The Small Block Escape: Hacks to Bring the Acreage Magic Home
By Louise, Devine & Co.
Growing up, home was a small red brick house nestled on a rough, get-dirty-and-use-your-imaginations kind of acreage. We didn't care things weren't perfect. We rode bikes, made memories, and even had a strange collection of pets—ducks, a goat, and a deer at one point! The greatest luxury was the space, the quiet, and the privacy.
I'm raising my own family in Sydney now. The acreage is still in the family, and we go back every Friday for our family dinners, a tradition that feeds my soul but also highlights the difference in lifestyle. I yearn for that acreage magic for my own kids, the space for treehouses, and for their imaginations to run wild. The peace and quiet are huge factors for my own sanity too.
The Privilege & The Problem
The Sydney real estate market is brutal, and I want to start by acknowledging the immense privilege we have to even be in the market. For so many, the idea of owning a home—let alone a house—feels impossible, and I hold immense gratitude for our situation.
However, the current market forces every family into an essential, painful dilemma: The Commute vs. The Compromise.
The 1-2 million budget that once promised big blocks and proximity now forces a trade-off: Do we move further out for that sense of acreage and privacy, only to sacrifice precious family time with a crushing commute? Or do we stay put, protect those crucial afternoon and evening moments with our children, and simply compromise on land size?
We chose the latter. We choose time over land.
The reality is that while our home is generous, our land is not—we're on 375sqm and that's where the emotional challenge begins. The simple fact is that the density means we constantly see our neighbours and hear every small noise, from unstacking a dishwasher among other noises. It constantly reminds me of the space, quiet, and freedom we gave up.
Our Mission: Hacking the Acreage Feeling
But I refuse to let the 375 block define our lifestyle. The solution isn't moving; it's intentional styling and simple hacks that create the feeling of escape, space, and tranquility indoors.
Our mission at Devine & Co. is to hack the emotional experience of acreage one small, intentional project at a time. Here is my immediate plan to solve the sensory overload and bring the magic home:
My Current Focus: The Alfresco Outdoor Room (The Ultimate Escape Project)
The Goal: Transform the alfresco area into a comfortable, gorgeous outdoor room—a true, private escape that functions year-round and genuinely extends the home.
The Action Plan: I'm installing simple shelving for forgiving herbs and greenery. I'm using a beautiful decorative tray and other decor items to style the outdoor table. I'm also planning to purchase an outdoor rug to define the space. For the ultimate seclusion, I'm researching outdoor blinds to solve the privacy issue and allow us to control the climate on the warmer days—giving us a gorgeous new outdoor room we want to be in, regardless of the block size!
3 More Hacks I'm Researching for the 375sqm Block
The remaining four ideas are high-impact solutions I'm planning for the future.
The Internal Quiet Zone (The Privacy Project)
- The Problem: Because our house is built to the boundary, exterior noise transfers easily, constantly interrupting my peace.
- My Solution: I'm researching how to create an internal acoustic screen using textiles that absorb noise transfer. My plan is to invest in a thick, dense wool rug for the main living area and hang heavy, lined curtains on the boundary-facing windows. This will absorb distracting noise and instantly make the interior feel softer, quieter, and more tranquil.
The Interior View Line Cheat
- The Problem: The view from the kitchen is straight to the neighbour's fence, and the proximity makes the space feel confined.
- My Solution: This is a multi-layered plan. I'm researching a window tint for the kitchen splashback for instant privacy. I'm also researching low-profile vertical garden systems that can be attached to the common fence boundary, creating a beautiful green backdrop Vs the standard Colourbond fence.
The Lush Backyard Foundation (The Acreage Project)
- The Problem: The existing standard grass is terrible quality, lacking the lush, natural feel required for a true acreage escape.
- My Solution: I'm researching returfing the outdoor areas to make them genuinely lush and green. This includes working out the best forgiving turf variety and planning the installation of new garden beds under the living room windows to add natural depth and greenery right against the house.
This journey has already taught me so much: while acreage remains the ultimate dream for us, we don't have to wait for the land to find tranquility right now. Our goal is to find the beauty in what we already have and use intentionality to maximise every square meter.
Join me as I tackle my Alfresco Outdoor Room!
What's Next?
These hacks are how we will try and fight the 375 squeeze and build the life we want, right where we are. Tell me, which of these solutions the Outdoor Room, the Quiet Zone, or the Lush Backyard do you think will provide the biggest instant sense of beauty and escape on a small block? Or, what's one hack you've successfully used in your small home that you think would benefit us? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Creating, Devine & Co