to a space. 

Exposed brick speaks to the history of a building  – often a desired look for renovators because the beautifully raw material is already there. It also speaks of the craft itself; a hand-laid process of precision and patience.

Night Sky by Peter Stutchbury Architecture

Not one of the most conventional exposed brick designs to try and follow, but we just couldn’t omit this amazing home from our list. Night Sky by Peter Stutchbury Architecture is a superb combination of imagination, design and expert craftsmanship. 

A newly constructed home with a literal sky viewing hole crafted into its brick arches, this stunner sends off moody and archaic vibes, topped with a spark of adventure.

Timber. Everywhere.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, timber and neutral colours are the new ‘in’ for 2021. There will always be room for whites and greys because the simple fact is greys and whites age extremely well, but who says you can’t have natural-look timber floors, stairs, shelves, ceilings, railings and even benchtops to break it up? 

Torrens Street House by Officer Woods Architects

All homes featured above have used timber as a warm and homely buffer, but we especially like Torrens Street House by Officer Woods Architects for their commitment to the theme. 

“This upside-down house is a dwelling that fully embraces its garden setting. It encapsulates the principle of spatial equity between house and landscape, and challenges the tendency for car storage to dominate narrow frontage lots. It directly addresses the street, admitting interaction while balancing communality and privacy,” states Officer Woods Architects on House Awards. See the rest of the gallery here.

What are the next home building trends?

2021 is still very much alive! Check into our blog in the coming months for the next installment of The hottest home building design trends of 2021.