Secondary dwellings and backyard studios
thoughtfully designed inside and out.

Custom building design and integrated joinery for homes across Moreton Bay and northern Brisbane. More room does not always mean changing your whole house.

Is your backyard ready to do more?

Do you need a comfortable place for an ageing parent, adult child or visiting family member, without leaving the home and neighbourhood you already love?

Are you considering a secondary dwelling, pool house or backyard studio but unsure what may be possible on your property?

Perhaps you have the space, but need help understanding council requirements, building approvals, site constraints and where to begin.

A thoughtfully designed backyard building can provide more than additional floor area. It can create independence for family members, a quiet place to work or retreat, flexible guest accommodation, or a space that changes with your household over time.

Suzanne Emma Designs specialises in small, considered buildings, including:

Secondary dwellings for family and multigenerational living
Pool houses and garden pavilions
Backyard studios and creative workspaces
Wellness rooms and private retreats
Compact interiors and integrated joinery

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A private and comfortable home for family, multigenerational living, guests or changing household needs.

Secondary dwellings can provide independence while allowing family members to remain close and connected.

Each design is developed around the people who will use the space, the existing property and the relationship between the new and existing homes. Consideration is given to privacy, accessibility, storage, outdoor connections and how the dwelling may need to adapt over time.

Secondary Dwellings

A separate place to work, create, exercise or simply step away from the main house.

Backyard studios and retreats can be designed as home offices, art rooms, yoga spaces, wellness rooms, hobby studios, teen retreats or flexible garden rooms.

Each space is planned around how you intend to use it, with careful consideration given to light, ventilation, privacy, storage and connection to the garden.

Studios and Retreats

Good small-space design does not stop at the exterior walls.

Integrated cabinetry can help a compact building feel calm, organised and more spacious. Kitchens, kitchenettes, laundries, wardrobes, study areas and entertainment units can all be considered as part of the overall design.

By designing the building and its joinery together, each part of the space can work more efficiently.

Standalone cabinetry design is also available for your residential project.

Designed inside and out

Tell me what you would like your backyard to do

Perhaps you need a home for a family member, a better place to work, a poolside pavilion or a quiet space to retreat.

Your ideas do not need to be fully resolved before making contact.

Tell me about your property, how you would like to use the space and what you hope the project may provide for your household.

Start a project conversation

Thoughtfully designed spaces inside and out.

Get in Touch

​ Secondary dwellings and backyard studios thoughtfully designed inside and out.

Is your backyard ready to do more?

Thoughtfully designed spaces inside and out.

Secondary dwellings and backyard studios
thoughtfully designed inside and out.