We design homes around people.
Orterra Home was created from a simple idea: the architecture, interiors, garden and the way people actually live all influence each other — so why design them separately?
We start with listening.
We don't begin with a particular style or a predetermined answer. We begin with questions: how do you live now? What's frustrating you? What do you love about your home? What would you never change?
From there, we look at the property itself and work out what is possible — balancing your wish list with the realities of your site and budget to find the solution that brings those things together.
Places people love
This idea has been at the centre of Orterra from the beginning. We believe good design should make a genuine difference to everyday life — a kitchen that finally works when everyone is trying to get out the door in the morning, a garden the children actually use, a shaded place to have coffee, a connection between the kitchen and backyard that makes entertaining easier.
These aren't simply design details. They're the things that determine how a home feels to live in.
Design with experience behind it.
Orterra was founded by Registered Landscape Architect Debbie Laporte and has built its reputation designing thoughtful places for people across residential, education, community and public projects. Orterra Home takes that experience and applies it specifically to the home.
Our landscape architecture background gives us a different perspective — we naturally think beyond the walls of a building to consider climate, orientation, vegetation, views, privacy, topography and the relationship between house and garden.
What matters to us
- People first — the person living in the home matters more than the latest design trend.
- Practical beauty — we want spaces to be beautiful, but they also need to work.
- Connection — inside and outside should feel like parts of the same home.
- Honesty — if we don’t think something will work for your site, budget or lifestyle, we’ll tell you and help find a better solution.
- Longevity — we design for how a home will be lived in for years, not just how it looks when construction finishes.
