The Design Duo’s Alisa and Lysandra on their latest Gold Coast project

Double the style

Design twins Alisa and Lysandra Fraser have brought urban style and sophistication to the Gold Coast with their latest project

It’s beautiful, it’s comfortable and it is a dramatic look for the Gold Coast – welcome to the latest project by The Design Duo, the interior design studio set up by Block royalty, Alisa and Lysandra Fraser.

The twin sisters won The Block back in 2013 and have since carved out a highly successful career in interior design, working for both residential and commercial clients all across the country.

They have just launched one of their most ambitious projects yet: a bespoke four-bedroom family home in sunny Paradise Point, on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Full of one-of-a-kind, luxurious architectural elements, Alisa and Lysandra have added custom details and high-end fixtures and finishes throughout with their beautifully curated interiors.

In consultation with their clients, the girls chose an urban aesthetic for the overall design of the home, keeping it all on the one level so it didn’t overpower the neighbourhood. Clad in PGH Bricks’ Morada Nero bricks and insulated with the help of Bradford Insulation, the result is a contemporary and striking building.

“We worked closely with the family to understand their vision and needs, incorporating features like an open-plan layout, large windows for natural light, and a mix of natural and industrial materials to create a sophisticated and contemporary feel,” says Lysandra.

“It stands out in all the right ways. It’s not over the top and imposing because we kept it at one level. But it certainly it captures everybody’s attention as they walk past.”

Urban chic

The house’s urban aesthetic is a style which is unusual for the Gold Coast, but actually practical in terms of providing a low-maintenance home.

“Urban and Gold Coast don’t tend to mix, which was why this project excited us,” explains Lysandra.

“The dark colour of the bricks creates a striking contrast against the lighter-coloured elements of the home, giving it a sophisticated and modern edge. The quality of the bricks themselves, with their smooth texture and clean lines, further contributes to the luxurious feel of the home’s exterior. The overall effect is one of understated elegance and a strong visual impact, which is a hallmark of our design approach.”

Design meets quality materials

Alisa and Lysandra worked with CSR to source quality materials to use in the build. The exterior of the home was clad in PGH Bricks’ spectacular Morada bricks in Nero, which Lysandra says was the perfect choice for the urban aesthetic they wanted.

“And we’ve used it throughout,” she says. “We’ve used it at the front of the house, and we’ve also used it within the pool area. It ties all of the urban fixtures together, such as the blue stone and the charred timber.”

The Morada Nero bricks provide a contemporary look to the pool cabana, and creating a link between the interiors and exterior of the home. The charcoal shade frames the crisp blues of the water while the material is strong enough to withstand the elements.

A comfortable home

Alisa and Lysandra chose a variety of premium Bradford products for the build, including Enviroseal wall wrap, Bradford’s Gold Hi Performance External Wall Batts, SoundScreen, Gold Ceiling Batts and Anticon Roof insulation. The Bradford Insulation products continue to make the building comfortable to live in, now the cameras have left, and the family has time to enjoy their new home.

“I think a lot of people don’t give a lot of thought about what’s behind the walls,” says Lysandra. “They want to see the end product and how pretty it looks, but insulation is so important. Obviously with the climate they have, if they don’t have correct insulation, their heating and cooling bills are going to skyrocket, but it’s not just the insulation side of it, it’s the acoustic side of it as well.”

The twins chose Bradford’s high-performance Gold Wall Insulation Batts for the walls, which is a premium product, but say the extra investment is well worth it and only a small incremental cost in a prestige build such as this one.

“Using a premium product at the very start behind those walls will save on all the electricity bills down the track,” says Lysandra.

SoundScreen was used in the home theatre, so family members could enjoy their entertainment without disturbing the rest of the house.

About the Morada range

PGH Bricks’ Morada Range is imported from Europe and boasts the highest end of luxury with the smoothest finishes in solid, colour-through brick products. Available in Standard size, Splits and in a slender Linear, this collection epitomises a stunning architectural selection for achieving European style and elegance. Visit a selection centre to view Morada and the other modern additions to the PGH Bricks range.

Interested in insulation?

If you are inspired by Alisa and Lysandra’s latest project, take a look at Bradford’s Home Comfort Hub, which has everything you need to make your house comfortable and energy-efficient.