Garden Tower House

Cremorne, Melbourne

Garden Tower House is a semi-detached weatherboard worker's cottage in Cremorne on a site 4.2 metres wide, its front kept and restored and a two-storey addition built behind it in 2022, wrapped in star-patterned concrete breezeblocks that work as privacy screen, sunshade and balustrade at once and are meant to fill with climbers. The owner, photographer Eve Wilson, asked for "something with texture and colour, as much greenery as possible, and maybe some breeze blocks," and the open-air courtyard through the doors is what makes the tight plan work: with both sets of doors open, in her words, "it doubles in size and you have a bright indoor-outdoor space."

The pink of the steel door frames is Dulux Cuddlepot Half, the green joinery is painted in Dulux Shire and Dollar, and the stepping stones in the courtyard are Grey Tundra limestone. Kitchen, dining and lounge sit around the courtyard downstairs, with the main bedroom and a roof deck above, 133 square metres of house on a 144 square metre site. It took a commendation at the 2024 Houses Awards for alterations and additions under 200 square metres.

Studio Bright

Studio Bright is a Melbourne architecture practice based in Kew, led by Melissa Bright as principal and design director with Rob McIntyre and Emily Watson as directors. On this house it did the architecture, the interiors and, with Coolth Inc, the landscape.

studiobright.com.au · Instagram

Architecture Studio Bright (@studio__bright). Seen via @spacecraft___.

The picture comes from this post on Instagram.

Researched September 2026. I credit each piece as carefully as I can; if you know more about this one, message me on Instagram.