When I think of Australia I picture the classic outback house with a metal roof and a porch all around.........

However, I also love the old Victorians of Melbourne........

and then there are the raised tropical houses of Cairns .................

I reserve the right to be clueless as i live in USA :)))

I think many houses have a one floor plan and many are open planned if I am right.

Open plan and inside/outside fabulous

Definitely a verandah around the entire house. Brick or weatherboard, with a corrugated iron roof. Ahh makes me homesick.

While I love the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House I don't see them as embodying Australian style. There are many bridges around the world that are similar to our 'Coathanger' and the Opera House is a triumph of Danish design.

Australia is a vast country with a vast array of styles, but in a nutshell I would describe Australian style as 'reflective'.

The earliest inhabitants' abodes reflected those First Nations' respect for Land and Country.

Once the Europeans arrived that changed as they tried to transpose their ways to a land that just wasn't suited to English notions of house and home.

The last 100 years or so have seen transitions to a variety of styles that better reflect Australia in terms of climate, geography and national trends: the Colonial Homestead; the 'Queenslander'; Federation style; the bungalow; the project home; the influences of Harry Seidler and Glenn Murcutt.

If Australia is a multicultural society it's also multi-stylistic and impossible to 'shoe-box.'

To me, it's a real connection with nature. Homes inspired by their surroundings and topography – whether that's the beach, the mountains, the bush, the dessert, the vineyards, or the bustling city – and designing accordingly This creates a real laid-back way of living, soaking up the light, enjoying the breeze at home and engaging with the outdoors. I've never seen so many homes so intelligently built or adapted to suit individuals' lifestyles and not just their tastes!

I don't have a design background, so perhaps my commentary is wayyyyyy off, but I really like what feels like a new wave of Australian style - less akubra hats & kangaroos hopping in the background of parched fields, but beautiful organic, contemporary design using raw woods, recycled materials & pops of bright colour!

On a 46 degree day, I don't want to know about inside/outside until 4pm approx, when inside gets more oppressive than outside. Only then do I open up the house, except not the sun shades. Plus, I think fly screens are essential. Summer evenings we live a lot outside for meals, board games etc.

Australian design needs to look at planning for natural disasters, using the wonderful new bushfire and flood resistant materials, along with tried and true methods.

Traditionally the Australian country house has the wrap around veranda to keep out the summer heat. Those such as me breeze through high temps in summer but freeze in winter. Just as well there are plenty of chores on a farm to keep us outside in the lovely winter sunshine.

Hi all, I'm from Melbourne Australia and the architecture differs everywhere. There is no typical style but you do find that inner city there are mainly period homes due to age with a mixture of Edwardian, Californian Bungalow, Spanish Mission style, Federation, Victorian and a few other olde world designs. Amongst these suburbs there are also a lot of areas that house high rise apartments. As you sprawl into the outer suburbs the designs are more contemporary/modern. A big emphasis on indoor/outdoor living with most houses having a BBQ with pergolas, patios and outdoor entertainment high on the list. Australia households have the largest percentage of swimming pools per capita in the world. This would be attributed to our climate particularly in the northern region of Australia where even the winters are around 24 Celsius (around 78 Fahrenheit). Our landscape is large and ever changing with some of the most beautiful beaches and terrains.
Each state differs in architecture but all very beautiful in their own right.
Please come and visit our wonderful country of you ever have the opportunity.

I will second that invite.

For me, Australian style is all about making the most of the outdoors. Whether that's by making a seamless indoor-outdoor entertaining space with bifold doors or huge bay windows to maximise a view or the sunshine and breeze; Australians love feeling part of their surrounds and I think our design does reflect that.

Australian style (to me) is diversity. From traditional forms & materials to modern out of the box thinking.

As a designer, I like to try and take cues from both.

I love to work with more traditional materials, and arrange them in a unique way.

'The Contour Bench' is a sleek, elegant and sculptural design perfect for any indoor or outdoor space.

The bench floats above the ground, cantilevered by a steel frame .

FORREST designs