Altus Design Studio

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Altus Design Studio

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Sydney based design studio with a passion for colour, texture and pattern. Residential & Small Commercial Interior Design.

15/10/2026

SUNNY SIDE UP | The biggest spatial change in this whole project happened in the smallest room. The laundry was tiny with the washing machine down one side, a little tub in front of the window, and not much room to do anything. So we moved the wall out into the back entry of the house which is a bit smaller now, and the laundry finally works.⁠
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The yellow joinery creates a visual connection to the kitchen, but we used burgundy tiles rather than the terracotta, plus the blue wallpaper. So the laundry relates to the rest of the house without copying it.⁠
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Photography Prue Ruscoe⁠
Joinery Homestyle Kitchens
Builder KPL Building

13/10/2026

THE COLOUR EDIT | Our client was already a committed colour lover. With whole collections full of personality we weren't starting with a blank canvas, it was about bringing those individual pieces together and creating a room that feels joyful and eclectic, but still considered.⁠
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The multicoloured rug grounds the room, and a pair of existing armchairs, previously in a heavy dark grey were reupholstered in a rich burgundy. They'd been weighing the room down, and now they're part of the colour story.⁠
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The white joinery was out of step with everything sitting on it, but rather than replace it we wallpapered the back of the shelves in a soft aqua and white stripe which completely changed how the collection read.⁠
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When a room already has this much colour in it the instinct is to pare back, when often the best result comes from doing the opposite.

12/10/2026

A morning on our Ettalong Hotel project. Floorplans, renders and samples out, and the three of us working through every option at least twice.

08/10/2026

IVY LEAGUE | Bathrooms default to white more than any other room in the house, usually because white is the safe choice. It's also why so many bathrooms end up completely forgettable.

This stone is called Golden Spider, which is almost reason enough to use it on its own. The joinery is a dark grey with a deep blue tone, which grounds the room and complements the stone, and tonal, textured wall tiles catch the light rather than flattening it.

Joinery by Homestyle Kitchens⁠
Build by KPL Building
Photography by Prue Ruscoe

06/10/2026

IVY LEAGUE | We took bench space out of this kitchen, which could sound like the wrong decision.⁠
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Before it was a U shape, which looks generous until you try to use it. The corners are awkward to reach and hard to store anything useful in, so whatever you gain along the middle you give back at both ends. We went with a galley along both sides instead.⁠
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The big win was getting rid of the large hot water system built into the corner. It hadn't worked in years and it was eating into the kitchen and the bathroom beside it. Taking it out gave both rooms their corners back, which had a significant impact.⁠
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It's not a big kitchen, but the space is more functional now, and looks so much better too.⁠

Before image: real estate listing photo.

Joinery by Homestyle Kitchens⁠
Build by KPL Building
Photography by Prue Ruscoe

05/10/2026

IVY LEAGUE | This room wasn't getting used, as it doesn't get much natural light and there was nothing in it worth sitting down for, so it became more of a thoroughfare.

There was a fireplace set at an angle in the corner, which made the room almost impossible to furnish, because wherever the lounge went the joinery couldn't follow. Taking out an original fireplace isn't something I suggest lightly, and it does feel a bit blasphemous. But it was the one thing stopping the room from working, and in a small semi you want to make use of every inch.

So we designed a new stone fireplace with full height bookshelves around it, and our clients now have a room the family actually uses.

The joinery colour took some conversation. I'd put forward the earthy red and our clients had pictured something neutral, the same as the walls. They came around in the end, and they love it and can't quite believe they nearly went the other way.

Joinery by Homestyle Kitchens⁠
Build by KPL Building
Photography by Prue Ruscoe

01/10/2026

IVY LEAGUE | The Design Files asked me about this chair, which gave me a good excuse to talk about something I think about a lot.⁠
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It's the YAYA from DOMO, and the shape is what I was drawn to first. It works almost as a piece of sculpture in the room while still being a comfortable chair you'd happily sit in all evening.⁠
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The colour was very deliberate and I loved it as an unexpected contrast against the fireplace and vintage rug. It adds a layer and a bit of tension, which is usually what makes an interior much more interesting. This house has plenty of character, colour and detail, so the chair fits right in, while also making a statement.⁠
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Joinery by Homestyle Kitchens⁠
Build by KPL Building
Photography by Prue Ruscoe

29/09/2026

People often ask what our style is, and it's the one question I don't have an answer for. There's definitely an approach, but it's in how we use colour and how closely we listen, not in a set of finishes we carry from one house to the next.

That's why our projects have so little in common with each other, and why yours wouldn't look like anyone else's.

28/09/2026

IVY LEAGUE | The first thing you see when you walk into a bathroom shouldn't be the toilet, and ideally it's close to the last.

In this home the toilet was straight ahead of the door, beside a dinky little vanity that never felt like enough for the space. It's actually a decent sized bathroom, it just needed the spatial planning sorted.

The only thing that stayed where it was is the shower. The bath moved under the window, the vanity got a lot bigger, and the toilet is now tucked out of the sightline. We also took out an old hot water system that hadn't worked in years and had been eating into one corner of the room.

We didn't make the room any bigger, but it feels like we did.

Joinery by Homestyle Kitchens⁠
Build by KPL Building
Photography by Prue Ruscoe

24/09/2026

IVY LEAGUE | There was a glimpse of our latest project on The Design Files this week, so here's the proper introduction. ⁠
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In this Randwick home the kitchen, dining and living all share a small open plan space.⁠ It was important to nail the practicalities and flow, so spatial planning came first and finishes followed.⁠
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The banquette is what makes the room work. Before it went in, the table just floated in the middle of the room. Now it sits tight to the wall with the chairs opposite, which gives back the floor and makes the whole thing feel settled.⁠
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Getting a tight space right isn't about having less furniture, it's about spatial planning and knowing which piece will anchor the room.⁠
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More from Ivy League to come!⁠
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Joinery by Homestyle Kitchens⁠
Build by KPL Building
Photography by Prue Ruscoe

Address

Balmain, NSW
2041

Telephone

+61400490482

Website

http://www.altusdesignstudio.com.au/

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