The architecture and interior design firm making luxury design more accessible to Australian homeowners

Melbourne-based Merrylees Architecture & Interiors is a successful high-end architectural and interior design firm that has established itself as the go-to destination for people who want to create bespoke and contemporary homes. However, the firm noticed a gap in the market between those who would turn to a building designer or draftsman to design their home, and those who seek the services of an architect – a space for homeowners who appreciate good design but may not be able to afford the full service spectrum of traditional architectural firms, and for homeowners looking to build a beautiful holiday home or investment property. 

In response, Merrylees Architecture & Interiors have launched a secondary arm to their full-service luxury offering. “A well designed home will improve your quality of life and make you feel uplifted, inspired, calm and happy,” says Jane Merrylees, director of Merrylees Architecture & Interiors.

It was this gap in the market that inspired Merrylees Architecture & Interiors to develop Sunday by Merrylees, an accessible alternative to the traditional fee-based architecture model and typical design-and-construct model favoured by builders. “Our coastal aesthetic is more than a home, it's a lifestyle aesthetic that promotes relaxation and a holiday vibe,'' says Jane.  Sunday by Merrylees delivers premium architectural coastal-style home designs at a fraction of the cost by using traditional building methods, local materials and tradespeople. 

The service is available to anyone looking to build an architect-designed home. That includes first homeowners, established homeowners looking to build a second holiday home, or even those looking to build an investment property.  “We recognise that a huge barrier to architectural design services for the majority of people is time and money,” says Jane. “But we don’t want people to miss out, so we’ve calibrated a way to provide a service where we can still offer value without increasing a client's overall spend.”

Sunday by Merrylees homes are simple yet sophisticated designs that can be easily converted into working drawings for construction by the Merrylees Architecture & Interiors team or a draftsperson of your choice, and don’t rely on typical full documentation packages.

Sunday by Merrylees allows the client to opt in – or out – of a full range of architectural and interior design services, with no commitment beyond the initial concept stage. “It's all about choice,” says Jane of the structure. “We want to empower clients to be able to choose where they see value in our services.” This stage-based fixed-fee structure empowers the client to take control of their own project, while the fixed fees make planning and adhering to a budget easier. The range of services include, but aren’t limited to, town planning, interior design, construction details, builder selection, contract negotiation, and mediation between client and builder on site to uphold the design intent of the home.

This new model of architectural services challenges the percentage-based norm of the industry. Sunday by Merrylees fees are independent of the total project cost, so even if your budget increases the fees will stay the same. The services are broken down into fixed fee stages that allow you to choose what elements you wish to engage Merrylees Architecture & Interiors to oversee. “It's very difficult to know from the outset what the total project costs may be, however by limiting the design parameters and breaking down the services, we’re giving the client more control over the budget,” says Jane.

View Sunday by Merrylees Architecture & Interiors here.