The Outside Perspective

15/10/2026

WHEN IS AN IN-GROUND POOL NOT REALLY “IN-GROUND”?

Thinking about a pool this summer? Where it goes isn't only about finding the perfect sunny spot. How the pool sits within the ground, the levels across your site and associated structures can influence where it can go and the approval pathway. The best place for your pool might not be the most obvious one.

13/10/2026

Planning information referenced with thanks to Peta Charles Brisbane Town Planning

11/10/2026

We’re not here to tell you what your home should be.

Our job is to understand how you want to live — and turn that into a design that feels like you.

It’s more than a beautiful exterior, finishes or the curtains you choose later.

It’s how you move through your home. Where you come together. Where you retreat. How light enters. What you see. And how inside connects with outside.

These are the things we explore with you through the design process.

Because we’re not designing our house.

We’re designing yours.

And that’s where the soul of a home starts.

08/10/2026

A beautiful home is only part of the picture.

Before we start designing, we need to understand the home and the site it sits on.

For this property, that meant working through flooding and overland flow, biodiversity and a local waterway corridor.

Flooding and overland flow can influence where new work sits and the required floor levels. This is where the right team matters — a hydraulic engineer helps us understand flood levels and water movement, while a town planner helps us navigate the planning requirements.

We bring that information together and use it to explore what’s possible.

Understand the site. Explore the possibilities. Design with intent.

Planning information referenced with thanks to Peta Charles at Brisbane Town Planning.

06/10/2026

HOW DO YOU BRING MORE LIGHT INTO YOUR HOME?

Natural light isn’t always about adding bigger windows.

For this home, large glass doors bring light into the living spaces while opening the home to the deck and pool.

But with a covered deck outside, the indoor dining area needed another source of natural light.

A skylight above brings light deeper into the home, helping the dining area feel bright and open throughout the day.

It’s not simply about adding more glass. It’s about understanding where the light needs to come from.

01/10/2026

29/09/2026

ROOM TO GROW

How do you design a home for a life that keeps changing?

What your family needs today might look very different in a few years.

Thinking beyond what you need right now can create spaces that continue to work as your family grows and life changes.

A home designed for now — with room for what comes next.

27/09/2026

Brisbane Town Planning #

24/09/2026

WHAT WILL YOU NEED FROM YOUR HOME IN 10 YEARS?

We often know what we need from our home today.

But life rarely stays the same.

A nursery. A playroom. A study.

Different stages of life ask different things from our homes.

Designing for the future means thinking beyond what a space needs to do today — and making thoughtful decisions that leave possibilities open for later.

Because a well-designed home should be able to evolve with you.

Images from three different TOP projects.

23/09/2026

THINKING ABOUT A POOL PAVILION?

A pool pavilion can be much more than somewhere to escape the sun.

It can create a place to sit, entertain and stay connected to what’s happening in and around the pool.

But where it sits matters.

Its relationship to the pool, sightlines, shade, access and pool safety requirements all influence the design.

For this project, these elements were considered together to create an outdoor space that feels connected, comfortable and easy to use.

It’s not just about adding a pavilion.
It’s about making the whole outdoor space work better.