When architects, designers, and builders work together from the outset, something remarkable happens. You don’t just get a beautiful home… you get one that works. Seamlessly. Intelligently. Quietly saving you from decisions you didn’t know you were about to get wrong.
On August 1st, ArchiPro is hosting Home Design Evening at Lakeside Pavilion in Albert Park, Melbourne. It’s your chance to hear from three of the city’s most forward-thinking professionals: founding director Josh FitzGerald of Archier, lead interior designer Imogene Pond of Cera Stribley, and custom builders Sam & Chelsea Barlow of BARLOW.
Together, they’ll explore one simple truth… getting the right team on board early can mean the difference between a dream home and a costly mistake.
Each brings a distinct lens, architectural foresight, experiential design, and expert execution. But what unites them is a shared belief, good design is never just about aesthetics.
It’s about clarity, alignment, and thinking ahead. When you invest in that expertise early, you unlock a form of design intelligence that reshapes budgets, pre-empts problems, and creates homes that last.
"You don’t know what you don’t know… until it’s too late."
Architect Josh FitzGerald describes it as a decision tree. Every choice in a build, from window height to wall thickness, sends the project down a path. One wrong turn early and months later, you’re boxed into something you didn’t intend.
“This is what we do daily,” Josh says. “It’s like hiring an accountant. Sure, you could do your taxes yourself, but a great accountant gets you more back than you paid. It’s the same with architecture. We know where to extract value, where to push, and where to yield.”
Barlow Builders echo this. “The mistake we see most? Clients getting basic plans drawn up and shopping them to three different builders,” says Sam Barlow. “You’ll get three totally different quotes because everyone interprets those plans differently. That’s how you end up with a $1M variation you didn’t see coming.”
"Design isn’t about choosing finishes. It’s about how you live.”
For interior designer Imogene Pond, good design begins with deep listening. “We’re trained to think in three dimensions… experientially. When a client brings in inspiration photos, that’s just the beginning. Our job is to translate that into a spatial, material reality that works emotionally and functionally.”
She’s wary of being brought in too late. “By the time you’ve already picked the appliances, briefed a cabinetmaker, and selected paint colours, it can be a patchwork. It’s not just about how it looks, it’s how it feels, flows, and performs over time.”
Josh agrees. “Architects don’t just draw plans, we choreograph experience. From how light enters a hallway, to how a space compresses before it opens. You don’t get that from Pinterest. You get it from someone trained to think in space and time.”
The most expensive mistakes are the ones you never see. From dodgy drainage to three-month timeline blowouts, the panelists have seen it all and prevented just as much.
“The number one red flag when choosing a builder?” says Sam. “If they can’t walk you through past projects, if their sites are chaotic, or their timelines vague, run. Ask how close the final build price was to the original quote. Ask if they used a Quantity Surveyor. You’ll learn fast who knows what they’re doing.”
Sam and Chelsea also caution against skimping on landscaping. “We used to hand over beautiful homes, then return a month later and find patchy grass and chaos,” Chelsea says. “They’d spent $1M on the build and saved $20K on landscaping. It ruins the whole experience.”
Imogene believes, “a great team makes better decisions for you.” The most enduring homes are collaborative by nature, not just between professionals, but with clients, too.
“When you’ve worked across different parts of the industry, you start to speak the same language as other professionals. It makes collaboration so much easier. That shared understanding, especially between designers, architects, and makers, comes from experience, and it’s what ultimately leads to better decisions.”
Josh agrees. “Being open, flexible, and transparent early on can lead to far better outcomes… for the build and the client. We don’t believe in holding everything close. Everyone brings something to the table. Consultants, trades, the client. Good architecture isn’t about controlling every detail; it’s about bringing the right perspectives together.”
"If it came down to it, we’d always rather see a client complete one part of their build properly than stretch too far and compromise both. It’s about doing things with integrity, finishing what matters most, and making sure the outcome truly works for how they want to live."
As builder Sam Barlow puts it.
He’s seen it firsthand, “say there’s an extension on the left and another on the right. If budget’s tight, do the left properly. Get it finished, done well and come back to the other side later. Don’t half-ass both. It’s not just about ticking boxes. It’s about how you’ll actually live in the space every day.”
This kind of discernment grounded in care, not compromise, is what sets great professionals apart. They know when to push forward and when to pause, always with the client’s best outcome in mind.
Paying for a pro is the most cost-effective decision you’ll make. Great professionals don’t necessarily spend more, they spend better. Whether it’s deciding when to splurge on insulation or save on easily swappable finishes, it’s this considered thinking that shapes homes with integrity.
Josh and the team at Archier take a grounded, systems-first approach, handling the technical necessities early so clients can focus on the expressive side.
“At the very start, we’re asking the practical questions. Where does the hot water cylinder go? What are the Australian standards here? We’re doing all of that in the background while, from the client’s perspective, it feels like they’re just doing the fun stuff. We’ve worked out how to systematise the boring but necessary parts, so they get to focus on the creative decisions. That’s the part we want them to enjoy.”
And from Imogene, “enduring design isn’t trendy. It’s honest. It’s considered. It’s built around how you want to live and built to last.”
So why pay for the pros? Because good design pays you back in comfort, in efficiency, in longevity, and joy. The best homes aren’t just the ones that meet the budget. They’re the ones that feel better every year you live in them.
To see this thinking in action and hear directly from the experts shaping Melbourne’s most thoughtful homes, join us at Home Design Evening on August 1st at Lakeside Pavilion.
Register now at ArchiPro to secure your spot.