Rejoice. The Adelaide Design Week program in all its glory is out - and that means the 2026 event is almost here. And, in the 88 events across five days, there's something for everyone. We'll be diving deeper in to what's happening over the next month before the opening party on October 14 - but, for now, here's our top five to get excited about. ADW OPENING PARTY x SHORT NOTICE The Meeting Hall, Adelaide CBD Wednesday, October 14, 6pm - super late Who doesn't love a party? E

Your algorithm tells you it’s easy. Stunning before-and-afters. A room transformation in thirty seconds. The perfectly curated house tour. But it doesn’t show you the long days and lonely nights of renovating, where decision fatigue meets financial pressure head on. Or the tough conversations with your builder and bank over the unwelcome, yet unavoidable, variations. “It can be a lot at times,” an honest Jemma Mrdak tells Place Journal. “It pushes you in ways you don’t expect

Twenty one days. That's all they gave themselves to gut and rebuild an entire working salon, without shutting down livelihoods for any longer than absolutely necessary. While working full-time and raising three young kids. In the school holidays. Sound familiar? Bec and Paul, the couple who renovated a derelict 1920s Bungalow in Millswood under similar conditions, are back at it again. This time renovating the corner shop they bought back in 2021. The property they bought dur

You know when you’ve found the one. You can’t help but imagine what the future looks like – and it just feels right. Just ask the team at studio gram. One of Australia’s leading – and multi-award-winning - architecture and interior design practices was casually looking around, playing the field if you will, when it found its match. Its new home. “It felt like a space we could truly shape rather than simply occupy,” studio gram director Graham Charbonneau tells Place Journal.

Breeze blocks — those decorative concrete blocks that defined mid-century Australian architecture— are experiencing a major comeback in 2026. And it's not just nostalgia driving this design trend. DIY renovators and architects alike are rediscovering how breeze blocks solve real renovation challenges while creating stunning visual impact. With the help of The Breeze Block Company , who are helping with the revival in Australia, here’s what you need to know. Why breeze blocks

Five minutes for forever. Catchy Australian power pop band name or four words that tell the story of one family’s life-changing decision? Ponder that for a second. And that’s just about how much time Chanice had to make the call that would change everything. Out on a hike with friends, the five-minute window to view a property in Oakbank was closing. Fast. "I said to my friends 'we're not going to make it',” Chanice recalls. “And I didn’t even really care at the time.” But t

Actually, that's my secret - I can't even talk about you to anybody because I don't want any more people to know how wonderful you are....

Legend has it Sarah and Laura’s place in Adelaide’s northwest was once so dire the property manager wouldn’t even open the front door to...

Look up Spencer Johnson’s name and you’ll read all about a South Australian's meteoric rise from greenskeeper to a million-dollar Indian...

After two years of hard work, long hours, and numerous hospital visits, you’d think Dan would like to sit back and enjoy his new home....

By definition, chaos is a state of total confusion with no order. If you’ve got kids, that probably sums up your household most of the...

At times, someone working on-site would feel hot breath on the back of their necks. Rather than a client, architect, or project manager,...

Dana and Kristian’s renovation story goes way back. It’s a tale - spanning four decades, three cities and two countries - that’s almost...

The renovation of a 1870s house in the Adelaide Hills gave Danielle and Brad a new way of life. But finding that way wasn’t easy. It was...

Ever wanted to visit a South Australian design museum, curated by one of the state’s best young artists? Or better yet, live in one?...

Without stepping foot in the place, Simon bought an early-1900s Victorian-style worker’s cottage, complete with sagging ceilings and a...

Tell me what you want, what you really, really want. Us: Everything in this place. Daniel and Emma: "Lots of cabinetry and clever...

Want to hear a scary story? The history of Adelaide’s northwest is littered with them. From the ghost in the cellar of the Port Dock...

Penny's an addict and hundreds of wine bottles were found buried in her backyard just a few years ago. No word of a lie. “While digging...

A magical gum tree on a big block – it’s what drew Paris and Phil to a property in Adelaide’s north west. So much so, they knocked on the...