Natalie James

PARK ST HOUSE by @modo_arch • a thoughtful renovation and extension that blurs the line between inside and out. The clients had a clear vision: “The more the home pushes us outside to live, the better.” With that philosophy in mind, Michael Ong Design Office Architecture reimagined a post-war brick home in Brunswick West to create spaces that breathe, connect, and invite outdoor living. By replacing the central living room with a light-filled courtyard, the design transformed the home’s flow, improving natural light, ventilation, and connection to the garden. The courtyard now acts as the heart of the home, bringing life and air into every room. Large timber sliding doors disappear into concealed pockets, allowing the garden to take centre stage and making the boundary between house and nature almost invisible. A home designed to live outside as much as in • calm, connected, and beautifully simple. Architecture: @modo_arch Photographer: @derek_swalwell Styling: @natjstyling Landscaping: @strawbrothers Engineer: @r.i.brown

20.10.18 ❤️🌸💕 @amandafordycephoto

I remember our last night in LA, eating dinner before flying home after 6 weeks away. We were flicking through cover options and seeing these little faces brought on all the feels 🐶🥰 There could have been a cover for everyone but love that @williewearstler was the pick. Thank you @nicoleengland for taking me with you on this adventure. I’m so proud to share the cover of @resident.dog II - The international edition and even more excited for you all to experience the book. Stay tuned for lots of behind the scenes and sneak peaks from all the incredible houses across the globe. DM me to reserve your Copy 💛

I hope the next family love it as much as we did 🫶🏼

Poppy at the farm

KROSS HOUSE by @figr_architecture • a modern coastal home with a nostalgic beach-shack spirit. Kross House is organised around a central cross, a breezeway and deck that guide movement north–south and east–west, much like the Mount Martha boardwalk. This “in-between” space allows the home to open up in summer, close down in winter, and shift with the family’s needs. Timber wraps both the exterior and interior, tying the home quietly back to its landscape. Beneath the elevated structure, the undercroft becomes a hidden garden • a calm, unexpected retreat that turns an overlooked space into somewhere to pause, play and connect to nature. Architecture: @figr_architecture Photography: @blachford Builder: @vividconstructioncompany Landscape Design: @mudoffice Styling: @natjstyling

So excited to see our Kross House get shortlisted in the 2025 Houses Awards in the New House over 200 square meters category. Architect: @figr_architecture Photography: @blachford Builder: @vividconstructioncompany Landscape Design: @mudoffice Styling: @natjstyling @housesmagazine #housesawards

We are beyond excited that our Kross House has been shortlisted in the 2025 Australian Interior Design Awards in the Residential Design category! @auinteriordesignawards Photography by @blachford Styling Furniture,Art and Objects by @natjstyling Build by @vividconstructioncompany #aida #australianinteriordesign #australianinteriordesignawards #designawards @design_institute_au @interiors__au #inter #interiordesign #beachhouse #melbournearchitecture #international #local

We are thrilled to see our Kross House Project featured in the latest issue of the @thelocalproject magazine. Drawing on the nostalgia of coastal living, the design evokes elements of traditional beachside dwellings while offering a sophisticated reinterpretation of contextual forms. Central to the plan is a multi-functional cross that organises the layout along north-south and east-west axes. This spatial intersection, reminiscent of the local Mount Martha boardwalk, creates an experiential journey through the house and site. Architect: @figr_architecture Builder: @vividconstructioncompany Landscape Design: @mudoffice Photography: @blachford Styling: @natjstyling #mtmartha #beachhouse #architecture #peninsula #morningtonpeninsula #custom #boulders #japanblack #cliffedge #landed #pool #cool #landscape #biophilicdesign #inside out #boardwalk #cross #pavillion #contemporary #thelocalproject #sharp #cardesign #craft #custombuilt #beauty #melbournearchitecture #form #function #timber #making

Back to some of my favourite projects of 2024… Heirloom House by @studiomkn styled by @natjstyling

Keverell House A single level home with dual living zones pivotal to a central north facing garden. Builder: Quadro Constructions @codebuildingco Landscape: @amandaolivergardens Photography: @diannasnape Styling: @natjstyling • • #designcollaboration #quadroconstructions #codebuildingco #keverellhouse #northerncourtyard #weloveourclients #residentialarchitecture #architecturemelbourne #melbournearchitecture #melbournearchitectureanddesign

PARK ST HOUSE A renovation and extension to a single level post-war brick house in Brunswick West. The clients came to us with some simple but very meaningful requirements. They ask us to create a home that: “the more the home pushes us outside to live, the better” “a home that provides just enough shelter for just those times when we cannot live, work and play outside” “spending time on a deck under trees might be the norm, not the exception “ The primary issue with the house was its spatial flow and how the spaces related to one another. Despite its size, the layout was inefficiently utilized. To address this, we decided to remove the central living room, which was causing awkward spatial blockages, and replace it with a courtyard. This change significantly improved natural light, ventilation, and the connection to the garden, while re-establishing an effective spatial flow throughout the home.
 The newly created central courtyard now acts as the heart of the house, around which all other rooms are organized. This design choice not only enhances the spatial experience but also aligns with the clients’ core philosophy of merging the outdoors with the interior. To build on this idea, we aimed to enable the owners to fully integrate the garden with the interior space. We designed timber sliding doors that stack neatly into concealed pockets. When these doors are fully retracted and out of sight, there’s a unique moment when the garden takes prominence over the house itself. #melbourneurban #melbournehomes #victorianhomes #simpleinteriors #monochromeinteriors #simplicityindesign #interiordetails #archilovers #interiors #interiores #architectura #arquitectura #australianhomes #archdaily #brickhouses #australianarchitecture #moderninteriors