There’s a question that gets lost surprisingly often in the rush to maximise every square metre of a new home or renovation: will this actually bring joy to the people living in it?
For Brisbane architect and interior designer Laura Stevens of Laura Stevens Architecture & Interior Design, that question sits at the centre of every project she takes on. It’s a philosophy that’s both simple and quietly radical, and it shapes everything from the initial brief through to material selection and the final spatial decisions that define how a home actually feels to live in.
Function First: Why a Beautiful Home That Doesn’t Work Is No Home at All
Ask Laura how she approaches a new project, and her answer cuts straight to it. “I always start the design process by ticking off the functional brief,” she explains. “There is no point having a beautiful house if it doesn’t work for you.”
The kitchen needs to flow properly. The bedrooms need to make sense. The storage needs to fit the reality of how a family actually lives. Only once those foundations are solid does the conversation turn to aesthetics, and even then, Laura approaches any trade-off between form and function with clear eyes. “Once you move on to the aesthetics, you will often change up some of the functionality,” she notes, “but at least you understand what you are trading.”
It’s a pragmatist’s approach, and it produces homes that feel genuinely considered rather than simply designed to look good in photographs.
Why Dual Degrees in Architecture and Interior Design Make All the Difference
What sets Laura Stevens Architecture + Interior Design apart from many Brisbane practices is the genuine integration of architecture and interior design as a single, unified design language. Laura holds degrees in both disciplines and doesn’t see where one ends and the other begins.
“I firmly believe you shouldn’t factor in one without the other,” she says. “Not a conversation about the design goes by without the outcome being considered from both sides.”
It’s an approach that produces homes with a coherence and completeness that’s difficult to achieve when architecture and interiors are treated as separate conversations, as they so often are.
Simple Lines, Honest Materials, and the Beauty of Things That Age Well
If there’s a defining characteristic to the Laura Stevens Architecture + Interior Design language, it’s simplicity. Simple lines. Simple, honest materials. And a commitment to making those simple ideas work exceptionally hard.
Her material palette gravitates toward timber, stone, and concrete, not just for their aesthetic qualities but for their capacity to age gracefully and become part of a home’s story over time. “The timber silvers, the stone etches and concrete patinas,” she explains. “Within five years of living in your home, the materials will have softened and aged, the sharp edges worn off, and I think that’s beautiful.”
It’s a long view of design that prioritises longevity over novelty, and it produces homes that get better with time rather than dating.
The Queensland Connection: Inside Out, Less Is More
Working predominantly on renovations across Brisbane’s inner suburbs, particularly character homes, Laura has developed a deep sensitivity to the relationship between interior and exterior that defines Queensland living at its best.
“The connection between inside and out, especially in Queensland,” she emphasises. “I love the idea of looking out at green space, connecting it into your home.”
That commitment extends to a more fundamental question about how much to build in the first place. “I am always trying to build less so there is more space for another tree or extra garden,” she notes. Sustainability in the Laura Stevens Architecture + Interior Design practice isn’t about certifications or checklists. It’s about orientation, summer breezes, passive homes that don’t rely on constant air conditioning, and convincing clients to build once with quality rather than replacing elements in ten years.
Timeless Over Trendy: A Design Principle Worth Holding Onto
In an industry often driven by the next Instagram moment and the latest design trend, Laura’s definition of good architecture is refreshingly grounded: timelessness.
“I try not to follow the trends and go for what works with the client and the home,” she explains. “Trends come and go, but a timeless home that functions well will always be beautiful.”
Her guiding design principle, the one she returns to again and again? “Simplicity. If in doubt, take something out.”
From her Brisbane studio, Laura Stevens Architecture + Interior Design is quietly building a practice that prioritises joy over square metres, longevity over trends, and better over bigger. In a city where the pressure to maximise can sometimes overshadow the question of what actually makes a house a home, it’s an approach worth paying attention to.
Architecture & Interior Design: Laura Stevens Architecture & Interior Design | laurastevens.com.au | @_laura.stevens
Photography: Catherine Schusler, Steven Wade
