studio

Winner: Plush Design InteriorsTexture and soothing tones make this bedroom a standout, and set the scene for leisurely Sunday sleep-ins.

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Rooms that adaptHow about two rooms in one? This Balmain house, designed by the Bayview Design Group Australia, uses joinery even beyond its intended brief. In its open position, the bed folds down to create a bedroom for its occupants. Fold the bed away and it’s out of site and hidden, making room for a home office during the day. Integrating clever design ideas like this not only give you flexibility for a growing family but also give you an additional space to work with for visiting guests. No need to build a seldom-used additional bedroom or find a place to house a foldaway bed…

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The bedroomJoinery sometimes needs to be really simple, like this open shelf unit above the bed. It houses – and displays – a mix of personal items. However, the real hero of the bedroom, which is designed by ArchiBlox, is the room to the side that houses a built-in robe. It has been cleverly designed to appear as a piece of joinery, a box within the room, where the walls are clad in timber, disguising what would normally be a plastered and painted finish; and the walls stop short of the ceiling allowing you to appreciate the overall original size of the room. It’s a great way to introduce a contemporary element into a period room setting without destroying its integrity. Take a tour of this house

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Prioritise a healthy, sustainable home with a practical and functional floor plan that allows room for growth and change.

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Is a separate study and guest room really necessary? If overnight guests are infrequent but you need a space to work at home, why not install a pull-out wall bed (Murphy bed) inside a cupboard in an office or study space, to accommodate visitors when necessary.

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