DESIGN TRENDS TO EMBRACE IN 2026 … AND THE ONES TO AVOID
Top architect Georgina Wilson reveals which popular design trends add lasting value and which risk ageing poorly in modern homes.
2 min
Stainless steel kitchens. Built-in bunk beds. Pure linen curtains. These once-coveted features are rapidly gaining traction, but not all are built to last.
Architect Georgina Wilson, founder and principal of Georgina Wilson Associates, is urging homeowners to think beyond Instagram appeal and focus on choices that enhance longevity, flexibility and everyday liveability.
As Australia’s most followed architect, Wilson sees firsthand how trend-driven decisions shape how people live in their homes.
While some features genuinely improve functionality and future-proof a property, others quickly become high-maintenance burdens or costly mistakes. Here, she shares her honest perspective on the design choices worth embracing and those best left behind.
DESIGN CHOICES TO THINK TWICE ABOUT
Bookshelves: Considered, curated shelving? Yes. Buying hoards of books just to fill up your shelves? Not on Georgina’s watch. It’s a shortcut to turning your home into a dust haven.
100% linen sofa covers and curtains: While lovely in theory, 100% natural fibres aren’t always the most functional. Linen can shrink, wrinkle and sag over time, so your pieces can end up looking dishevelled.
Kitchen serveries: They might look great on Pinterest, but in reality, kitchen serveries feel like you’re running a tuckshop and can block the primary access to the outside.
Stainless steel kitchens: While visually striking, stainless steel kitchens fall short in everyday life, unless you enjoy constantly wiping away fingerprints, of course.
Built-in bunk beds: Your kids will inevitably outgrow them, and you’ll have to rip them out. The one exception? A holiday house where you need to maximise temporary accommodation.
DESIGN CHOICES WORTH INVESTING IN
Doggy baths: Georgina has had seven requests for dedicated doggy baths in the past three months alone, signalling a growing desire to design homes that cater to every inhabitant. While some may see them as niche, she believes they’re a smart, practical addition that keeps daily life running smoothly for pet-owning households.
Multigenerational living: Georgina is seeing more clients request spaces for grandparents or explore subdividing homes to accommodate adult children, reflecting the rise of multigenerational living. Alongside this, there’s been a notable increase in lifts being retrofitted as families look to future-proof their homes for long-term use.
Two primary bedrooms: An emerging request Georgina has seen several times this year is for two primary bedrooms within one home. While she jokes it sounds like a dream, it speaks to a growing desire for flexibility as living arrangements and family dynamics evolve.
Mudrooms: These remain hugely popular, with clients recognising their value as hardworking, functional spaces that keep homes organised. Georgina notes that the key is to ensure they enhance circulation rather than interrupt it.
Enclosed studies: As working from home becomes a permanent fixture, Georgina says clients are increasingly prioritising fully enclosed studies over makeshift dining table setups. It reflects a shift towards creating proper separation between work and home life.
A record-breaking $11 million sale at The Centennial Collection has set a new benchmark for luxury apartment living in Bondi Junction.
As interest rates, inflation and market sentiment fluctuate, investors are being urged to focus on data, not panic.
Built up over more than a decade, Ravensdale Farm and Retreat blends luxury living, resort-style amenities and productive farmland across almost 50 hectares.
2 min
When an estate has been carefully curated by its wealthy owners for more than a decade, the next custodian knows they’re in for a treat of a retreat.
Food-packaging entrepreneur Ted Nathan and his wife, Jenny, purchased the original 25ha Ravensdale Farm in Yarramalong Valley for $1.35 million 12 years ago according to title records.
Since then, the pair have reportedly invested more than $5.5 million to acquire several neighbouring parcels in order to create a contemporary compound now measuring more than 49ha.
Today’s Ravensdale Farm and Retreat, about 24kms from Wyong, is now a dual-estate 12-bedroom, 11-bathroom luxury landholding.
The property is expected to sell for about $30 million via an expressions of interest campaign with Cullen & Royle agents Deborah Cullen and Richard Royle.
Alongside the modern three-storey five-bedroom farmhouse, there is a long list of “must have” resort-style amenities and productive farmland primed to produce a passive income.
Framed by a 4m wraparound veranda, the sophisticated main residence has several outdoor spaces for homeowners and their guests to soak up the bucolic backdrop, lush paddocks and established gardens.
Inside, the homestead features multiple living spaces for grand scale entertaining inside and out, a library, a home office, private cinema, games room and accommodation designed for large families or a steady stream of weekend guests.
Custom made for hosting year round, the expansive estate also includes a sports bar with a commercial-grade kitchen, a championship size tennis court which can be transformed into an alfresco cinema when the mood strikes.
Additional spaces designed for fun include a sunken fire pit, a hidden garden with a European-inspired pétanque court, a pickle ball court and a private paddock dedicated to major events and functions.
There is also a separate second residence, Ravensdale Retreat, devoted to guest stays or potential short-term accommodation.
The bonus residence is set up to provide a fully self-contained experience outside of the main home when needed. It has a choice of bedrooms, a spacious living area, an outdoor pavilion, pizza deck, and its own pool.
Beyond its weekender credentials, Ravensdale Farm lives up to its name. A working farm, the estate has cattle infrastructure, fertile pastures featuring Kikuyu and Rhodes grasses complemented by high end irrigation and water systems, as well as land management systems designed for efficiency and long-term resilience.
The land can comfortably support cattle and horses – currently home to approximately 40 cows and calves, plus horses – and has productive fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, a chicken coop and a restored century-old barn.
Surrounded by the rolling green hills of the Yarramalong Valley, Ravensdale Farm and Retreat is approximately a 25-minute drive from Wyong and around 90 minutes from Sydney with coastal hotspots like Terrigal and The Entrance are within easy reach.
Ravensdale Farm and Retreat is on the market with a price guide of $30m via an expressions of interest campaign with Cullen Royle.
Ophora Tallawong has launched its final release of quality apartments priced under $700,000.
On October 2, acclaimed chef Dan Arnold will host an exclusive evening, unveiling a Michelin-inspired menu in a rare masterclass of food, storytelling and flavour.
