Melody House

A considered transformation in Mittagong, Melody House’s architectural design distils the spirit of mid-century modernism into a contemporary family home grounded in place and purpose. Inspired by Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House, the architecture draws on simplicity and spatial clarity — values that resonated deeply with the client from the outset.

Architectural Design that Sharpens Mittagong’s Charm

Located in the Southern Highlands, the home is shaped by its cool climate, gentle light, and the region’s distinct seasonal shifts. These qualities inform everything from orientation to materiality, defining the relationship between the home and its landscape.

Family life sits at the heart of the architectural design. Zones are crafted to support both connection and retreat: shared spaces feel open and fluid, while private areas maintain a sense of softness and seclusion. Natural light is calibrated rather than simply welcomed. Transitions are seamless. The design sought to open the home to the sun and to the country breezes, leading to a generosity in internal volume and external outlook.

Embracing Fine-Tuned Acoustics through Interior Design

Music-making is an integral part of the family’s life and shapes the home’s identity. The dedicated music room is scaled for more intimate and focused music-making, while the volumes and acoustic treatments of the family living spaces ensure a quality of sound throughout. Elsewhere, harmony is expressed more subtly, through texture and light and the relationship of the home to the landscape as it changes through the seasons.

Making this possible is a thoughtful approach to architectural design that translates the family’s needs and tastes into the home itself. Every surface and corner reflect deliberate design choices made in tune with Melody House’s residents.

A Home Designed for Today, and Tomorrow

With the landscape an ever-present backdrop to living, the interior palette has been kept warmly restrained. This restraint connects the home to its surroundings, allowing seasonal colours and shifting moods of the Southern Highlands to become part of the experience.

Melody House is designed for longevity. Its modernist foundations are timeless rather than nostalgic, shaped by clarity and purpose. It’s a home built to evolve with its family — a place to grow into, not out of. The best architectural planning keeps a space dynamic while building a sense of the familiar.