Inside Australia’s best homes including a modern cabin in the woods and seventies style mansion

A renovated 1970s mansion on the cliffs of Sydney’s waterfront and a Bryon Bay house with an underground bunker pool have taken out top prizes at this year’s Houses Awards celebrating Australia’s best residential properties.

Among the other contenders were a modern cabin in the woods on a Tasmanian island, a stunning home with eight separate courtyards in Melbourne as well as a stylish farm-style house that opens up to the outdoors.

Here FEMAIL looks at the stand out properties among the nation’s best – from a Japanese-inspired home with an all-white interior to a heritage Federation cottage with a sleek, contemporary extension and an angular house with a pyramid roof.  

SRG House, Sydney, New South Wales

Tucked away on the cliffs overlooking the Parramatta River is this stunning three-storey heritage-listed home that has been carefully renovated to preserve its seventies charm emphasised through timber-frame windows, concrete pillars and dark natural textures. 

The SRG House, originally built in 1972 and renovated by architects Fox Johnston, takes its name from renowned Australian architect and former owner Sir Roy Grounds and won the award for best house in a heritage context. 

Its interior features echo the seventies with curved built-in furniture, retro cork flooring and red Japanese finger tiles.

A raw timber kitchen flows into the living and dining areas that have floor-to-ceiling windows to let the light stream in and showcase the picturesque views. 

Tucked away in the cliffs on Sydney’s waterfront, overlooking the Parramatta River, is this stunning three-storey heritage-listed home that has been carefully renovated to preserve its seventies charm through timber framed windows, concrete pillars and dark natural textures

The interior features echo the seventies with curved built-in furniture, retro cork flooring, red Japanese finger tiles, a raw timber kitchen that flows into the living and dining areas that have floor-to-ceiling windows to let the light stream in and showcase the picturesque views

Federal House, Byron Bay, New South Wales

Perched on a sloping landscape in the Byron Bay Hinterland, Federal House was positioned to capture sweeping views of surrounding forest from every room and provide a ‘peaceful sanctuary’ for its lucky owners.

Designed by Kim Bridgland and Aaron Roberts of Melbourne architecture agency Edition Office, the one-of-a-kind property with a wraparound terrace and sunken pool was praised by judges for effectively blurring the lines between indoors and out.

The interior is filled with contrasts, such as dark wood and concrete set against lighter wooden floors and tan leather fixtures.  

Designed by Kim Bridgland and Aaron Roberts of Melbourne architecture agency, Edition Office, the one-of-a-kind Federal House, perched on a sloping landscape in the Byron Bay Hinterland, was praised for brilliantly blurring the lines between indoors and out by judges at the 2021 Houses Awards

 A wraparound terrace and sunken pool (pictured left) was praised for brilliantly blurring the lines between indoors and out by judges at the 2021 Houses Awards

Killora Bay, North Bruny, Tasmania

This modern cabin in the woods emerges from a dense forest of fern bushes, grass trees and white gums on Bruny Island in Tasmania’s south.  

Natural timber cladding wraps around the Killora Bay home which is used as a tranquil holiday home for architect Lara Maeseele and her young family, with dark natural textures, an open-air bathroom, and a living, dining and kitchen space with huge glass doors that open out to the surrounding bushland. 

This modern cabin in the woods emerges from a dense forest of fern bushes, grass tress and white gums on Bruny Island in Tasmania’s South

Natural timber cladding wraps around the Killora Bay home which acts as a tranquil seasonal holiday home for architect Lara Maeseele and her young family

The home features dark natural textures, an open-air bathroom, and a spacious living, dining and kitchen with huge glass doors that open out to the surrounding bushland

Franklin, Portsea, Victoria 

Melbourne architecture firm Ola Studio was given an unusual brief from the single owner who called for a ‘Japanese inspired fuzzy white cocoon’ that is ‘private, peaceful, fresh and organic’ and they certainly delivered. 

The all-white interior takes cues from modern Japanese design with akari style pendant lights, screen room dividers and minimalist furniture while the owner’s eclectic art taste peppers muted and subtle pops of colour through the home. 

Outside the modern resort-style pool is surrounded by raw concrete textures and sunken garden beds and offers a sense of tranquility. 

For the Franklin home, Melbourne architecture firm Ola Studio was given an unusual brief from the single owner who called for a ‘Japanese inspired fuzzy white cocoon’ that is ‘private, peaceful, fresh and organic’

The all-white interior takes cues from modern Japanese design with akari style pendant lights, screen room dividers and minimalist furniture while the owner’s eclectic art taste peppers muted and subtle pops of colour through the home

Outside the modern resort-style pool is surrounded by raw concrete textures and sunken garden beds and offers a sense of tranquility

East Fremantle, Perth, WA

This house in East Fremantle has a sleek modern extension designed by Nic Brunsdon that is juxtaposed with the heritage Federation cottage it was added to. 

The home’s minimalistic kitchen with a skylight and modern finishes, and chic sunken living room opens out onto the grassy courtyard.  

Dark exposed and grey brick walls fill the hallways where the extension meets the original heritage home, leading to light-filled living areas with timber-beamed ceilings and polished concrete floors. 

This East Fremantle house’s sleek modern extension designed by Nic Brunsdon is juxtaposed with the heritage Federation cottage it was added to

Looking like it was pulled from the pages of a magazine, the home’s minimalistic kitchen with a skylight and modern finishes, and chic sunken living room opens out onto the grassy courtyard

Dark exposed and grey brick walls fill the hallways where the extension meets the original heritage home lead to light-filled living areas with timber beamed ceilings and polished concrete floors

Bellows House, Flinders, Victoria

Sculptural reverse-pyramid roofs are the standout feature above the dining and living areas in Bellows House, an inspiring geometric structure of concrete masonry blocks in the secluded Victorian town of Flinders.

Bellows House, designed by Melbourne-based Architects EAT, surrounds a chic courtyard garden with open firepit and wooden decking and the modern kitchen combines matte-black, dark wood, red brick, white tile and concrete textures.  

Sculptural reverse-pyramid roofs are the standout feature above the dining and living areas in Bellows House, an incredible geometric structure of concrete masonry blocks in the Victorian town Flinders

Bellows House surrounds a chic courtyard garden with open firepit and wooden decking

The modern kitchen combines matte-black, dark wood, red brick, white tile and concrete textures

Eight Yard House, Melbourne, Victoria

The Eight Yard House in North Fitzroy, Melbourne, brings the outside in with a series of courtyards and outdoor spaces that seamlessly flow into the home. 

Designed by Melbourne architecture firm Studio Bright, the family home has features rarely found in such inner-city locales: a stunning pool, modern kitchen, glass encased poolside shower, lush green gardens, cosy fireplace and light-filled living spaces. 

The striking façade with modern patterned brickwork and a clean line design is juxtaposed with the neighbouring traditional terraced homes. 

The Eight Yard House in North Fitzroy, Melbourne, brings the outside in with a series of courtyards and outdoor spaces that seamlessly flow into the home

Designed by Melbourne architecture firm Studio Bright, the contemporary family home features a stunning pool, modern kitchen, glass encased poolside shower, lush green gardens, cosy fireplace and light-filled living spaces

Long Road, Mount Tamborine, Queensland  

In the Gold Coast hinterlands, near Mount Tamborine village, sits this spectacular farm-style home with a stunning green-tiled bathroom, and wooden shutter doors that open to the rolling hills and lush rainforest outside. 

The pebble-floored courtyard with creeping vines is seamlessly integrated into the home’s dark wooden interior that features chic black walls and pillars, and timber panelled ceilings. 

In the Gold Coast hinterlands, near Mount Tamborine village, sits this spectacular rural home with a stunning green-tiled bathroom with wooden shutter doors that open to the rolling hills and lush rainforest outside

The pebble-floored courtyard with creeping vines is seamlessly integrated into the home’s dark wooden interior that features chic black walls and pillars, and timber paneled ceilings