Best of Residential Houses. 2024 Archive EditionFollowing our deep dive into apartments, we’re continuing our celebration of residential design excellence with an exploration of the year’s most remarkable houses—or the projects typically bigger in scope and budget than the apartment counterparts (although definitely not always the case). From award-winning Australian gems to international showstoppers, this collection showcases the extraordinary diversity in contemporary residential architecture.This year has been particularly significant for Australian residential architecture, with projects like Zuzana & Nicholas’ Red Hill House and Studio in Brisbane capturing the Australian House of the Year title at the Houses Awards. Then there’s the incredible, small but mighty Aru House in Newcastle by Curious Practice—a project that’s cleaned up at the Australian Institute of Architects NSW and National Awards. Kind of a big deal for an architect’s own Newcastle home.The global stage has delivered equally compelling narratives. From Mallorca’s Split House, where Feina Studio navigated a challenging site with their ‘vanilla ice cream’ facade, to Copenhagen’s House14a, which artfully marries Danish farmhouse charm with contemporary cool.Sustainability, adaptive reuse and experimenting with small scales and footprint have emerged as powerful themes, with projects like Alcami Architecture’s Terrace House Mirage in Chippendale showing how Victorian terraces can be reimagined for modern Australian living. Meanwhile, the winners of this year’s Australian Interior Design Awards remind us that excellence in residential design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating spaces that enhance our daily lives while championing innovative materials and local craftsmanship.From modest renovations to ambitious new builds, each project in this collection tells its own unique story of how we live today. Settle in for a tour of some of the most inspiring Houses of 2024.Best of Residential Interiors & Architecture, Part 01—Apartments | 2024 Archive.We celebrate exceptional apartment interiors and architecture that prove innovation thrives within constraints. See All Yellowtrace 2024 Archives Here.Explore our archives through the years: 2023 Archive / 2022 Archive / 2021 Archive / 2020 Archive / 2019 Archive / 2018 Archive / 2017 Archive / 2016 Archive / 2015 Archive / 2014 Archive / 2013 Archive / 2012 Archive / 2011 Archive / 2010 Archive. Residential Interiors & Architecture—Houses.Split House in Palma de Mallorca by Feina Studio. Taking the definition of the act of splitting to new heights, Feina Studio’s Split House in Palma de Mallorca takes advantage of the site’s significant level changes to accommodate a series of spaces dictated by split levels… Villain House in Barcelona by Architecture Office Claudia Raurell. On the northern slope of Barcelona’s Montjuic, the Villain House embraces both the old and the new. Claudia Raurell’s project offers a compelling vision of sustainable and contextually aware urban living. Red Hill House and Studio by Zuzana & Nicholas. What sets this house apart is its clever use of space. Instead of going for the typical open-plan layout, the architect-owners preserved the intimate scale of the existing rooms, adding strategic openings for connection and supervision… Design Innovation Shines at 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards. The Australian Interior Design Awards have illuminated the pinnacle of design excellence, reflecting the industry’s thriving and evolving nature. With categories spanning residential, retail, hospitality, public, workplace, and… From Two Apartments to a Family Home: House Y&A in Mortsel by Memo Architectuur. Spacious enough to hold a growing family of four, House Y&A has generous living spaces and a very homely connection to the rear garden. Yet, many of its spaces seem like they could be pulled out of a magazine under its ‘small footprint’… Dutch Courage: A Collectors Home in Amsterdam by DAB Studio. If the aim of the 1910 Amsterdam School movement was to create a total architectural experience, inside and out, then DAB Studio has very successfully followed in those footsteps. Housed in an Amsterdam School building, the Collectors Home… Curated to Chill: Cologny Holiday Home in Geneva by Hauvette & Madani. This modern Swiss pied-à-terre overlooking Lake Geneva becomes a timeless backdrop for the extensive art and design collection encased within, focusing on detailed and skilled craftsmanship. Drawing light and history from the surrounding… Egypt Meets Denmark in Melbourne: Mo Jacobsen by YSG Studio. This renovation is a love story of sorts—not just between the homeowners, but between two distinct design philosophies. The owners, an Egyptian-Australian with a penchant for pattern and colour, and a Danish minimalist, found common ground… A Villa in Lambersart Gets Its Groove Back Thanks to RMGB. Identity crisis no more, this villa in Lambersart, Lille, shakes off the cobwebs and gets its groove back with a restrained renovation by Guillaume Gibert and Baptiste Rischmann of RMGB… Subtle Fluidity Meets Rigorous Precision at Hawthorn East Residence by Adrian Amore Architects. Adrian Amore infused this space with a language of subtle fluidity, fusing curving and bending geometries with rectilinearity to create a harmonious and playful composition. The result is an ultra-sophisticated home that prioritises connectivity… Living in Colour: La Moraleja Residence in Madrid by Plutarco. La Moraleja residence is proof that with vision, talent, and a dash of daring, you can teach an old house new tricks. Plutarco has created a home that’s not just lived in, but lived for. It’s modern, it’s respectful of its roots, and it’s… Australia’s Most Exceptional Homes Revealed at Houses Awards 2024. What’s clear from this year’s Houses Awards winners is that Australian architects are pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to create a home. They’re proving that good design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating… Lighter than Light: A Country Villa by Grain Designoffice. If there’s one thing that defines—and unites—spaces by Grain Designoffice, it’s an enduring sense of weightlessness. Walls the colour of sunlight. Furniture in amorphous shapes. Rooms that flow into each other like slow, meandering… Stone Cold Stunner: River House by Fiona Lynch Office. When it comes to interiors that feel utterly luscious, refined but artful, expensive—yes, but fucking cool at the same time, it’s hard to go past the distinctive design language of Fiona Lynch. Fiona and her team show us, once again… The Power of Enduring Partnerships: Fernhurst by ANGLE, Edition Office and Eckersley Garden Architecture. ANGLE, a specialist in innovative high-end multi-residential property development, announces the launch of Fernhurst, a landmark residential project set to redefine modern living in Kew’s Studley Park, one of Melbourne’s most coveted… Blurred Edges: Aru House in Newcastle by Curious Practice. Named after the Awabakal word for insect, Aru House places value on reuse and repair. This relatively modest home punches well above its budget and scale while contributing to the surrounding neighbourhood. It speaks to the power of… From Brutalism to Fantasy: Terrace House Mirage by Alcami Architecture. An utterly unexpected and delightful interpretation of urban living, Terrace House Mirage captures the essence of constrained spaces with a finesse that borders on the miraculous. Victor Alcami of Alcami Architecture describes it best… This Pocket-sized Brisbane Wonder is Flipping the Script on Modest-Space Living. A diminutive pre-1911 Brisbane cottage receives a revolutionary addition that challenges conventional spatial requirements through clever planning and adaptable design. Lineburg Wang’s innovative approach proves that building less can… A Protective Structure Planted on the Rock: Castlecrag Courtyard by Downie North. Conceptually imagined as ‘a protective structure planted on the rock’, Downie North Castlecrag Courtyard house melds into the rugged topography in a way that one could easily mistake it for a luxurious cave or treehouse. With a… Chiaroscuro Composition: Elogio del Grigio by Cardillo Architecture. Belgian artist and surrealist, René Magritte, often took everyday, familiar objects and placed them in unexpected scenes, posing questions as to where the boundaries lie between what is real and what is representation. Similarly, Italian… Reflections of Genius: Leopold Banchini’s Villa Montasser Mirrors Swiss Heritage. A thoughtful addition to Leopold Banchini’s portfolio, Villa Montasser employs clever use of reflection, both literal and conceptual, offering a contemporary interpretation of Switzerland’s artistic and natural heritage. Nestled beside… This North London Home by McLaren Excell & Studio Iro Embraces the Japanese Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic. In Camden, North London, a former warehouse and art studio has been reimagined as a generous residence. The two-storey home showcases the collaborative efforts of McLaren Excell and Studio Iro, seamlessly blending architectural… A Patchwork of Possibility: House14a in Copenhagen by Pihlmann Architects. A masterclass in material exploration, House 14a in Copenhagen weaves together brick, timber, steel and stone in unexpected ways. Pihlmann Architects transforms this 1951 Danish dwelling into a contemporary cottage where patchwork floors… How 22 Square Metres Changed Everything for This Sydney Architect’s Home. When Sydney architect faced the challenge of expanding her family’s Inner West cottage during lockdown, she turned constraints into opportunities. The resulting 22sqm addition, featuring a cantilevered bay window and seamless garden… Brick by Brick: SJB’s Adam Haddow Designs a Legacy Home for his Parents in Ararat. When you’re a high-profile architect and your parents ask for a new home, you better deliver something extraordinary! In designing this house in Ararat, Victoria, SJB director Adam Haddow didn’t just create a downsized space—he made a legacy… Power in Simplicity: Pink House by César Béjar Studio. In contemporary Mexico, sitting along a streetscape of glossy white surfaces and timber facade details, is a solid pink box that seems to float between two party walls. A stucco-like application leaves the facade bumpy and organic—almost… New Line House: Studio Prineas Revives a 1960s Pettit & Sevitt Sydney Gem. In Northern Sydney’s bushlands, Studio Prineas preserves the mid-century character of a Pettit & Sevitt ‘Lowline’ house while adapting it for contemporary family life. The project thoughtfully expands the original single-level home upward… Chess Moves: A 70s-Inspired Family Home Transformation in Byron Bay. This family home takes on new dimensions and depths with its Rubik’s cube of textures, tones and interventions. The original identity of the house exists somewhere between the exposed red brick walls, heavy timber beams and the all too familiar… A Home That Grows with the Family: Malvern Residence by Studio Tate. Malvern Residence weaves together poetry and purpose, proving positive that family-friendly doesn’t have to mean design-challenged. It’s the kind of place where memories are made, laughter echoes off perfectly designed walls, and every day feels like a spread in a glossy magazine. A Rundown House in Toulouse Becomes a World of Possibility for Gabrielle Vinson. A rundown family home gets a contemporary update by Gabrielle Vinson, as the architect balanced preservation with practicality in a home that embraces its legacy. The generous five-metre-wide space was optimised for a now… Let There Be Light: Domingo in Barcelona by Aramé Studio. In the Catelonian capital of Barcelona, sunshine follows you everywhere. Indoors and outdoors. Through summer and winter. From daybreak to dusk. Sometimes, even beyond. But as architects Andrea Arriola Fiol and Adrián Mellado Muñoz of… From Modern to Contemporary: Snedons Landing Home by Rick Cook. In Snedons Landing, COOKFOX founder Rick Cook has updated his 1970s modernist home. Originally designed by Charlie Winter, the renovation respects the home’s “of the landscape” ethos while introducing contemporary… Ruin No More: A Home and Gallery in Porto by François Leite. François Leite brings a home left in ruins back to life in Porto’s Lapa district. Now imaginatively reinvented, the project integrates the structure’s existing framework and the neighbourhood’s wider context into a functional… Reviving a Piece of Architectural History: Monty Sibbel by Nuud Studio. In the quiet suburbs of Melbourne lies an example of the 70s architectural rebellion born in search of an affordable modern Australian home. This is where young architects from Nuud Studio embarked on a mission to breathe new life into a… Beyond the Big Smoke Brilliance: 2025 NSW Regional Architecture Awards. Sustainability and community impact are at the forefront of the 2025 NSW Regional Architecture Awards. The selected projects showcase innovative approaches to environmentally conscious design, adapting to the specific needs of… Creating Extraordinary out of the Ordinary: Woodward Architects Transform a 1970’s Sydney Beach House. Woodward Architects’ transformation of a mundane 1970s beach house speaks to the potential of architectural ingenuity to transcend the ordinary. Located in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the architects sought to enhance the connection to… See All Yellowtrace 2024 Archives Here.Explore our archives through the years: 2023 Archive / 2022 Archive / 2021 Archive / 2020 Archive / 2019 Archive / 2018 Archive / 2017 Archive / 2016 Archive / 2015 Archive / 2014 Archive / 2013 Archive / 2012 Archive / 2011 Archive / 2010 Archive. Share the love:FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPinterest Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ
