Two Australian homes have achieved international acclaim, securing top positions at the prestigious 2025 Dezeen Awards ceremony held in London.
Melbourne's Hedge and Arbour House Triumphs
Studio Bright's Hedge and Arbour House in Melbourne was crowned House (Urban) of the Year, adding to its growing collection of accolades. The property had previously won the Robin Boyd award for residential architecture at Australia's 2025 National Architecture Awards and the Harold Desbrowe Annear award at the 2025 Victorian Architecture Awards in June.
The four-bedroom family home, completed in 2024 though the project began in 2016, features a distinctive design wrapped in galvanised steel mesh that serves as a structure for climbing plants. Melissa Bright, director of Studio Bright, expressed amazement at being "recognised against some of our heroes in the architectural industry across the world".
Dezeen's judges praised the property's "clever and intriguing" design, noting how the architects had "made the best of the site and capably used visually interesting mesh to balance the need for privacy, light and air".
Sydney's Dracula-Inspired Bathroom Wins Interior Prize
Meanwhile in Sydney's affluent Point Piper area, Jillian Dinkel's transformation of Kilmory House earned the Bathroom Interior of the Year award. The dark, moody and luxurious interiors drew inspiration from Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, which Dinkel described as "the starting point for what ended up being our colour scheme for the entire home".
The property represents a transformation of the former stables of a historic estate originally built for surgeon Sir Alexander MacCormick around 1913. Dinkel, who previously worked as a fashion editor at Condé Nast in New York before opening her Sydney studio in 2016, found photographs of MacCormick's original home featuring dark timber panelling that further informed her design approach.
"My clients were really open to being quite adventurous in creating spaces that felt very dramatic," said Dinkel, who described feeling "hugely honoured to be recognised on an international stage".
Celebrating Craftsmanship and Material Innovation
The winning Kilmory House project includes multiple spaces for entertaining guests within the three-bedroom second home, featuring a pilates studio, playroom and commercial-grade kitchen. Judges particularly commended the craftsmanship and material mix in the upstairs bathroom adjacent to the wellness centre.
"We used stainless steel, marble and Venetian plaster on the wall, so lots of tactile materials intersect in that space," Dinkel explained. Additional features include a powder room with solid timber panelling and a kids' bathroom featuring deep burgundy tones with pale blues.
In Melbourne, Bright emphasised her studio's commitment to using modest materials including raw cement sheet, creating "durable rooms for life" that capture the incredible landscape overlooking native parkland. The design allows the house to transform throughout the seasons, with Bright noting that "you see the house transform over the seasons without necessarily doing anything yourself".
Both Australian winners demonstrate how local architectural talent is making significant impacts on the global stage, with these projects setting new standards for residential design and interior innovation.
