Roy Grounds’ Timeless Vision Lives On: Furniture Collection and Book Launch Celebrate Australian Architectural Legacy.

Roy and Betty Grounds relaxing in the Ramsay House, 1953.
Photographer: Gordon De Lisle.
State Library of NSW Pictures Collection.

Roy Grounds at his drawing board watched by daughter Victoria, 1953.
Photographer: Gordon De Lisle.
Grounds Family Collection.

Bedroom furniture designed by Grounds.
Drawing by Roy Grounds.
Roy Grounds Collection, State Library of Victoria.

Grounds furniture seen inside Clendon Flats, 1943.
This image was the catalyst that inspired K5 to develop the Roy Grounds range.
Image courtesy of State Library of Victoria Pictures Collection.

Last month, Melbourne’s architecture and design community gathered at K5 Furniture for an intimate evening to celebrate the launch of the Roy Grounds furniture collection alongside Tony Lee’s meticulously researched book, Roy Grounds: Experiments in Minimum Living. What started as an evening devoted to one man’s architectural legacy became a compelling conversation about how we live, what we keep, and why good design lasts the test of time.

Following welcoming remarks from Erna Walsh, CEO of K5, Dana Tomić Hughes set the tone with her opening remarks, framing Grounds not just as the architect behind Melbourne’s monumental buildings, but as a visionary who understood that “living better often means living with less.”

Roy Grounds expressed timber furniture joints.
Image courtesy of K5 Furniture.

Some pieces from the Roy Grounds collection, available from K5.
From left to right: Dining table; Day bed; Sofa, Bench and Side tables/ stools.
Photographer: Simon Fitzpatrick.

Furniture That Tells a Story

The star of the evening was the newly reissued Roy Grounds furniture collection, developed in collaboration between Tony Lee, Victoria Grounds, and the K5 team. Based on Grounds’ original designs from the 1930s to 1950s, the collection includes a dining table, coffee table, side table, bench seat, and ottoman—each piece exemplifying his restrained, minimalist approach.

These furniture pieces are solutions for small space living. Designed originally for Grounds’ revolutionary “minimum flats”—compact 40-square-metre apartments that challenged conventional living—each item reflects his philosophy of intelligent design within spatial constraints. The collection exemplifies clean lines, honest materials, and local craftsmanship.

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At 98 years old, architect Peter McIntyre provided the evening’s most treasured contribution. As a young architect who lived in one of Grounds’ studio flats at Moonbria and knew the man personally, McIntyre’s firsthand account really brought Grounds to life.

Peter McIntyre’s address was widely considered the evening’s highlight, offering rare insights into Grounds as both architect and person.

Left: Erna Walsh, CEO of K5, hosted the event, seen with Tony Lee, author of ‘Roy Grounds: Experiments in Minimum Living’.
Above: Dana Tomić Hughes guided the evening’s proceedings.
Photographer: Simon Fitzpatrick.

Tony Lee’s book ‘Roy Grounds: Experiments in Minimum Living’ was officially launched at the event.
The book is available to purchase from K5 Furniture in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.
Photographer: Simon Fitzpatrick.

The Book That Started It All

Tony Lee’s book provides the scholarly foundation that gives this furniture collection its gravitas. As the first publication dedicated exclusively to Grounds’ work, including his often-overlooked experiments in furniture design, Lee’s research has been instrumental in bringing these pieces back to life.

Lee, who has spent years researching and even restoring one of Grounds’ original flats, shared insights that contextualised the evening’s broader significance. His dedication to preserving this architectural legacy has enabled a new generation to experience Grounds’ vision firsthand.

Expert Voices, Shared Wisdom

The panel discussion brought together some of Australia’s most respected design minds, each offering unique perspectives on Grounds’ contemporary relevance. Clare Cousins explored how Grounds’ approach to residential architecture continues to inform current practice, while Dr Suzie Attiwill examined the interior as lived experience—a concept central to Grounds’ minimum flat philosophy.

Dr Gyungju Chyon’s insights into the relationship between people, objects, and environments illuminated Grounds’ holistic approach, where furniture and buildings functioned as one integrated system. Peter Malatt, drawing from his extensive experience in housing and density, connected Grounds’ 1940s innovations to today’s housing challenges, demonstrating how good ideas transcend their original context.

The panel discussion brought together some of Australia’s most respected design minds, offering unique perspectives on Grounds.
Clockwise from top left: Architect Clare Cousins, Dr Gyungju Chyon from Monash, Dr Suzie Attiwill from RMIT,
Architect Maggie Edmond, Victoria Grounds, and architect Peter Malatt of Six Degrees.
Photographer: Simon Fitzpatrick.

Personal Connections, Living Memory

The evening’s most moving moments came from those with personal connections to Grounds himself. Architect Maggie Edmond shared her unique perspective—she was conceived in Quamby, one of Grounds’ experimental flats where her parents lived just after it was built. Her connection to the space represents the very real human impact of Grounds’ design philosophy.

At 98 years old, Peter McIntyre provided the evening’s most treasured contribution. As a young architect who lived in one of Grounds’ studio flats at Moonbria and knew the man personally, McIntyre’s firsthand account brought Grounds to life in ways no amount of research could achieve. His address was widely considered the evening’s highlight, offering rare insights into Grounds as both architect and person.

A Legacy Worth Preserving

Victoria Grounds’ closing remarks provided a fitting end to the evening, offering personal reflections on her father’s legacy and what the continued interest in his work means to the family. Her presence underscored the deeply personal nature of architectural legacy—how buildings and objects carry forward not just design principles, but human stories.

The evening succeeded in demonstrating that Grounds’ experiments in minimum living weren’t just historical curiosities, but prescient responses to challenges we still face today. In an era of housing affordability crises and growing awareness of environmental impact, his approach to living well with less feels remarkably current.

Roy Grounds Furniture Collection and Tony Lee’s book, Roy Grounds: Experiments in Minimum Living, are available from K5.

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[Images courtesy of K5 Furniture. Photography credits as noted.]