Home design articles

How to choose a building designer. How-to-guide to help you select someone to design your home.

Seven deadly sins of home design. There are seven common mistakes that people make when designing their home and here are some ways to help you avoid them...

How to design your own home. The steps outlined here will teach you the basics of the process that is followed by design professionals in the building industry. Follow this process and you will have a better chance of designing a home that functions well and works aesthetically...

Strawbale homes. An easy to read, informative look into the financially and environmentally friendly construction method of strawbale homes.

Environmental house design. Good environmental design positively effects the thermal comfort of a building allowing the occupants to be comfortably warm in winter and cool in summer - with minimal energy usage...

Design tips on lighting, colour selection, outdoor spaces & more...

Australian home design styles. This article gives a brief explanation of some of the residential architecture styles found in Australia. Just as these styles have developed from previous ones, the current styles are also being combined to create new hybrid designs, some of which work better than others...

BASIX and Statement of Environmental Effects. Drawings are only a small portion of what councils in Australia require to enable them to give consent to your development application, building permit or building licence. Reports such as Statement of Environmental Effects, BASIX (in NSW), waste management reports, geotechnical reports, landscaping plans and more may need to be lodged with your plans...

Home design and construction process. Most people do not experience the design and construction process more than a few times in their lifetime. The processes are constantly changing but the drawing production process and council preparation stays the same...

Residential building cost estimator. A handy tool to help you determine a rough cost for that dream home you are planning to build...

Bushfire safety. Hot spells around the country and the disaster in Victoria in 2008 have again given rise to the important topics of bushfires and safety for people living in bushfire-prone areas...

How to choose door handles and locks. Door hardware is an extension of your home’s personality, and selecting door hardware is a great way to give your home a new look.

Roofing shingles. As an alternative roofing material to tiles and colourbond, consider American roofing shingles, a commonly used roofing material in the United States and Canada.

Men and their sheds. An amusing article on a not very serious subject.

Choosing the rights windows. What you choose will depend on the functions you need, the style you love and the security you expect.

Positioning your home in the sun.The way that your home is oriented can make a big difference to how you use your home...

Flooring articles

Selecting flooring. Choosing the right floor for you in 4 easy steps.

Choosing a timber floor. When it comes to choosing timber flooring, here are the six most important steps to consider.

Did you know that timber flooring has a limited life? Read more on the subject in this article: Timber Floor Sanding & Polishing .

Polished concrete floors.  If we are talking ‘flavour of the year’ in architectural flooring, polished concrete would have to be ‘it’.  Not yet common place in the mass Australian housing market

Footings & floor construction. This informative article is for readers who are interested in the construction process.

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