TROPICAL front

A central courtyard and warm palette of timbers inspired by the tropics defines this renovated Queenslander.

- STORY Carli Philips | STYLING Tory Waller | PHOTOGRAPHY Cieran Murphy

Motivated by the mild Queensland climate, the owner and architect of this riverside inner Brisbane property, Alexandra Buchanan, drew on subtle, tropical references to transform and ground her family home.

“The interiors have rich, textural reference to the tropics,” she says, referring to the palette of hardwood, concrete and bluestone. “It speaks to the laid-back Sri Lankan and Singaporean architecture that my husband and I love.”

The temperature was a major influence on the design concept, allowing a series of spaces that are at one with the outdoors. And the strategic placement of eaves and balconies means that even when it's pouring, the water doesn't come in. “We still feel tucked in and protected when it's raining,” says Alexandra, whose eponymous practice is based in the Fortitude Valley. “The big courtyard doors can stay open so we're always engaged with the outdoors - but never get wet.”