We design homes around how life is actually lived.

The Studio

Varloch Design is a Sydney building design studio creating considered residential projects across the Northern Beaches, Inner West and beyond. Our work brings together thoughtful design, coordinated digital delivery and direct personal involvement from the first conversation through to construction.

Our Story

Varloch Design continues the residential design practice established through Bark Line Studio.

Bark Line began as an independent design studio and now forms part of the broader Varloch group, bringing residential design, construction knowledge and project delivery into a more connected offering.

The name has changed, but the design approach remains: thoughtful work, direct communication and close personal involvement throughout every project.

This next chapter allows the studio to build on its existing experience while working more closely across design and construction. For clients, that means greater continuity between the original idea, the technical documentation and the way the project is ultimately delivered.

How We Think

We approach home design as the careful alignment of people, place and delivery. A strong concept is important, but it must also respond to the realities of planning, budget, construction and long-term use. We consider these matters together rather than treating them as separate stages.

Our work is guided by several principles:

• Start with the people

  The design should reflect how our clients live, gather, retreat, work and grow — not simply reproduce a predetermined design style.

• Respond to place

  Orientation, climate, landscape, outlook, privacy and neighbourhood character should shape the project from the beginning.

• Make complexity understandable

  We explain the process clearly, record important decisions and help clients understand what is required at each stage.

• Coordinate early

  Consultants, approvals and technical requirements are considered before they become late and expensive problems.

• Design for longevity

  We look for materials, forms and spatial arrangements that can age well rather than relying on short-lived trends.

Directly Involved

Varloch is intentionally personal. Clients work directly with Kobus throughout the project rather than being handed from a senior contact to a separate delivery team, supported by the same disciplined project systems and BIM workflow described in How We Work — technology that organises the process without replacing personal judgement or communication.

Founder

Kobus Smit

Kobus established Bark Line Studio and now leads Varloch Design as the practice enters its next stage.

He trained and practised as an architect in South Africa before moving to Australia in 2019, spending three years in the Northern Territory before settling in Sydney. In Sydney, Kobus worked within larger commercial practices delivering sports facilities, schools, recreational buildings and complex public projects — work that demanded close collaboration between clients, consultants, authorities and contractors across demanding, highly coordinated programmes.

That experience now informs the way Varloch Design approaches residential design: the care and personal attention of a focused practice, combined with the organisation, technical coordination and forward planning developed through larger projects. Sports and recreational projects remain an area of particular interest, alongside the studio’s primary residential focus.

Kobus is personally involved in every Varloch Design project, from the initial client conversation through design development, approvals, documentation and construction support.

“Good design begins with understanding how people want to live. Our role is to turn that understanding into spaces that feel natural, purposeful and enduring — and to make the path from the first idea to the completed project as clear as possible.”

Kobus Smit — Founder, Varloch Design