DesignFreo

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DesignFreo Celebrating design and designers in the port city of Fremantle / Walyalup and beyond. Let’s talk.

Through events, workshops and exhibitions, see what designers do, hear their ideas and join a broader conversation about why it’s important.

COUNTING DOWN // Fremantle Design Week kicks off this Friday! 11 days of design and design ideas, but more than that, it...
11/10/2026

COUNTING DOWN // Fremantle Design Week kicks off this Friday! 11 days of design and design ideas, but more than that, it’s a week to come together in the port city’s diverse place and spaces and be part of something. It’s a vibe! Have you planned your week? Ticketed events are selling fast and free events like opening night are also booked out! Jump into the program today and get sorted - fremantledesignweek.com

We are very excited that Fremantle’s beautiful new bridge is opening on 1 November! Congrats to all the people who have ...
01/10/2026

We are very excited that Fremantle’s beautiful new bridge is opening on 1 November! Congrats to all the people who have worked hard to make this happen in minimal time.

We’ll be joining the community to walk across the bridge between 9am and 1pm - go to the Main Roads Swan River Crossings web page for more information and we’ll see you there. Coming up in November - a DesignFreo special bridge talk and celebration! Watch this space…..

It is wonderful to have such a clear view of the Derbal Yerrigan under the new bridge, which has just two supports in the water - the river is the heritage we need to celebrate and protect.

🖤💛❤️

THE TOWN IS PURPLE and we are here for it - on the eve of the biggest day in Freo since …EVER….cheering on the mighty Fr...
25/09/2026

THE TOWN IS PURPLE and we are here for it - on the eve of the biggest day in Freo since …EVER….cheering on the mighty Fremantle Dockers in the grandest of finals 💜

GO THE DOCKERS!! We love our town and community and can’t wait to hit the streets tomorrow in one massive shared celebration of people, purple and port ⚓️💜🏆

20/09/2026

YOUTUBE // The story behind Giuseppe’s House by Whispering Smith for New Resident is such an important one that we made a video. It’s now up on DesignFreo’s YouTube channel - link in bio - with architect Kate Fitzgerald taking us through the sensitive renovation of this local gem.

The video shows that it’s possible to enhance our 60s and 70s homes and retain the character of our exisiting suburbs while supporting gentle density through infill.

Thank you Kate and thank you to Babett Fekete | PROJECTIFI for producing the video.

14/09/2026

MEET EMILY // We’re looking forward to hearing from architect Emily and owner Anna about working together on this beautiful, compact renovation and extension to a Fremantle cottage.

Tickets are selling fast for On Location 27, the next in our series of visits to architect-designed homes that showcase the best in local design. Whether you’re renovating, building or just interested in design, you’ll find inspiration here.
Address supplied with the ticket.

When: Sunday 20 September
Where: Fremantle - address with ticket
Time: Two sessions: 10 am - 11.30am / 11am - 12.30
Tickets: $30 / $20 concession for students, seniors and mob / + booking fee
Link in bio to book

Thanks to our Partners Z Schectman🎀 alti
And supporters DETAIL and oldbridgecellars-

ON LOCATION 27 / Join us for a Sunday-morning stroll and conversation through a renovated turn-of-the-century cottage a...
12/09/2026

ON LOCATION 27 / Join us for a Sunday-morning stroll and conversation through a renovated turn-of-the-century cottage and garden by Mt Eyk and Anna Howard .

This renovated home is a warm and calming backdrop to family life, set in one of Fremantle’s densest pockets yet immersed in nature.

The native garden includes a stainless-steel plunge pool - but wait, there’s more! A delightful surprise awaits down the back - a restored 1886 servants’ cottage, surrounded by gum trees with a flourishing kitchen garden.

We’re looking forward to hearing from architect Emily and owner Anna about working together, and the joy of living in this beautiful space.

When: Sunday 20 September
Where: Fremantle - address with ticket
Time: Two sessions: 10 am - 11.30am / 11am - 12.30
Tickets: $30 / $20 concession for students, seniors and mob / + booking fee
Link in bio to book

Thanks to our Partners ZSA ZSA Property CommunityBankFremantle ALTI Lighting
And supporters DETAIL and Family owned and run liquor store 🍾

12/09/2026

START PLANNING // The FDW2026 program is now live! 11 days packed full of design goodness, with over 60 events in and around the port city from October 16-25.

Our theme for FDW2026 is ‘imagine’. It’s an invitation to seek out joy and creativity in a time of unprecedented change. How is design challenging business-as-usual for a healthy future?

Fremantle’s stellar architects, designers, makers, artists and creative thinkers will be joined by some of Australia’s leading design voices, connecting you to the people, projects and movements shaping design locally and globally.

Link in bio to the full program to plan your week. Many events are free and we can’t wait to celebrate design and community with you!

A big thank you to all our most excellent Partners and Supporters

Government Partner
Presenting partners
Major Partners
Partners
Education Partner School of Media and Communications
Supporters

FDW Friends .agency



INTRODUCING DESIGNFREO SALON //We are delighted to launch our DesignFreo Salon series with an international guest speake...
12/09/2026

INTRODUCING DESIGNFREO SALON //We are delighted to launch our DesignFreo Salon series with an international guest speaker.

Paul Roberts is a planner and an expert in Garden Cities, an international movement to design communities that combine the economic and social vitality of the city with the green space, fresh air and human scale of country life. Join us to see examples of this in practice in the UK and consider the relevance of this model locally.

When: Thursday 17 September
Where: Old Mariners’ Chapel, 4 High Street, Fremantle
Time: 6 pm - 8 pm
Tickets: $15 / $10 concession for students, seniors and mob / + booking fee
Link in bio to book

12/08/2026

SILVA & MUSTARD / Thank you to everyone who joined us on a wintery Saturday for On Location 26 at Lathlain House. And a huge thanks to architects and homeowners Anna Mustard and Dennis Silva (Silva & Mustard) for generously opening their home and sharing their insights.

The clever duo saw the potential in a terraced rear block that others thought ‘too hard’, optimising the local planning code’s allowable height to gain stunning views to the hills from a light-filled second storey.

Key takeways? There were many….

- A rear block allows you to use every bit of your site while providing privacy (and saving on window coverings!)
- A long driveway makes a great kids’ playspace
- Get the plan right and everything else will follow
- Standard materials don’t feel ordinary when you add colour and texture
- Down lights in the ceiling are not necessary
- Using an architect adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to the value of your home - as the bank valuation proved - but more importantly, every day of living in a well-designed house is a joy

Lathlain House is a lesson in how to add density in established suburbs without compromising local character, tree canopy or liveability. And it can be done on a modest budget.

Congratulations Anna and Dennis - vist them online at Silva & Mustard.

Thanks to DesignFreo partner ZSA ZSA Property , media partner DETAIL and supporter Family owned and run liquor store 🍾

WA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects

GOT YOUR TIX? / DesignFreo on Location 26 is next Saturday 8 August and tickets are running out. See and hear how a welc...
01/08/2026

GOT YOUR TIX? / DesignFreo on Location 26 is next Saturday 8 August and tickets are running out. See and hear how a welcoming family home and garden was created on a rear block using clever design and a modest budget. Rich in colour and texture, it nestles perfectly into the existing suburb thanks to a red brick exterior that echos nearby buildings. It’s no surprise Lathlain House won the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 WA Architecture Awards.

Join architects Silva + Mustard, who designed the house, as we take a tour and hear the design story.

When: Saturday 8 August 2026
Time: Session 1: 10 am – 11.30am / Session 2: 11.30am – 1pm
Where: Lathlain – address supplied with booking
Tickets: $30 | Student/seniors concession $20 | plus booking fee
 
Builder / BROWNE MASTER BUILDERS
Photographer / nicholas putrasia

Thanks to our newest partners ZSA ZSA Property and our longtime supporters DETAIL and Family owned and run liquor store 🍾

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