Design a Home That's Entirely Yours
CU Design is Brisbane's award-winning independent building and interior design studio. Walk through your future home in VR, agree your price upfront, and build it with whoever you trust.
- Award-winning Designs
- 25+ Years Designing Brisbane Homes
- BDQ and HIA Member
- QBCC Licensed
- 4.8 ★ Google Rating
Is CU Design right for your project?
We do our best work on projects like these
Custom new homes, major renovations, and the tricky, sloping blocks other studios turn away.
01
Custom new homes
Blank-canvas design shaped around your land, your lifestyle and Brisbane's climate.
02
Renovations & extensions
Everything from deck add-ons to raise-and-build, second-storey additions, and full-home reconfigurations.
03
Tricky or Sloping Blocks
Brisbane is full of sloping blocks, flood, bushfire and character overlays. This is what we do every day, not the exception that scares off a quote.
Got a smaller project in mind? Get in touch, and we’ll tell you honestly if we’re the right fit.
Why Brisbane Families Choose Us
One studio, taking you through the whole journey
Building design, interior design and consultant coordination, all under one roof, with your plans free to build with whoever you choose.
Your Plans, Any Builder
Independent design means no lock-in. What we design is yours to build with whoever you trust.
Fixed-Price Fees
Agreed upfront, locked in once your brief's confirmed. No surprises down the track.
Builder Pricing Checked Early
Real construction estimates at the concept stage, so your design and your budget stay in the same conversation.
Specialists in Complex Sites
Slopes, flood overlays, character-zone restrictions. The blocks other studios avoid are the ones we do our best work on.
No Signature Style
Some studios give every client the same look. Our team is genuinely diverse, so your home is shaped around your brief, not our portfolio.
You'll Never Be Left Guessing
Regular face-to-face meetings mean you always know where your project's at. No surprises at the end.
Your Design Journey
From First Consultation to Build-Ready Plans
Stage 01
Initial Consultation
A free, no-obligation chat about your project. This is where we find out if we're the right fit for each other.
Stage 02
Concept Design & Development
After measuring your site and hearing your ideas, our team collaborates to develop a design concept tailored to your brief. It’s the most involved stage, because getting this part right sets up everything that follows.
Stage 03
Virtual Reality Walkthrough
Walk through your design in true-to-life detail, every measurement accounted for, before you commit to the next step. It’s the closest thing to standing in your finished home before it exists.
Stage 04
Documentation & Coordination
Fully detailed working drawings, the level of documentation needed for building approval, plus optional coordination with consultants on your behalf, so everything comes together without you having to chase anyone.
Stage 05
Interior Design
Finishes, materials and styling refined alongside your building design, so the whole home comes together as one considered result.
Stage 06
Start Building
Your plans are yours. We can refer trusted builders, or hand everything straight to the builder you’ve already chosen.
Showroom
Step inside one of Brisbane’s largest interior design showrooms
Explore designer samples for all budgets. See and feel a vast number of floor coverings, tiling options, wall finishes, and window treatments, among other materials and fixtures, without having to traipse through many Brisbane showrooms.
If you’re tossing up a few options, our team knows how to arrange your selections so you can see how they all work together.
Meet the Studio
25 Years. Hundreds of Homes. One Collaborative Team
CU Design has been designing Brisbane homes since 2001. Owner and lead designer Melissa Woodcroft has built a genuinely diverse team drawing from a range of influences, because no two clients or blocks want the same thing.
Featured Project
Project Sixth
A tired old Queenslander transformed into a light-filled, modern family home. We preserved the character of this Windsor home with the original verandah while giving it a new facade facelift and completely reimagining the living spaces to open up the spectacular city views.
Design decisions are easier face-to-face, which is why we're based in Kedron and meet most clients in person, with Google Meet on hand for anyone further out.
Where We Work
Proudly designing homes across Brisbane
Some kind words
From clients and builders we work with
Katrina Chamberlain
Knowledgeable and efficient We engaged CU Design for knock down rebuild drawings, after seeing some of their recent work on houses in our area. We weren’t disappointed! From the moment of enquiry, all the staff we liaised with were friendly, approachable and stepped us through the process. We found CU’s process from liaising to drawings to be logical and easy to follow (as people with no building background). The designers Melissa and Sam were receptive to our brief, and were great at checking in with us to make sure we were progressing in the creative direction we envisioned. I would highly recommend CU design if you are after building designers who are practical, professional and efficient. Thank you CU!
Brent Noble
We’ve had a multi-phase design developed with CU Design, including an internal granny flat conversion, to help us plan renovations over the next 2-5 years and they were amazing to work with. First phase has now been completed with one of their recommended builders and can’t wait to move onto the next one.
Tonya Warnick
I can not recommend Melissa and her team highly enough. If I could leave a six star review I would. I recently had the pleasure of working with Concepts Unlimited on a renovation and interior design project, and the results exceeded my expectations. From the initial consultation to the final touches, the team demonstrated a strong understanding of both form and function, blending aesthetics with practicality.
Matt
Our business, Vanstyn Constructions, has been working along side Concepts for many years now. They produce quality drawings for us builders to work off. I have sat in on many meetings with clients at the design stage, which is a key element, and as they walk through with their 3d modelling on screen. I always recommend Concepts as a designer.
FAQs
Before you get in touch
What's the difference between a building designer and an architect?
Both prepare design drawings for construction, but the training, licensing and fee structure differ.
A registered architect holds a five-year degree and is registered with the Board of Architects of Queensland.
As building designers, we’re licensed under Queensland’s building design framework specifically for residential-scale work. For most residential projects in Brisbane (new homes, extensions, Queenslander renovations, raise-and-builds, and commercial fit-outs), a building designer has the qualifications, experience and licensing to do exactly what you need, typically at a lower fee than a registered architect.
How is your design fee structured?
Fixed price, agreed upfront, so there are no surprises once your brief is confirmed.
Can I use my own builder?
Yes. Your plans are yours to build with whoever you choose.
What if I don't have a builder in mind?
No problem. We can match you with a trusted builder suited to your project and budget.
Do you handle council approvals?
Yes, council approvals and documentation can be handled on your behalf. This is an optional service for clients who’d prefer to streamline the process rather than manage it themselves.
What's included in the VR walkthrough?
A detailed, room-by-room experience of your design, so you know what you’re building before construction starts.
Ready to See Your Home Before It's Built?
Book a free discovery call and find out what your block, your budget and your vision can actually become.