Three bedrooms is the most common brief we see, and the plan that carries it is often the least generous. With a few decisions made early, a three bedroom home can feel considerably larger than its floor area suggests.

What “modern” should mean

Modern is not a style of cladding or a flat roof. In a house that will be lived in for decades, modern means:

• Rooms that suit how people actually use them today, including space to work from home.
• Living areas oriented to winter sun and summer shade.
• Storage built in from the start, not added later as furniture.
• Energy performance modelled during design rather than fixed afterwards.

Style follows from those decisions. A well-oriented, well-planned house reads as modern whatever the finishes.

Getting the plan right

• Put living where the sun is. In Perth, that is generally north, with shade to the west.
• Keep circulation tight. Every metre of hallway is a metre not spent on rooms.
• Give the main bedroom a real spot, usually away from the living area and the front door.
• Plan for the third bedroom to change jobs. Today a nursery, later a study or a spare room. Its size and power and data provision should allow for it.
• Add one flexible space. A second living area, a study nook or a covered outdoor room takes pressure off the main living space.

Bedroom sizes and storage

Bedrooms need wall space, not just floor space. Allow for a bed, bedside tables and a wardrobe with the doors able to open. Built-in robes to two bedrooms and a linen cupboard near the bathroom are low-cost moves with outsized daily benefit.

Small and narrow lots

On compact or narrow blocks, a plan that runs long and lean usually works better than a square one. Courtyards can bring light into the middle of the plan, and covered outdoor space effectively adds a room for a fraction of the cost per square metre.

Energy and running costs

Orientation, shading, insulation and glazing do most of the work in a Perth home. Get them right and the house stays comfortable through summer without relying on air conditioning, and needs little heating in winter. We model our designs in NatHERS compliance software, so the performance is measured as part of the design.

Next step

If you are planning a three bedroom home, bring your block details and your budget to a first conversation. We work across the Perth metro area and regional Western Australia, and we will tell you honestly how much house your block and budget will carry.