Anthony Burke's By Design

In episode three of our special series The Home Front, Australia’s homes are doing more than sheltering families - they’re accommodating multigenerational households, solo dwellers, single parents, and shared living arrangements.But is our housing stock too rigid to reflect this diversity? Is it failing behind the way we actually live?In this episode, we meet the architects and designers reimagining the Australian home for today. As external pressures - from climate to cost - reshape our lives, they’re responding with ideas that prioritise flexibility, wellbeing, sustainability, and social connection.

In episode two of our special series The Home Front we look at how Australians have lived together in the past—and what those lessons might offer us today.From the tightly packed worker’s cottages of the early 1900s, where strong community bonds helped people get by, to the bold experiments in communal and cooperative living during the 1970s, Australians have long found creative ways to share space.Now, as the housing crisis deepens, one State Government (NSW) is reviving the idea of the housing pattern book—a fast-track design initiative that encourages density, sustainability, and smarter living.But are Australians ready to embrace the idea of “home” not as a private fortress, but where shared space and personal privacy coexist?

Why do so many Australians see owning a home as the cornerstone of the Great Australian Dream?In this opening episode of our special series The Home Front, we unpack the historical, cultural, and political forces that shaped Australia’s deep-rooted obsession with home ownership. From post-war prosperity to the rise of suburban ideals, we trace how the dream took hold- and why that dream no longer fits the realities of today.

What do designers notice the moment they walk through your front door? Interior designer Adelaide Bragg and photographer and author Robyn Lea reveal how they read a room—translating light, objects and atmosphere into deeply personal stories. We explore their collaboration on City, Coast and Country and what it takes to style and capture uniquely Australian homes with meaning, not just bea

‘The sewer is the conscience of the city’, or so the French writer Victor Hugo once claimed. It’s a confronting idea, but a revealing one: the way a society deals with waste can tell us a lot about its values, priorities and politics. And yet our toilet habits are something we’re usually taught to ignore, avoid or feel embarrassed about. We look at one everyday object that sits right at the intersection of design, morality and public life: the public toilet. Used by everyone, discussed by few, and designed very differently across cultures and centuries, it turns out the humble loo has a lot to say about who we are.

When we think about design in Australia today, it’s impossible not to trace its evolution back to pioneers like Mary Featherston, AM. A leading force in shaping a more human‑centred approach, Mary has spent decades reimagining design as something embedded in our everyday environments — not just objects, but experiences.From transforming the way we think about learning spaces to helping define a distinctly Australian mid‑century modern design language alongside Grant Featherston, her influence runs deep.These days, however, Mary sees herself as more of an activist than a designer. So just how did she get there? And does design still have a role to play in her activism?

What does the federal budget really do for Australia’s housing crisis? Peter Martin from The Economy, Stupid joins Anthony Burke from By Design to examine whether changes to tax settings will make it any easier to buy a home. And what impact it will have on rents.

The umbrella has seen more than rain.For centuries, its silhouette has barely changed — but its story is anything but ordinary. From ancient status symbol and sun shield to political prop and covert weapon, the umbrella has quietly intersected with power, fashion and invention. In this episode, we trace the dramatic design evolution of an everyday object we only notice when it rains.

If you stop and think about today’s item, it’s one of fashion’s strangest inventions. We loop it around our necks, pull it into a neat little noose, and call it an accessory. Yet the humble men’s tie - this decorative strip of fabric - has survived centuries of reinvention. And somehow, it has come to symbolise masculinity more strongly than almost anything else you can wear.

Australians love a cup of tea. From the boil of a billy by the campfire to “everybody jiggling” a Lipton tea bag, a good cuppa has long been woven into our cultural identity.So it feels only natural that when it comes to delivering this liquid gold, Australians would be at the forefront of engineering the best way to boil water - and it's come a long way since the days of the billy can.

Gravestones may be stark reminders of our mortality, but they’re also powerful records of history, identity and belief. What can the design of these enduring markers tell us about the people they commemorate — and the eras they lived through? From symbolism and materials to craftsmanship and changing cultural values, we trace how grave markers have evolved over time.

Men expect them in every pair of pants, every jacket, every coat. And yet, for women, pockets have been mysteriously withheld, removed, resized, or declared “unnecessary” for centuries. Why?In this episode, we unpack the surprisingly political, practical, and quietly rebellious history of pockets — from their deliberate disappearance in women’s fashion to the small jolt of joy when a dress actually has them. This is a story about design, power, independence, and the everyday details that shape how we move through the world.Guest: Nicole Jenkins, Fashion historian, Circa Vintage