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Latemore Design, 59 Chermside Street, Brisbane (2026)

27/08/2026

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘 (𝗤𝗛𝗖)
A big change to housing regulations across Queensland is happening right now. What used to be called the Queensland Development Code, QDC MP 1.1 and MP 1.2 has been merged into one code called Queensland Housing Code, QHC.
In many ways this is a good thing and after two years of review and consultation, a somewhat better set all rules and regulations has emerged, but there are some significant revisions that we thought we might mention today. There will be gradual adoption by councils around the state but how quickly this will occur is yet to be seen.
The single document is generally easier to understand and more aligned with the National Construction Code. Some outdated rules have been updated, to better reflect contemporary housing needs. The intent of the QHC is to reduce the many siting relaxations that occur across all of QLD by local councils. The QHC is not mandatory and there is a three year transition. starting 1st Sep.
One of the big differences that is coming, if adopted by councils, is set back changes especially to the front. As we have mentioned before, there is now a shift towards having higher density living with a focus on backyard usage and privacy.
Front setbacks can be 4.5m, with rear setback a mandatory min of 3m. Side setback in general will be 1m min. Carports in general will be allowed closer to the front boundary line, without necessarily needing a local council siting relaxation. All of this is looking towards having greater rear yard space.
There are also sone revisions to on-site parking requirements. For example, a secondary dwelling triggers the requirement for a dedicated parking space on the property. If a garage is part of the project the QHC encourages a tandem parking space to the front of that for visitor parking and to prevent spilling onto streets. Interestingly the QHC has taken reference of the NCC Liveable Housing Standard, whereby a garage used for zero threshold access, must have a minimum internal width of 3.2m.
There are other subtleties, but that is enough for today.
When will the local councils adopt the new QHC?
Brisbane has made no specific announcement as yet and is more focused on their “More Homes Sooner” initiative with things like significantly smaller lot sizes. We will be posting on this shortly. Brisbane's City Plan is undergoing rewrites as well. It looks like we will be sticking with QDC for a fair bit longer in Brisbane.
Moreton is currently rebuilding the MBRC Planning Scheme and it is likely some aspects of the QHC will be incorporated into that, over the next three years. Like Brisbane, Moreton has also implemented a Better Housing amendment to deal with density and increased opportunities for housing. So, like Brisbane, the QDC, along with Moreton's specific precinct overlays will continue.
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and team, local Building Designers, specialize in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Grange based, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing Brisbane inner regions. QBCC 1055247.
More projects? https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Past posts? https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

20/08/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦?
We thought it might be timely to revisit this topic because it has come up quite a bit in the last few months.
So, what are easements? When you don’t own your own land! Sort of . . .
In fact, you own the land but can have limited use of it. This means you can play on it, you are responsible for its lawn maintenance, but you cannot build on or excavate it.
There are many sorts of easements, with the main ones, relating to residential properties, being rights of access or services corridors. These will appear on the title and can be found by looking at certain authority records such as the aerial images shown, from state mapping. The green shadings are mostly service corridors that contain a sewer and/or storm water pipe. Access easements can often occur with battle axe sites or shared driveways. In effect you have rights of access over each other’s property. Please note - resources like state mapping do not necessarily completely show the full story for every property and that is why we mention looking at the title.
One of the images is the site plan that goes with one of the aerial shots. As you can see, the pool is shaped parallel to the easement to still allow as much usable area as possible. Most services easements allow a building to be placed close to their edge unlike setbacks from normal property boundaries. The building shot shows the project with the pool.
If you think you may have an easement on your property but still wish to renovate or extend, it can be possible to still achieve a good result. Some access may still be required to the easement across your property, so machinery can maintain the pipes. In most cases though, like the example, easements are often adjacent to things like parks, so access is easy.
Not all pipes have easements over them, by the way. A good example is all the sewer pipes in back yards, when Brisbane was sewered in the 1960’s.
The first aerial image, from state mapping, illustrates easements, in green, over council stormwater lines and urban utilities sewer lines. This is halfway up a hill so there are all sorts of things going on. A couple of the easements are running underneath buildings and these probably came into existence after the building was done many years ago. The pink shading represents strata parcels, incorporating multi-res.
The last aerial shot has a combination of access easements and restriction of usage. The small green areas are the shared driveway into a small subdivision. The larger green zones are adjacent to Kedron Brook and are an example of historical titles that went down to the water’s edge. Council has since ensured that the creek bank zone is not allowed to be used by the property owner, to project vegetation.
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and team, local Building Designers, specialize in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Grange based, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing Brisbane inner regions. QBCC 1055247.
More projects? https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Past posts? https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

13/08/2026

𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗢𝗥/𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗗𝗢𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘
Every house needs a well-ventilated space in this climate for everyone to gather.
Many times, this can be solved with a roofed deck, but sometimes combining this idea with a living zone can be just as comfortable. This can be a good answer if there is a lack of space or funds. They can be fun spaces when you combine doors and handrails that make the space feel unique. One of our examples today show doors that pull back past the handrails. This can require some careful detailing to achieve the best looking result. One trick is to have solid panels or opaque glass in the lower section of the doors so that the handrails disappear when the doors are closed.
The secret for these spaces, when designed as rooms, usually stems from the types of windows chosen. Bifolds are ideal as they pull back to reveal a full opening. Louvres can also work well, as they can act as handrails. Sometimes the choice can be dictated by whether you need screening or not, as bifolds require a cassette screen on the inside.
These rooms also work well beside pools as the visual link is increased directly from the house to that outdoor space. We have even designed fixed glazing that doubles as the pool fencing for that pool and sometimes 100mm louvre blades with stronghold pins can achieve this security element.
Ceilings over these rooms are ideally the same as the rest of the building, enhancing the impact. There is not a lot of price difference between a full roof rather than a skillion over such spaces.
By combining your living area into an indoor/outdoor function, the costs could be less than having two spaces, living inside with deck outside.
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and team, local Building Designers, specialize in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Grange based, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing Brisbane inner regions. QBCC 1055247.
More projects? https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Past posts? https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

06/08/2026

𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘?
We wrote about Queenslanders being unpainted when they were first constructed, and this made us think about whether you can avoid painting a house. The original Queenslanders could survive being unpainted for some time, particularly on the inside, as the timbers were well finished hoop pine. In fact, there are still some houses like this in Brisbane, 80-90 years later. Exterior hardwood weatherboards could withstand being unpainted for some time.
How to avoid painting in the modern era? And why would we suggest such a thing?
One obvious reason these days is to avoid cost, but another is to look for low maintenance long term. An all-timber larger house these days costs between $60k and $100k, externally, to properly paint including prep. Smaller 1950's & 1960's places are still over $30k. Good painters are worth having though!
There is a plethora of external products that are prefinished and do not require any painting, ever. Everyone is familiar with brick, and it can be a very effective and aesthetic finish when used well. Some of the more stone looking blockwork can be good too. North Queensland is very fond of this style. Off-form concrete, if ‘brutal’, is very robust. Roof sheeting when used as wall cladding is another excellent finished product. It can even be used in its zincalume base rather than adopting one of the many colorbond colours.
Windows, when framed in powder coated aluminium, or upvc, never require maintenance. The former sometimes need to be thermally broken for better energy efficiency.
There are quite a few finished external sheet products that also do not require any maintenance. Almost every board manufacturer has some like this. You can even adopt some of the more high-end commercial and industrial finishes on a house.
I should mention that in character areas there are some restrictions on choice of exterior items.
What about the interior though?
This is a little bit trickier because there is not a lot around that can achieve this except by using things like finishes that are more usually external. Brick and steel are obvious options, but not everybody likes that. There are many prefinished timber products on the market. A bit similar to engineered flooring. We find though that too much timber on the walls and ceilings can be a bit much for most owners. We often suggest owners chat to our interior designer which can be quite fun for the interiors of your house.
Something that we have seen is very effective is the use of large wall tiles. Admittedly these are not cheap, but they will never require painting. They also come in every look and style you can think of.
You can always use plastic laminates as well, and there are simply hundreds of different looks of these. They can be very effective feature walls, not just on your cabinetry.
Something to keep in mind about interiors of houses is that the paintwork can last some decades if kept regularly clear of dust and other contaminants. Plasterboard and MDF boards are very stable, and this contributes to why the paintwork can last so long.
Another option for interior finishes is to go very commercial and use things like glass as wall partitions, especially if they are opaque or obscured. This can be a unique feature within the house.
Or, radical thought, mix everything up!
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.
If you would like to see more projects - https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Looking for past posts? Go to our page - https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

31/07/2026

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧
We have mentioned aspects of the research needed before talking with you about a prospective project, and today we thought we’d give you a bit of a summary.
When you first contact us via phone or email, we have to immediately check a few things that are available to us online. We say that this is like layers of information with the first layer occurring as we talk or respond with an email.
What is in this first layer?
To get us quickly orientated, we look at Google Maps and real estate website pages. Google Maps are particularly good when using Street View because we can see what everything looks like from the street before visiting. Of course, things change over time, but it is a good start. The photographs that are available on real estate pages can go back many years, even if the house was rented. On many, there is even a floor plan which can be extremely helpful during the phone conversation.
The second layer can happen while talking with you initially, but we certainly do it fairly quickly. We load up the PD online web page for the relevant council, in our case that is usually BCC or Moreton. This can be quite essential as we check things like zoning, contours, flood situations, and lots of overlays. What are overlays? These are things like bush fire, transport corridors, character, ecological, and it goes on.
The third layer is a bit more intense and must be done before we visit you for a site consultation. We must be fully informed about all the constraints on your site, before we start talking about options. We repeat the first two layers, but this time store it away and may bring some with us to the consultation. In addition, we go deeper and look for more data.
One of the most important is to order information from BYDA, Before You Dig Australia. It is easy to have a free account, because all of the authorities want you to look after their infrastructure. This tells us where things like sewers and stormwater pipes are along with quite a few other things including power, gas, telecom, NBN and a few other things. We have to design to suit this infrastructure and there are all sorts of tricks about that which we have written about before.
We go looking for other aerial information such as QLD Globe and Vexcel. Every one of these provides something extra which can be particularly useful. For example, Qld Globe can show us where there are easements.
Something else we like to do within Brisbane is to obtain the old detail plan that was prepared from the 1920s to the 1960s. This can provide some important historical data.
One thing that we cannot obtain and only you can as the owner, are building approval documents. If you have these, they are very useful to everybody involved in the project. If you suspect that there had been work done on the property after about 1980, you can obtain these documents from the council archives with a simple phone call and a modest fee.
If you feel like having a bit of a look at your own property, go visit the same sites to see what you can find!
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.
If you would like to see more projects - https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Looking for past posts? Go to our page - https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

23/07/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗘
This is an extract from an article for my association, BDQ.
Not only have I studied and worked on Queenslanders my whole career, but I have lived in them since birth. I helped paint the family home multiple times. I even helped reroof a couple. So, you could say that a Queenslander means ‘home’ to me.
What I love about the Queenslanders is their near unique status in the world. Their uniqueness stems from a few intrinsic elements. A lot of us have a connection to the classic Queenslander, as they are a perfect representation of what it is to live in the subtropics or tropics.
There has been an ongoing influence from the Queenslander into building design, cooling verandahs, room sized outdoor spaces, and tall ceilings. The best designs have cross ventilation which was masterly done in the old Queenslander.
Nearly every Queenslander had a corrugated galvanised iron roof, 0.7mm thick. This roof sheeting came from England as ballast in sailing ships. I painted quite a few rooves in my youth, as well as re-roofing, so I know how strong they were.
Almost everything except for the roof and the glass in the windows was timber, as timber was a very plentiful source in QLD. They usually stayed unpainted for a long time as the timber lasted well. Post-war houses have a lot of excellent hardwood in them too.
Queenslanders are a very strong building, resisting many cyclones for over 150 years. They are a classic box shape that can resist wind loads. The timber joint fixings are also key. My childhood houses were high set on stumps. This was fabulous as a kid because it was a lovely area to play out of the sun. The first bedroom I had to myself at 10 years old was just lino on dirt with tarpaulin wrapped around the stumps. Why elevated? It was simply an easy method of getting away from the termites and the flood waters.
I am a strong advocate for recognising how the classic Queenslander can inform modern designers to understand how to create housing in the subtropics and tropics, unique in the world. Talk to your designer or architect on your next project about using these century old lessons on a modern Queenslander.
This post was created by humans!
All photos are projects we have worked on.
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.
If you would like to see more projects - https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Looking for past posts? Go to our page - https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

16/07/2026

𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗘
This week’s topic reflects a common question we get asked: “Could we have polished concrete floors?”
Initially it makes sense to consider polished concrete floors because they are incredibly robust. They have a certain style that is hard to obtain any other way.
So, if you are leaning that way, here are some pointers to ensure that you get what you are after.
The most important aspect is that any concrete slab will crack. In the industry we use a term - controlled cracking - to deal with this. The smaller the crack the better it is of course. With a polished slab, the reinforcement required is considerably bigger, to handle reduced cracking. It will still have hairline cracks.
Another aspect that is not common knowledge is that a higher grade of concrete is required. This is its MPa (Megapascal) rating. This describes how much stress or pressure it can take before it cracks. Normal slabs use 20MPa or 25Mpa, whereas polished slabs need at least 30Mpa.
The final aspect is the aggregate and colour have to be selected. It can be a bit hit and miss, but if you like an adventure, it will turn out really well.
What this adds up to is that polished slabs cost a fair bit more than a standard slab and must be planned for well in advance. It should be noted that you cannot simply ‘polish’ any old slab, because it will be weakened and be compromised significantly. Although, with Xray technology, this can be checked.
A compromise that we and our Interior Designer discuss regularly is using large format tiles with a concrete look. This is certainly more cost effective but can never look the same.
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.
If you would like to see more projects - https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Looking for past posts? Go to our page - https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

10/07/2026

𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗥?
This week with the cold weather coming, we are looking for ways to keep warm.
A lot of our houses are built for warm weather, so dealing with the cooler months can be difficult. Here are some practical solutions from a windows covering expert, that we thought could contribute to the discussion:
Is your home colder than it should be this winter?
If your home has older single-pane windows, you're not alone. Many existing homes across Southeast Queensland were built before energy efficiency became a priority, making windows one of the biggest sources of winter heat loss and summer heat gain.
While replacing windows can be effective, it's also a significant investment. Research by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's iHub project found that Norman® Portrait Honeycomb Blinds reduced heat loss through windows by up to 64% and unwanted solar heat gain by up to 58% under the study conditions.
The key takeaway? Improving the comfort and energy efficiency of an existing home doesn't always require major renovations. Sometimes, understanding where your home is losing energy is the best place to start.
Matthew Willmot - Queensland Window Coverings
www.qldwindowcoverings.com.au
This post was created by some humans!
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.

02/07/2026

𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗢, 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘
We regularly help potential clients answer this question. It can be very daunting without a level of knowledge and experience. This is where building professionals can be a great help.
This dilemma usually emerges when you realize that you want to make your house bigger or better. The next question should be ‘is this the right thing to do?’. Part of the answer can be knock-down and build a new house if your zoning allows, or sell up and move.
Into this mix we find there are a series of unknowns that can be resolved after discussion of the detail in the options. An example is how much does it cost to renovate in comparison to a new build or moving. Some renovations can be held at a modest level and are certainly the most efficient methodology. As we have mentioned here before, a big lift and build in can be quite expensive. Maybe a modest extension is better with some internal renovations. Staging renovations can work well with costs over time.
A knock-down and rebuild has a big advantage as everything is new and designed to suit you, if custom designed. You also have access to quality project home builders if the site is not too sloping. One disadvantage is that you will have to find alternative accommodation for a while.
Occasionally we advise our clients to sell and move on, because the existing property is too problematic for the budget. You could find a house close to what you desire and quickly. It may mean moving to a different area from what you are used to. This does not occur very often as the costs to buy the new house and move from the existing property can be a little bit prohibitive.
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.
If you would like to see more projects - https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Looking for past posts? Go to our page - https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

25/06/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗗𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
What is a Secondary Dwelling?
For decades this was commonly referred to as a Granny Flat. Town plans around the country universally call them secondary dwellings now, because that describes them the best.
In this post we will discuss the rules for Brisbane and Moreton Councils.
Brisbane currently allows a maximum secondary dwelling of 80sqm. This excludes decks and car spaces. As such, this is a significant area, equivalent to a 2-bedroom house. It can also be 2 storeys. There are other rules such as distance from the main dwelling and must include a dedicated car space. From 2027, BCC is intending to reduce the size of secondary dwellings on smaller sites. We are expecting this to be 10% of the site area, maximum. For example, on a small lot of 400sqm, the secondary dwelling can be 40sqm, maximum. Also, if the original house is single level, the secondary dwelling must also be single level. The current and future rules will remain at 50% site cover in the main on most properties.
Moreton Council in general has smaller limits on Secondary Dwellings. On sites up to 800sqm, you can have a 45sqm secondary dwelling. Over 800sqm sites, it can be 55sqm. In the outer rural zones, it can be 100sqm. Other factors include the dwelling must be inward looking to the main house, not the neighbours. We have found that even a smaller secondary dwelling of 45sqm can be OK, as it can accommodate a bedroom, small bathroom, laundry cupboard and a modest living/kitchenette area, as long as there is also an outdoor deck zone.
Not long ago all secondary dwellings had to be occupied by relatives of the main dwelling. Queensland State Government changed this recently to allow these extra dwellings to be rentable. This can be an ideal housing crisis solution for the rental market, and a good extra income stream.
We should also mention that secondary dwelling options include some rather excellent modular buildings, especially if they can be brought to site and fit down the sides of existing buildings. Some are even flat pack.
When it comes to ownership of the secondary buildings, the law says the property owner owns the building, regardless of who funded it. If you are contemplating this scenario, ensure you obtain individual legal advice and have a thorough discussion with all parties.
This post was created by humans!
Peter Latemore and his team are local Building Designers, specializing in Queenslanders, including post-war, amongst all building types. Based in Grange, as Latemore Design, 3356 9051, [email protected], ABN 39 010 895 682. Servicing the inner regions within 12kms of Brisbane CBD. QBCC 1055247.
If you would like to see more projects - https://latemoredesign.com.au/
Looking for past posts? Go to our page - https://www.facebook.com/latemoredesign

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