To celebrate International Women's Day this year, we have put together our Top 10 Australian Homes as part of Marz Loves, each designed, curated or managed by some of our favourite women in design.
YSG - YASMINE GHONIEM
CHECKMATE
Checkmate, Byron Bay: A Seventies-inspired home with an off-kilter elegance, shaping a laid back family utopia amongst a tropical setting, featuring a voluptuous mix of vintage interior design, deep browns and retro pieces sourced locally and abroad.
Materials; sandstone, tumbled travertine, marble, chrome, terracotta pavers, cork and porcelain tiles, handwoven African wall hangings, embossed wallpaper.
Built by Webber build. Stylist- Felicity NG. Photographer- Prue Ruscoe
FIONA LYNCH
RIVER HOUSE
River House, Melbourne’s Yarra River: A timeless approach to modern design, blending architectural details with contemporary interventions, the restoration of a 1930s Georgian revival home honours its original craftsmanship while incorporating thoughtful material choices.
Materials; slow-crafted stone elements, timber, metal, stainless steel, panels of wire-brushed oak, glass and brass.
Photographer, Sharyn Cairns
HANNAH - TRIBE STUDIO
BRONTE HOUSE
Bronte House, Gadigal Country: A monolithic and elemental house that evokes the epic grandeur of its surrounding cliff landscape while honouring a singular structural design, expressed through playful internal volumes.
Materials; grounded materials, sandy coloured brickwork and concrete structural slabs, with finishes made from Australian hardwood.
Read The Local Project Article. Builder, Robert Plumb Build. Landscape Architect, Dangar Barin Smith. Photographer, Rory Gardiner
CUSHLA MCFADDEN
WAHROONGA HOUSE
Wahroonga House: A laid-back yet sophisticated refuge that captures the spirit of the mid-century movement and Australian modernist architecture, creating a minimalist yet playful design geometry, balanced by the earth-inspired material palette—referencing the warmth and playfulness of palm springs.
Materials; timber lined ceilings, terracotta flooring, terrazzo, amber rippled glass door.
Project team, Cushla Mcfadden, Kelly Doyle, Emma Say. Photography, Damian Bennett. Editorial styling, Tristan Qasabian
MONIQUE WOODWARD
VILLA ROTUNDA
Villa Rotunda, Romsey -Victoria: A tree change residence, renovated from a country cottage inspired by an Italian architectural icon, enmeshed with a curated palette of beautiful mints, greens and rusts, embellishing its singular and original typology.
Materials; Rammed earth, locally sourced timber and clay.
Photography, Derek Swalwell
EVA-MARIE PRINEAS
FISHERMAN'S HOUSE
Fisherman’s House, Wangal Country: A richly layered home guiding a theatrical journey from dark to light, private to communal, static sandstone rockface to fluid and reflective water, all through a contemporary reimagining of the original weatherboard fisherman’s cottage.
Materials; textured surfaces, with walnut timber veneer, sandstone cliff face, leather and velvet elements.
Photography,Gavin Green
“As architects, we have a responsibility to instigate change through the way we design, the products we specify, and how we listen, learn and create on Country — this is what drives and motivates me.”
"Fisherman’s House connects a 19th century fisherman’s cottage with a new, off-form concrete tower; a richly layered home embedded in its site that marries purpose with experiential depth.”
- Eva-Marie Prineas, Principal of Studio Prineas
CLAIRE COUSINS
COURTYARD HOUSE
Courtyard House, Bunurong country: A contemporary reinterpretation of the previously condemned 1885 corner-store’s scale and materiality, shaped from within to offer a home that is private yet open, contemporary yet figurative, modest but generous.
Design team; Clare Cousins, Oliver Duff, Tom Goodchild, Timothy Mettam, Yaseera Moosa
Photography,Tom Ross
KERRY PHELAN
DECO HOUSE
Deco House, Melbourne: A characterful home with its intentionally restored and elegant Art Deco facade on the exterior, and a carefully curated series of distinct rooms inside, creating spaces of intimacy and individuality while still allowing views to flow seamlessly.
Photography, Derek Swalwell
SHONA MCELROY
LIGHT HOUSE
Light House, Vaucluse: An award-winning project for a family who love Italian-inspired design. Described as “timeless and lovingly layered” by Belle and “beautifully nuanced” by Vogue Living.
Photography, Dave Wheeler. Photo styled by Claire Delmar.
TAMSIN JOHNSON
SUNSET
Sunset, Boreen Point: A beautifully curated space that blends earthy tones, vintage details and timeless accents with soft natural lighting, inspired by the warmth of a sunset—creating a charming feel.
Materials; micro cement, terrazzo, marble.
