An architect generally works to a client’s brief when designing a new home or renovating an existing dwelling. However, the opportunity for an architect or a designer to create their own home, without the constraints of a client, must certainly be at the top of their wish list.

Featuring twenty architects from around the world, The Architect's House will truly inspire those contemplating building a new home or renovating an older style of residence to take on the adventurous spirit. At a time when people are being cautious, both in terms of finances and ideas, they will find inspiration to go beyond the prosaic or not simply to chase the idea of a home with only resale value in mind.

The properties featured here are diverse – from apartments through to large detached homes surrounded by hectares of native forest. However, what ‘stitches’ them together is the architects’ determination to create homes that perfectly suit the way they choose to live, both in the present and in the future. And because the projects don’t follow trends but beautifully capture the ‘voice’ of the owners, they remain timeless.

Stephen Crafti has been writing on architecture & design for well over 30 years and has produced 45 books to date. He started writing on architecture & design in the early 1990s after purchasing a modernist home. He also operates architecture tours in Europe and in Japan, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, which has given him a strong connection to architects overseas. Crafti is a regular columnist for Australia’s leading newspapers, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He also contributes to leading magazines such as wallpaper* in London and for Belle magazine in Australia. For Crafti, looking at architecture requires understanding the ‘full picture’ from the landscape that surrounds a building to the furniture and objects within. Please find attached examples of some of the homes that may appear in this book.