For the right purpose . . .

Don't expect to find in the picture galleries presented here an off-the-shelf design that will suit the project you have in mind. Rather, we hope you will reflect on the life-style these houses suggest, how you can, with our help, apply it to Australian conditions and will make sure that your design decisions are guided by the right purposes.
Wishing your project to replicate a traditional French style should make sense as a whole. Apart from what the facade will look like, consider the implication the floor plan will have on your day to day life style and comfort. Mediterranean houses design includes many spaces such as patios, verandas, courtyards or alfrescos, extensively used throughout the year in a typically outdoor way of life. The inside of the house is treated as a natural refuge from the radiance of the sun, a cosy shelter for the night, and encompasses of course the functional quarters. The combination of all these spaces gives every home its unique character, but the original design brief remains quite the same:
To look good, look solid and safe, last long, feel homely and comfy, a place that belongs to you, and you belong to.
In short: make sense.

To look good . . .

While there are many definitions for 'Beauty' ranging from dull to extravagant, a pragmatic one says that "Beauty is the perfect adaptation of an item to its function". Mediterranean roof tiles seem to be a good example of that, their curved shape pleasing the eye while the channels they create ensure a low pitch roof can still cope with torrential rain falls.
Another rule that we believe should be used at all times is to keep the design of your project as simple as possible. Details can be quite intricates but the simpler the overall shape the better.

Solid, safe, and lasting . . .

If you plan to live for many years in the hosue you are about to build, follow the popular wisdom:
"Save money, buy quality !"
European houses usually stay in the same family for many generations, thus undergo many renovations and refurbishements over their life span. That's why from start they are built to last, with a sound and solid structure that can withstand future extensions and additions, like an extra floor, more bedrooms in the attic, or a rumpus room over the garage.

A home you belong to . . .

Over the years we've been giving people the same simple advice:
"You will live in this house, not us, so please listen to us with your mind, but let your heart have a say in your decisions".
Even if you have to sell your house in a near future, it will sell better if it has that "je ne sais quoi" that makes a difference, that makes your place look like no other.
In a house he bought on arrival, a European migrant made himself a wood heater reminiscent of those from his country of origin. When he later sold the house, the buyer insisted on keeping the stove, for it had a story to tell.