How to make the most of less

Australia is known for big things. There’s the Big Banana in New South Wales and the Big Pineapple in Queensland. Perhaps you’ve picnicked by the Big Prawn or posed for a photo with the Big Lobster? It seems that Australia is also recognised as a land of supersized homes. According to the latest data from CommSec, the average new house built in Australia in the 2020 financial year was 235.8 square metres, overtaking the United States and topping the global list for the largest homes.

Amelia Lee, an Australian architect and design educator with over 25 years of experience, has witnessed the changing shape of Australian homes. “Homeowners who are building and renovating see spaciousness as a means of achieving luxury in their home and lifestyles,” she explains. “And then they equate spaciousness with meaning a design that’s ‘bigger’ and ‘adds more space’.”

For Lee, a sense of spaciousness is achieved by creating calming homes that feel great and function seamlessly for their inhabitants, regardless of the property’s size. “By improving the convenience of your lifestyle and ensuring your home environment is a place that relaxes and restores you on a daily basis, you free up mental clutter, the biggest spaciousness killer of all,” she says.

Colin Chee, creator and director of a popular YouTube series that tours small homes located across the globe, agrees with Lee’s sentiment. “Function is fundamental,” he says. ”It’s important to highlight that not all small spaces or apartments are great places to live, but a well-designed small space that gives careful and creative consideration to spatial design, ventilation, light and the lifestyle of its inhabitants can be a great place to live.”