What Are The Most Common Types Of Houses In Australia?

Victorian terraces with lovely fretwork-adorned facades might line the streets in your neighbourhood. While we have certainly adopted many foreign architectural styles, Australia has also developed a few of its own. In the state Queensland Sunshine, for instance, you'll find a lot of examples of the Queenslander style of architecture. These homes were designed and built with the state's hot, humid climate and frequent flooding on the plains in mind.

To what extent do you think about where your home's style falls on a spectrum? Unless the building is very recent or has had major restorations, it can be placed in any of the following well-known Australian architecture styles, or it may have many traits with these types. Considering a new project? Then MJS Construction Group builders Melbourne is the answer.

In this post, we'll take a look at some of the most popular Australian home designs and discuss what makes them unique. Whether you're in the market for a rural farmhouse or a downtown loft, we can help.

Australian Common Houses

Authentic Queenslander Home (1840 Onwards)

The most recognisable type of Australian architecture is the Queenslander, which first appeared inside the middle of the 19th century and continues to be built today. Timber-framed homes built on stumps are designed for Queensland's hot and humid climate.

Steep, fireproof corrugated roofs enable high ceilings, which has in turn help to keep the interiors of the buildings cool. The building is shaded in part by its large, covered verandas and wrap around the entire perimeter.

The houses are raised on stumps to allow for maximum ventilation, which then in turn minimises the temperature and the mould that might otherwise form owing to the excessive humidity. It also prevents insects and termites from getting into in the the house's foundation by allowing heavy rain to pass through it.

Queenslanders have long called both the northern part of New South Wales and the northern part of the state of Queensland, Australia, their home. The Queenslander style of home was developed to provide shelter from Australia's often harsh climate. The Queenslander is easily identifiable by its elevated architecture, which is typically constructed upon timber stumps or stilts. There will be less resistance to the flow of floodwater and wet air.

Queenslanders aren't limited to any one architectural style, so they can put the emphasis on this towering structure detail.

For this reason, it is not uncommon to come across Queenslander homes that combine elements of many architectural styles, including the Queen Anne style, british Federal style, the Cross style, and so forth. It first emerged inside the 1840s and since then developed into a well recognised regional style that is not limited to private residences but is also found in institutional and government buildings.

Although houses of this type are still made today, its popularity decreased after the second world conflict as people favoured the "contemporary" American bungalow. A single-story house typical of the type was typically included in the sale of a property.

The Queenslander home is an independent, single-story residence that was crafted from timber weatherboards by skilled craftspeople. It's possible to relocate a Queenslander house because of its unique design. The roof is usually built with corrugated steel, while other materials like slate and tiles are also possible. The normal roof pitch is quite steep. Wide and extending to many sides of the house, the verandah offers welcome relief from the blazing rays of a Australian sun and the chance to engage in some passive cooling.

The building's interior was also designed with passive cooling in mind.

Ceiling fans positioned high up, strategically placed windows and doors, and a light colour scheme inside all contributed to successful efforts to reduce indoor temperatures. Many of the walls and floors of Queenslander homes was constructed using asbestos; therefore, if you wish to renovate a Queenslander house, you must first guarantee that you have talked with an asbestos expert.

The Ashgrovian style of architecture is a novel take on the classic Queenslander look. Ashgrove, a suburb of Brisbane, was the birthplace of this variant some point between the 1920s and the beginning of the Second World War. This style of building, which took its cue from California bungalows, featured a massive gable roof with smaller gable offshoots on all four sides.

These homes mirrored the common Queenslander style in that they were constructed atop timber stumps and had a verandah on the ground floor accessible via a stairway in the front of the house. These residences are exemplary of the evolving style of Queenslander architecture that has become popular with middle-class families.

Victorian Residences (1850-1901)

The first phase in Victorian architecture spans from 1804 to 1860, and the second and third phases span from 1861 to 1875. (1876 to 1901).

There is a striking similarity between the design of early Victorian homes and the classic worker's hut. Brick was the most common material for these houses, which also had front verandahs, pitched roofs, and minimal fretwork.

The intricate design quickly became a popular trend. The distinctive features of this style of architecture are intricate cast-iron lacework, elaborate brick facades, and elaborately decorated ceilings and mouldings.

Most late Victorian houses, especially terraces, have cast-iron lace shawl, fireplace, moulded timberwork, elaborate stucco ceilings, turned-timber guard rails, steep and narrow steps, and small windows. The kitchens are in the back of the home, away from the living and eating areas. If the balcony is two stories tall, the bedrooms will be upstairs off a central hallway.

This era covers a wide range of residential architectural styles, from Georgian to Gothic to Regency to Tudor to Italianate, among many more.

For a moment, let's return to the Victorian era, and talk about how the continued development of the industrial revolution in the latter half of the nineteenth century resulted in a more refined version of the Victoria home design, sometimes referred to as mid-Victorian. The term "mid-Victorian" describes the time span between both the middle and the late stages of the Victorian times. A new, prosperous middle class emerged in the wake of the Gold Rush's economic boom. Instead of the austerity that was typical of early Victorian architecture, this middle class wanted and valued a greater emphasis on decoration and stylised design.

Because of their higher cost compared to more easily accessible materials, elaborate brickwork or stucco were utilised on exterior surfaces less frequently in the early nineteenth century of the Victorian era. The exterior of the structure and the fencing were both decorated with cast-iron lacework to give them a more ornate and elaborate look. Timber was still the material of choice for verandas at this time, but this fashion eventually led to the use of cast-iron lacework.

Usually the roof was covered in tiled roofs or corrugated metal, and the cornice would be decorated with elaborate designs.

The façade features brighter colours, like salmon pink or pink beige, than are typically associated with the early Victorian design. Deep Brunswick Greens, Deep Indian Red, Flamingo, and Venetian Red, all tried and true, were also used for the exterior detailing. These were the hues chosen. Check this list of Melbourne builder services to help you make an informed decision for your treatment.

Polished hardwood floors, plaster walls (frequently covered with wallpaper), architraves, cornices, & ceiling roses adorned the interior of the home. Skirting, cornices, as well as ceiling roses completed the plastered walls.

Stained glass in shades like blue and red placed near a front door would be a beautiful addition to the decor. The home's complex interior décor has developed a style that is characteristic of a Victorian era also complements many different kinds of antique and modern furnishings.

The mid-Victorian period is often considered the sweet spot between the austere early Victorian period as well as the ornate late Victorian and Queen Anne periods of architecture. The reason for this is that the origins of this design may be traced back to simple Victorian structures.

Victorian Terrace Residences

A Victorian terrace house, often two stories tall with balconies, is the type of home most commonly associated with Sydney. In the city's core and the West End, you can commonly find homes like this.

The ironwork across the balcony is often the only ornamental feature of these buildings' otherwise unadorned facades. Despite their apparent narrowness, they typically comprise a series of chambers that, when viewed from the back, stretch rather far.

Victorian Detached Houses

Australia is also home to several truly magnificent or one detached Victorian houses. Those lower ones look like they could be The Munsters' new digs.

Federation Residences (1890s To 1920s)

Next came the Edwardian period, sometimes known as that of the Federation era because it followed the Victorian period. These homes' design is very different compared to Victorian houses, but you still find instances of it in many parts of Australia.

Federation-style homes are typically built with red brick and include high chimneys & roofs with protruding terracotta tiles (there's probably a technical term for that). They can be either one two stories tall, and their interiors often retain many of its period fireplaces and other decorative features.

Many individuals are confused between these two trends because they are virtually the same thing. The "Edwardian" aesthetic was popular in Australian homes throughout the nation's Federation era. The reigning monarch from 1901 until 1910 inspired this architectural style's eponymous moniker. Australia's adaptation of Edwardian architecture is known as "Federation style."

A red brick exterior, a roof formed of slate or terrazzo floors, stained glass windows, huge windows, return verandahs, latticed tiles, pushed ceilings, finials, started to turn pillars, and fretwork in the centre corridor, and a federation or Edwardian style.

Bungalow In California (1915-1930)

The simple and functional bungalow style that was so popular in California in the 1920s also caught on in Australia. Open floor plans and wide verandas are typical. A-framed roof with a gentler slope than that of a typical Federation house.

Art Deco architecture had a surge in popularity in the 1930s in Australia, albeit some few decades after it done so elsewhere in the world. You can see just few Art Deco residences in Sydney if they keep your ears peeled. These styles are less common than Victorian & Federation architecture, but they are out there if you look for them.

Some of the classic features of Australian residences created in the Art Deco era are rounded walls and window, geometric patterns, and pastel colours.

When music and film from of the United States began to have a considerable impact on Australian society, a transformation took place that corresponded with the adoption of California bungalow as just a popular architectural style. California bungalows can be distinguished from homes built in the similar Edwardian and Federation style by their front verandahs, which are typically supported by brick and rendered brick columns.

Post-War Housing (1940-1949)

Due to a severe shortage of building supplies in the years following World War II, residential construction had to be simplified and cost reduced. Because of this, inexpensive prefab homes and fibro cottages became increasingly popular.

A large number of fibro houses, so-called because they are constructed from sheets of fibrous cement, may be found in various areas of Australia. While some have been renovated tastefully, others are in deplorable shape. Asbestos was widely used as a construction material back then, which is why this happened.

In the wake of the end of World War II in 1945, Australia faced a new set of challenges, including a shortage of housing, an uncertain economy, and widespread social discontent. On the other hand, it paved the way for new beginnings and possibilities, especially in the area of physical infrastructure.

Numerous European war refugees were able to come to Australia and begin new lives there as a result of a assisted immigration policy, which led to a rise in the construction of new residences in the postwar years. So, tell me, how did dwellings in Australia during the decade of the 1940s look like?

Between the Art Deco to Midcentury periods, the 1940s were indeed a time of experimentation and change in Australian architecture. As a result, numerous distinct residential building types emerged, such as brick bungalow, fibro cottages, as early modernist abodes.

Houses Made Of Weatherboard

Many Australian homes are constructed with weatherboard because it is inexpensive, durable, and easy to maintain. We really enjoy that they are frequently painted in pastel tones. In addition to bricks or plastic cladding (We nudged one of them once and the entire sheet wobbled), the boards can serve as a facade on their own!

Homes That Are Modern And Minimalist

Many Australian homes are sleek and minimalist, with lots more flat surfaces & large windows. Flat roofs and glass railings on balconies are standard features, and exteriors are typically painted a bluish gray or taupe.

Homes In The Hamptons

It epitomises my idea of a beach house, and it's my favourite of all the other types of houses that can be found in Australia. These houses, which were popularised by the wealthy of New York's Hamptons region, are characterised by their sleek, modern appearance and their weatherboard exteriors painted in light, pastel tones.

Australia's Modern Beach Houses

Australia's modern beach houses come in a wide range of styles, but they all share one common feature: walls of glass that stretch from floor to ceiling, maximising the inflow of natural light and the enjoyment of breathtaking vistas. If you're looking for a high-quality, affordable builder in Melbourne, you're in the right place! Check MJS Construction Group!

The majority of today's homes feature an open layout for the kitchen, dining, amusement, study, and family room; a separate space for the parents; a bathroom and ensuite designed in the style of a high-end hotel; a space for outdoor entertaining; rendered and painted interior and exterior finishes; reconstituted as well as natural stone countertops; timber or tile flooring; and carpeting in only the bedrooms.

Many people today are extending their Federation cottages, Victorian terraces, or mid-century brick homes to make room for growing families and more modern needs. In the present day, expansions are common practise for many people.

A modern home addition can be built onto an older house without changing the percentages of the house overall, but this requires careful planning and an in-depth understanding of the extension's purpose as well as the persons who will be using it.

Forest Residences

Some of Sydney's northernmost suburbs, known as the Northern Beaches, are located in a more forested part of Australia, therefore it's not uncommon for residents there to decorate their homes with materials and colours found in the outdoors. Specifically, look at the rightmost house; it has plants growing all over the top of the roof!

Deco Style

Art deco was a creative, stylistic, as well as design movement that flourished in the years between both the wars, from of the 1920s to the 1930s.

The hallmarks of Art Deco include rounded facades, decorative brickwork, view suggests, chevron patterns, steel windows, parquetry floors, wood wall panelling, constructed joinery, as well as mottled tiles. In contrast to black, these elements are frequently seen in shades of pink, mint green, lemon yellow, and pale blue.

The Minerva Cinema in Potts Point, Sydney, and the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne is home to some of the best-known buildings in Australia designed inside the Art Deco style of the 1930s, a period known as "streamline moderne."

Modern Mid-Century

It is safe to say that the mid-century modernist movement is the one Australians have embraced most enthusiastically in the architectural history. During the postwar construction boom of the 1950s and 1960s, you oversaw the building of thousands of Modernist-style homes across the country.

The open layouts, built-in joinery, strong interconnection to a outdoors, abundant glass to let in light and provide cross ventilation, separation of public and private spaces, and limited equipment (typically brick, timber, metal, glass, tiles, and shaped laminate) all contribute to the enduring appeal of these houses.

Many of these features and natural materials were common in 1970s-era homes, including unpainted bricks, decorated timber inside a "mission brown" colour, wood panelling, garages, white-painted drywall ceilings with prominent major characteristics (like yellow, red, blue, or orange), and plain layered kitchen benchtops.

Queenslanders, fibro fisherman's cabins, pavilion-style homes, and painted and rendered triple-fronted brick veneer homes all emerged during this period as distinct examples of Australian architecture.

Conclusion

Which types of houses are most common there? You could be surprised by what we find out. While there is no definitive answer to this question, we can tell you that detached as well as semi-detached houses are indeed the two most common types of housing in Australia. Therefore, if you are looking for a new place to call home, the options discussed here are worth considering.