Ask an Australian builder what homeowners want in 2026 and the answer is no longer “a bigger kitchen and open-plan living”. It is two dishwashers. A wall given over entirely to shoes. A room behind the kitchen where the appliances live out of sight.

Home design trends across Australia have shifted from impressive to practical, with builders reporting a surge in highly personalised features that reflect changing lifestyles, growing storage demands and evolving household dynamics.

According to David Reid Homes Australia Managing Director Matt Jackson, today’s homeowners are asking for specific features designed to solve modern lifestyle problems, not following a template.

“People are designing homes around how they actually live rather than following traditional design rules,” Jackson said. “Some of the requests we are seeing would have been considered unusual a decade ago. Today, they are becoming increasingly common.”

The double dishwasher is now a genuine request

One of the fastest-growing requests is surprisingly simple: two dishwashers. Not one, two.

“We are seeing more families install one dishwasher in the main kitchen and another in the butler’s pantry,” Jackson said. “It sounds excessive until you think about how modern households operate. The reality is that homes are now open plan and homeowners want to entertain and also hide the mess. So, the ideal solution is to have two dishwashers.”

He said busy families, entertainers and multi-generational households are driving the trend. “One dishwasher can be running while the second is being loaded. For people who entertain regularly or have adult children living at home, it can make life significantly easier.”

Shoe storage has become a design feature

Another unexpected home design trend is the rise of floor-to-ceiling shoe storage.

“We are seeing entire walls being converted into shoe display and storage systems,” Jackson said. “People simply own more shoes than they used to and they want them organised, accessible and protected. They also store by sight and colour. This helps when deciding where to put things so that when you need them you can easily find them too.”

What was once a wardrobe shelf has evolved into dedicated shoe rooms, custom cabinetry and full-height display walls. “In some homes, the shoe storage is almost becoming a design feature in itself,” he said.

Corridors are disappearing, storage is taking their place

Jackson said many homeowners are actively eliminating traditional hallway space. “People are becoming much more conscious of wasted square metres,” he said. “We are seeing homeowners remove long corridors and replace them with storage walls, linen cupboards, mud rooms and additional cabinetry.”

Rather than paying for floor space that serves no practical purpose, homeowners are finding creative ways to maximise functionality. “Storage has become one of the most valuable commodities in modern home design. We are also tucking study and computer areas into cupboards in hallways so that the space can be used when needed and then hidden away when not in use,” he said.

It is one of the clearest arguments for a genuinely custom built home over a standard floor plan, where the corridor is usually a fixed cost you cannot design out.

Hidden appliance rooms behind the kitchen

Pantries are evolving into something much larger, with many homeowners now requesting dedicated appliance rooms hidden behind kitchens.

“We are building spaces specifically designed to hide coffee machines, air fryers, toasters, blenders and other appliances,” Jackson said. “People love the convenience of modern appliances but don’t necessarily want them cluttering up their kitchen benches. They also don’t want to break their back kneeling and leaning into cupboards to pull out appliances. Dedicated appliance rooms are the ideal ergonomic solution.”

The result is a cleaner kitchen without losing function. “Everything is still accessible, it’s just hidden from view.”

Pet spaces are being designed in from the start

Australians are increasingly designing homes around their pets. “We’re seeing requests for built-in dog washing stations, custom feeding areas, integrated pet beds and even dedicated pet rooms,” Jackson said. “For many families, pets are treated like family members and home design is reflecting that.”

Some homeowners are incorporating pet access doors into cabinetry and laundry designs. “It is no longer unusual for pet features to be included during the design stage. Many pets are now enjoying washing facilities that are better than what a lot of humans experience.”

Adult children are reshaping the floor plan

Jackson said one of the biggest drivers behind these trends is the changing makeup of Australian households. “Adult children are staying at home longer, some are moving back home to save for a deposit, while others are returning with partners and children while they build or buy their own homes,” he said. “This is creating demand for more storage, larger pantries, additional bathrooms and flexible living spaces.”

Multi-generational living is becoming increasingly common. “Many homes now need to function for five or six people rather than the traditional family of four,” he said.

Homes designed for real life, not for the photo

While good design still matters, Jackson believes practicality is becoming the dominant influence. “People still want beautiful homes, but they want every square metre to work harder,” he said. “The trend is moving away from spaces that look impressive and towards spaces that genuinely improve everyday life.”

He believes these trends reflect a broader shift in how Australians think about their homes. “People are spending more time at home, working from home, entertaining at home and raising families in different ways,” he said. “As lifestyles evolve, home design evolves with them.”

While double dishwashers and shoe walls may sound unusual today, Jackson suspects they may soon become part of the new normal. “The quirky trends of today often become the standard features of tomorrow,” he said. “What we’re seeing is homeowners designing homes that genuinely fit their lives rather than trying to fit their lives into traditional home design.”

Design a home around the way you actually live

Every one of these features started as somebody’s specific request. Browse our house plans library to find a starting point, then talk to your local David Reid Homes builder about shaping it around how your household really works.