Here are ten practical ways to make your home look good and work well in our climate. If you're building new, most of them are cheapest to get right at design and selections stage, before the contract is signed.

  1. Embrace the Australian Aesthetic: Borrow from the landscape: earthy tones, sandy hues, ocean blues and eucalyptus greens. Artwork from local artists, or photos of the Outback, Sydney Harbour or the Gold Coast beaches, brings a bit of the outdoors inside.
  2. Maximise Natural Light: Keep windows uncluttered and use light curtains or blinds that draw right back. Skylights can brighten dark hallways and bathrooms, but in Queensland choose one with a diffuser and an insulated shaft, or a tubular skylight, so you get the light without the heat. Skylights also affect your NatHERS energy rating. Mirrors opposite windows bounce light around and make a room feel bigger.
  3. Incorporate Indoor Plants: Plants make a room feel calmer and more lived-in. For an Aussie feel indoors, try a Kentia palm (from Lord Howe Island) or a bird's nest fern. If you're not a green thumb, hardy non-natives like the ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem) or Devil's Ivy are hard to kill.
  4. Opt for Open Plan Living: Open plan suits the way Australians live and entertain, with cooking, dining and living flowing together. If you're renovating, don't knock out a wall until your builder or an engineer confirms it isn't load-bearing and doesn't carry plumbing or wiring. If you're still at design stage, it's far cheaper to get the layout right on paper.
  5. Invest in Quality Furniture: Balance style with durability. Our heat, humidity and sun are hard on furniture, and Australian-made pieces are often designed with that in mind. Choose sofas with removable covers for easy cleaning, keep leather out of direct sun (it fades and cracks), and pick UV-stable fabrics such as solution-dyed acrylic for sunny rooms.
  6. Play with Textures: Mixing textures adds depth. Pair smooth, polished surfaces with rougher, rustic ones, like a sleek sofa with a knitted wool throw and plush cushions. Rugs, wall hangings and light fittings all add texture too.
  7. Create a Colour Scheme: Colour sets the mood. Soft neutrals like beige, light grey and white feel calm in bedrooms and bathrooms. In living areas you can go bolder, with a feature wall or pops of colour in cushions, throws and artwork.
  8. Smart Storage Solutions: Homes are getting smaller, so storage has to work harder. Think ottomans with storage, beds with drawers and coffee tables with shelves. Built-in cabinetry keeps clutter out of sight, and it's much cheaper to include in the original build than to add later. In kitchens and bathrooms, drawer dividers and pull-out shelves make the most of every centimetre.
  9. Personalise Your Space: Display family photos, travel souvenirs and things that mean something to you, whether that's a gallery wall, a shelf of vintage books, a guitar or a handmade quilt. That's what turns a house into a home.
  10. Sustainable Choices: Choose eco-friendly materials where you can, such as bamboo flooring or recycled glass benchtops. Pick energy-efficient appliances and consider solar panels. Outside, a small veggie patch or compost bin cuts food waste. Most of these save money over time too.

If you're building, lock in your colours, finishes, storage and lighting during selections, before you sign the contract. Changing them later means variations, and variations cost money.