Trendsetter Homes wins Master Builders WA award for Mount Lawley build

Perth builder Trendsetter Homes won the 2026 Master Builders WA Building Excellence Awards category for a two-storey Mount Lawley home with a basement. The Art Deco-inspired project stood out for its complex excavation, restricted access and a recording studio built into the design from the start.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights how custom builders are solving high-complexity design and construction challenges on tight inner-city sites. - The Grosvenor also shows demand for homes that combine architectural detail with specialized spaces such as recording studios. - The win adds to Trendsetter Homes' award history in Western Australia.

What happened: - Trendsetter Homes won the Contract Home $1 million to $2 million category at the 2026 Master Builders WA Building Excellence Awards. - The winning project was The Grosvenor, a two-storey home with a basement in Mount Lawley. - Michael Agostino, Trendsetter Homes' managing director and registered builder, and in-house designer Colin Te Braake accepted the award at the ceremony on Friday 28 August 2026.

The details: - The Art Deco-inspired residence sits on a 265 square metre inner-city block. - The site had restricted access, which made the build more complex. - Construction required a basement excavation, soil stabilisation and close coordination between trades. - The home includes a dedicated recording studio designed into the project from the start. - The category recognizes craftsmanship, construction quality and attention to detail. - Agostino said the project required extensive planning before excavation began.

Between the lines: - The award suggests judges valued execution on a difficult site as much as the finished design. - Inner-city lots can force builders to balance space constraints, engineering demands and custom features without sacrificing finish quality. - Trendsetter Homes has used awards to reinforce its position in Perth's custom-home market. - The company's previous win at the 2025 HIA Perth Housing Awards came for a custom home in Marmion in the Custom Built Home $1.2 million to $1.7 million category.

What's next: - Trendsetter Homes is likely to continue competing in local housing and building excellence awards. - The company says its work remains focused on custom two- and three-storey homes and knockdown rebuilds across Perth. - Trendsetter Homes was established in 1997 and operates as a family-owned builder with in-house designers and interior specialists.

The bottom line: - Trendsetter Homes won for turning a constrained Mount Lawley block into a complex, design-led custom home that impressed judges on both craftsmanship and execution.