An extension to a small workers cottage in Kingsville, Victoria. A collection of “stuff” to reuse, recycle, make do and make up. An individually crafted design solution by MAKE architecture studio with a sustainable agenda. It’s about small ideas and the big picture. Fresh, creative. After all it’s not always about conspicuous consumption. (Photography TM PHOTO.)

Minimalist and modern. Two spaces by Berlin based architectural firm bfs design. Retro riffs and textural wall treatments for a modernist glass atrium house or a sparsely elegant interior fitout in an historic apartment. Sophisticated and oh so German cool.

Photos by Annette Kisling

Clean, contemporary lines with a base of neutrals strengthened with sophisticated colour choices. A simple, modern nursery layered with texture and pattern with surprising but not overpowering orange and pink colour accents. A room that is functional and stylish. Not at all twee. An apartment which plays with scale and texture softly embellished with pastel blues. Beautiful interiors by Chantal Spanicciati of Meta Interiors.

Individual designs that fit individual needs. Sustainable, contemporary, with an emphasis on local materials and respect for site. Two projects from GASS Architecture Studios, located in Johannesburg & Cape Town, South Africa. The first, Westcliff Pavilion is a steel framed structure located on a ridge in Johannesburg. The two bedroom dwelling lightly touches the ground while its floating stone wall is a play on the local stone building materials and the notion of wall as sturdy and grounded. All in all a beautiful modernist box that sits softly in its surrounds.

The second project is the renovation of a flat in the Johannesburg suburb of Killarnery. Working within the existing constraints of the building but celebrating the beauty of its wall of windows, it is the new kitchen, though, that is a triumph. Oak and black tile ground the room and play against the light bright views from the windows.

A garden is evolving, never really finished as it grows and matures. South African landscape designer Franchesca Watson, who trained in the performing and decorative arts before embarking on her lifelong love affair with plants and gardens, brings drama and beauty, sophistication and casual elegance to her outdoor canvases. She connects owners with their little piece of nature through stylish contemporary and neo-classical designs. A beautiful art form perfected by this artisan landscape designer.