Sanctuary 69 out now: Shades of green for summer

Sanctuary 69 is our summer issue, full of ideas for greening your surrounds and connecting with nature.

With summer approaching once again, it’s time to get outside – and bring the outdoors in, too. To give you a helping hand, we’re bringing you an issue full of ideas for greening your surrounds and connecting with nature, starting with our ever-inspiring feature homes.

In the mix, there is a Melbourne townhouse designed with biophilia front and centre, with natural, earthy materials, plenty of light, and nooks everywhere for plants. In Canberra, Aidan and Daniel brought the beautiful warmth and texture of reclaimed timber into their small suburban home as part of a considered facelift. On the New South Wales mid-north coast, tactile rammed earth was the perfect choice for a retired couple’s new home on a block they’re busy revegetating with native plants. Rob renovated his Melbourne unit for far greater comfort and energy efficiency, learning a lot along the way. And a backyard cabin – quite literally very green – helps connect a Brisbane family much more directly with their garden while providing flexible extra living space.

Take a look inside Sanctuary 69

Also in this issue: Fiona Gray contributes the third article in her series on biophilic design, exploring how to incorporate natural patterns, light and space into your home. Ecologist Sarah Bekessy explains why sustainable midrise housing is the sweet spot for healthy, nature-positive communities, balancing the needs of people and nature. We canvas thoughts from experts on the latest developments in bushfire-resilient design and what you should consider if you’re building or renovating in a fire-prone zone, and architect and country girl Sarah Lebner brings us thought-provoking design tips for rural homes. Plus, good friend of Sanctuary Jenny Edwards shares her favourite strategies for conjuring two (or more) smaller, more comfortable homes from one big old one, introducing ‘gentle density’ to our suburbs. – plus there’s much more.

Sanctuary 69 is on its way to subscribers and on sale in newsagents now. If you haven’t already, subscribe to get every issue delivered. 

We welcome your feedback. Perhaps there’s something else you would you like to see in Sanctuary? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram, or by email.