Sanctuary 74 out now: Backyard studio special

Sanctuary 74 is our backyard studio special, in which we look at the potential of backyard builds to add flexibility to your home and increase urban density in a considered fashion.

Our collection of studio profiles includes an accessible secondary dwelling in a lush existing garden and a diminutive office with sleeping loft on the footprint of a too-small old garage. There’s a two-storey beachside studio that can actually still house a (small) car if needed, and an angular timber garden room that has adapted beautifully to one family’s changing needs over the years.

In other news, everyone’s favourite annual event (surely?!), Sustainable House Day, is coming up on Sunday 17 May 2026. Every year, homeowners around Australia throw open their doors or create video tours to share their sustainable homes and inspire others keen on walking the same path. This issue, we profile several exemplar participating homes, along with glimpses of a handful more.

Take a look inside Sanctuary 74

We encourage you to curl up and enjoy our design ‘lookbook’ of favourite window seats, covering why you might like to include one in your build or renovation plans. In On the drawing board, architect John Damant introduces his Econests: off-the-shelf home designs offering a simpler and more cost-effective pathway to a well-designed, eco-friendly home. Rachel Rose explains why you should install a monitor for indoor air quality, and Mara Ripani offers gardening tips for wildlife habitat through the seasons. Happy reading.

Sanctuary 74 is arriving in subscribers’ letterboxes and on sale in newsagents now. You can buy a copy here, and 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.