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Secret Design Studio
Secret Design Studio is a small, boutique building and interior design studio that specialises in retro homes of the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s.
Are Besser Blocks the most mid-century modern building material?
Besser blocks are a type of concrete blocks that have been widely used in mid-century modern architecture, especially in the USA and Australia. They are also known as cinder blocks, breeze blocks, or concrete masonry units (CMUs)…. Read More
“Reflections on a cherished childhood” – putting the family home on the market
Grief is a strange thing. It affects different people in so many different ways. Everybody suffers grief at some time during their lives, whether it be the loss of a family pet, a friend, or a parent. For… Read More
Modern House interview with Paul Morey Part 1
Paul Morey is one of the team of “Modern House”, Australia’s specialist estate agency for architect-designed residences. Secret Design Studio had the pleasure of meeting Paul and his wife, Amanda, in their beautiful Chris Engert designed home on… Read More
When the Brady Bunch met Austin Powers at Don’s Party
Hi Louise and Simon, thank you for your time today to chat with me about your beautiful family home which I understand you are listing on the North Balwyn market soon. I have just looked back at my… Read More
“I don’t know what questions to ask about my mid-century renovation?”
Secret Design Studio’s “Dr Retro House Call” service has just won a “Best of Houzz 2022”. So a big thank you to all of our lovely clients who booked a consultation and left positive reviews. Some of the… Read More
Before you start restoring, renovating or modernising your mid-century home…
For any complex project, such as renovating a mid-century home, it is always good to establish a few basic principles at the start which will guide future decision-making processes. I quite often see the tension between partners on… Read More
Styling a mid-century modern home to sell
With almost 6000 people following Secret Design Studio on Facebook I thought it would be interesting to get some opinions about the best way to furnish a mid-century or post-war home from a broad range of people including… Read More
Melbourne’s most marvelous Mid-Century Modern real estate
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in Melbourne, when any number of competing activities were on offer: DIY opportunities and the obligatory snag from Bunnings; AFL matches; kids’ sport; new-release movies. Instead of doing any of these things,… Read More
Revisiting Dr Ernest Fooks’ mid-century modern masterpiece
I am very fortunate that I get to see the inside of lots of mid-century and post war homes. But you know a home is really special when you can remember if really well from five years ago…. Read More
Thinking about a mid-century garden that complements your mid-century home?
One of Secret Design Studio’s long term collaborators has been Jason Davidson, Landscape Architect. Jason has embarked on an exciting new venture so I thought it would be good to hear about it, and get a better understanding… Read More
Secret Design Studio is seeking collaborators.
Since the launch of our “Dr Retro House Call” service we underestimated the number of people looking for a little bit of help and advice with their mid-century home. We also underestimated how many of these at-home appointments… Read More
“Can a mid-century, architect designed project home have heritage value?”
Everyday we see more of the suburbs that were developed in the Post War period, such as Beaumaris, Balwyn North, Glen Waverley and Lower Templestowe being demolished for new houses and townhouses. I thought it would be… Read More
