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.

31/05/2026

ON LOCATION 24 / A huge thanks to homeowners Lucy and Kurt for opening their South Freo house yesterday and a beautiful conversation with architect Dave Delahunty and landscape architect Dan Jan Martin .

We asked each of them to share their favourite part of the project.

LUCY loves the reading nook (especially in cozy winter sun), and the large bedroom window with its view to trees, sky and the moon.

KURT loves the outdoor bathroom - he’s never once used the ensuite!

DAVE loves the scale of the house, with its low, front fence set back from the street and soft landscaping that nestles the house into the site.

DAN loves the biodiversity of the many plants types, and the permeable gravel paths that support thirsty plants by absorbing water back into the earth.

Everyone loved the effortless collaboration between owners, designers and builder that ensured vision and budget aligned.

Fun fact: the gaps between the fence posts were determined by the size of the resident dogs’ heads!

There’s more about the house and its clever design features on our website - link in bio.

Thanks to everyone who joined us on the day, and to our supporters and

New events coming soon…..

27/05/2026

Expressions of Interest are now open for the third biennial Fremantle Design Week, 16 - 25 October 2026. FDW brings our talented and diverse design and creative community together, connecting people to share experiences, celebrate creativity and build design culture in our city and state. EOI closes Jun 12 - link in bio to learn more! We’re excited to see your ideas.

26/05/2026

THIS SATURDAY / We love hosting conversations with architects, landscape designers and homeowners to unpack the stories behind their projects. Join us on May 30 in South Fremantle to tour another expressive, small-footprint home, modest in scale (130m2) but big on beauty, charm and sustainability. As aways, tickets are selling fast - jump onto the link in bio for yours.

Images: Photography

When: Saturday 30 May 2026
Time: Session 1: 10am - 11.30am / Session 2: 11.30am - 1pm
Where: Fremantle - address supplied with tickets Tickets: $30 | Student/seniors concession $20 | plus booking fee

Thanks to our partners and - we love you

25/05/2026

Thanks - what a blast! An inspiring ten days of seeing, listening and connecting. From household names to cross-disciplinary thinkers at the coalface of ideas and technology, it was great to tap into the collective energy. Loved seeing so much Freo/WA talent on the roster across town.

Congrats to everyone who invested their time, energy and resources into a massive week of events, and and for their curation. MDW goes from strength to strength.

Now back in the ‘hood and super excited for Fremantle Design Week this October, bringing our stellar local design community into focus whilst exploring ideas from far and wide. Keen to join the program? Our EOI is now open - link in bio.

Images 2/3: and launched , an revolutionary h**p particle board at the studio of
Images4/5: Re:born, a collab between and at was captivating
Image 6: A visit to the good people .earth
Images 7/8: A fantastic exhibition tracing the career of trailblazing Indigeous designer Alison Page (still on) includes an intro to her new venture .of.blak
Image 9: Twenty Years: The Making of a Symbol - a beautifully curated (as always) show by celebrating 20 years of making and introducing a limited edition rug collection.
Images 10/11: Banksia Grandis by Mark Lilly at Felled: Reimagining Timber Supply in Contemporary Craft Practice presented by
Image 12: Various Forms of Production
presented by X at .shop

19/05/2026

NEW EVENT / “It looks like a happy character, smiling as the world passes by,” said a neighbour to architect Dave Delahunty about this South Fremantle home.

Designed for a sociable, community-minded couple and their two dogs, this coastal house finds its heart in the native front garden where the boundary between private life and street life blurs.

The home reflects Ehdo architect Dave Delahunty’s philosophy of designing environmentally attuned buildings that quietly enhance everyday life.

The garden, designed by , completes the project, almost wrapping the house and connecting it deeply to place.

Join us to experience this charming home and garden and hear architect, owners and landscape designer in conversation.

Address supplied with tickets.

When: Saturday 30 May 2026
Time: Session 1: 10am - 11.30am / Session 2: 11.30am - 1pm
Where: Fremantle - address supplied with booking Tickets: $30 | Student/seniors concession $20 | plus booking fee

Images:

Thank you to our supporting partners and

14/05/2026

CALEDONIAN HALL // Fremantle is full of hidden spaces layered with stories. Case in point - the home we visited for On Location 23. An ex-dancehall converted to a studio apartment, it was a white box before Hunter, a baker, took up residence and dialled architect Seymour Clifford .co

Hunter and Seymour (of practice Woburn) talked our audience through the simple yet transformational design moves they made to reconfigure the space to reflect Hunter’s lifestyle. Part rigour, part whimsy, it’s a mix of heritage elements shot through with a vibrant yellow that’s a nod to Le Corbusier’s Cabanon de Cap-Martin, Clifford’s fave trousers and the ubiquitous WA high-vis vest.

A free-standing, open kitchen has utilitarian commercial apppliances. A cabin-like, loft bedroom blocks out the light (bakers need sleep). Vintage furniture brings warmth and character, inviting guests to settle in as late afternoon sunlight streams in from the harbour.

Add a bakelite light switch, a cork wall, an old-style wall-mounted air-conditioner and an Hermés-orange suspended dishrack, and it sounds a little unhinged. It is, and that’s its charm! An eclectic antidote to same-same interiors.

What we love:
- Clever new window boxes draw on a functional, historical design. Extending into the room, the boxes enclose the existing sash windows with a second window that insulates against port noise thanks to the wide space between the glazing. The hinged, interior windows frame the views and open to create bay seating. Brilliant!
- Sumptuous curtains in the bedroom were slavaged from an English Ambassadoor’s home in Dalkeith.
- A painted dado line breaks up the walls to bring a more human scale to the volumous space. 
‘Engaging an architect has really enhanced daily life‘, says Hunter.
‘If it’s wicked, then let’s do it’, says Seymour.
Pure Freo.

Massive thanks to Hunter and Seymour, and to everyone who came along. Our next event is about to be announce, so stay tuned!

Thanks to our media partner

20/04/2026

NEW EVENT // From dance hall to apartment - see inside an unusual historic home.

The upstairs dance hall of the 1903 Caledonian Hall, designed by English architect F.W. Burwell, was converted to residences in the 1990s.

This loft apartment had tons of character, but, like many old places in Fremantle, it was noisy, cold, and hard to know where to place the furniture!

Enter Seymour Clifford, architect, self-described modern classicist, and Principal at Woburn Architecture and Interiors.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Le Corbusier, and – crucially – a pair of yellow trousers, Seymour transformed the apartment into a warm and layered home, with curious windows framing some of the most compelling views of Fremantle we’ve ever seen.

This was a project delivered on a skinny budget, but with a rich understanding of where every dollar earns its keep.

Join us to view this charming home and hear from Seymour about one of those Fremantle buildings you drive past, without ever knowing what’s going on inside.

Address supplied with tickets.

When: Saturday 2 May 2026 Time: 4pm - 5pm Where: Fremantle - address supplied with booking Tickets: $30 | Student/seniors concession $20 | plus booking fee

Image:

Thanks to and for generous support.

14/04/2026

ONE TICKET REMAINS! // ‘Density by stealth’ is how architect and developer Kate FitzGerald describes the Joondanna townhouses we are visiting this Saturday for DesignFreo On Location 22. The compact footprint of these two new homes is no compromise on lifestyle. With northfacing courtyards, excellent indoor and outdoor storage, clever detailing and great landscaping these homes will make daily life a pleasure for the lucky new owners. We congratuate the team and for showing how well-designed infill can look, feel and function. Link in bio for the last ticket : )

10/04/2026

NEW EVENT // One block, three homes.

When the Joondanna micro-community came onto our radar, we leapt at the opportunity to show you something we love - quality suburban infill.

At the front sits Caterina’s House, a refurbished 1940s character home that’s already occupied. Behind it are two new, semi-detached townhouses designed by

The project is a case study in adding density in established suburbs while preserving local character and tree canopy. It’s a subdivision model Whispering Smith’s sustainable development arm, , is championing, on projects that include Giuseppe’s House in Beaconsfield (DesignFreo On Location 20).

The townhouses share Giuseppe’s contemporary design DNA - light-filled interiors, warm cork floor tiles, beautiful joinery, a rich colour palette, and breezy indoor/outdoor connectivity to landscaped courtyards.

See for yourself and hear architect Kate FitzGerald share the micro-community design story.

Whether you have a sub-divisible block or just want to soak up design inspiration, grab the chance to hear from a talented changemaker leading the way on density done well.

And as first to see it, you may leave with a new home - the townhouses hit the market soon!

Date: Saturday 18 April
Time: 9.30am - 10.45am
Address: with ticket purchase
Tickets: $30 / $20 student / senior concession + booking fee
Link in bio for tickets

.homes

22/03/2026

NATIONWIDE FOREST MARCH / At DesignFreo we are passionate about trees. We need to plant them, care for them and protect them. We loved of this beautiful sign spotted today at the nationwide forest march - it captures the quiet fragility of our ecosystems so elegantly. We encourage you, wherever you are, to speak up for the trees. Because money will trample nature as long as we allow our governments to enable it. Thanks to the for driving today’s gathering.

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https://www.designfreo.org/

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