Australian Home Design Directory Site Map
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DIY articles > Do it yourself, it usually save you money...
- DIY portal. A collection of useful links to online DIY resources.
- DIY home design. Read this set of articles and learn how to design your own house.
- DIY kitchen design. Does your kitchen need a full re-design or just a makeover?
- DIY bathroom renovation. DIY renovations can be a satisfying and cost saving process, but should you do it all yourself? Most DIY renovators do the project management, demolition, colour scheme selection, source the fixtures and fittings, remove and install most fittings such as hooks and towel rails and paint. However, unless they are really skilled...
- DIY your home office. If you're lucky enough to be able to work from home, then you probably already know how important it is to have the right home office set up. It's amazing how much a work environment can affect productivity and quality of work...
- DIY interior design. Why can some people make their home look stylish, cozy or just plain brilliant when others, no matter how hard they try, simply make a mess of it?
- DIY wallpaper. Gone are the days when you hear the word "wallpaper" and you think of old English homes with a faded floral brocade on every wall. In fact, if we look further into the past, we'd be surprised about the extent to which wallpaper was used in homes to create glamour and decadence...
- DIY house inspection. DIY your own building inspection for a potential new home.
Featured designers > Interested in home or interior design? Then check our these designers.
- Angela Elliss Angela understands that communication is the key to making your new home design or renovation a success. She is with you every step of the way, guiding you and answering every question. Angela is dedicated to creating efficient and intelligent home designs that are responsive to your vision and the environment, evolving into a design that expresses your personality and accommodates your lifestyle.
- Samantha Bacon Samantha Bacon designs unique colour schemes for interiors and exteriors of residential and commercial properties. Samantha specifies the colour, product and finish for every aspect of a renovation or new build including bricks, windows, roofing, hard landscaping, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, paint, flooring, furnishings and fabrics. Samantha can deliver a full interior decorating service including interior styling and space planning.
- Artura Design Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort. Artura Design offers a full interior design service in both Residential and Commercial Design, servicing not only the Central Coast but also throughout Australia.
- AHD Design Additions Homes Developments AHD Design Group offers a complete design, drafting & consultation service at your own home. With over 12 years experience, we have worked on a variety of small & large scale projects both residential & commercial. Our aim is to provide professional services to all clients and convenience by ensuring we work around your schedule and conduct all consulting meetings at YOUR PREMISES.
- Designing Women Our mission is to provide a unique source of professional support for the homeowner who is renovating, building or simply needing a makeover. We provide quality information, good design and effective planning. Our 'Fundemental F words' sum up our priorities: Focus First on Function, Flow , Feel and Furniture, Family, Friends, Food and Finances.. BeFore Fashion, Form and Finishes!
- Logical Landscapes Logic Coastal Landscapes specialize in low water, low maintenance landscapes with an eye for classic design.
- Romandini cabinet designers Romandini Cabinets are a friendly and reputable family run cabinet making business backed by over 20 years industry and design experience. We insist on using high quality materials in our designs and strive for first class workmanship.
Featured builders > These builders come highly recommended.
- Central Coast builder Les Smith has built over 100 new homes, townhouses and units over the last 30 years in the Central Coast and Newcastle.
- A&M Flynn Building Based on the Central Coast of NSW Andrew Flynn, principal owner of A&M Flynn Building Pty Ltd, is a fully certified Master Builder. Andrew's crew of quality tradesmen specialise in the construction of new homes and the implementation of major renovations. Andrew has been a builder for 20 years.
- Newcastle's Cherry Building Company Cherry Building company has been in business for over 25 years and is owned by Paul Cherry, Master Builder. Paul's team specialises in new homes, large renovations and unit developments. Cherry Building have constructed over 50 new homes, many being in the Newcastle and Lake MacQuarie areas, but also in the Hunter Valley, upper Central Coast and Great Lakes areas.
Home design articles > Learn the ins-and-outs of home design.
- 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...
- 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...
- Some 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...
- Flooring. 4 easy steps to choosing the right floor for you...
- 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.
Interior design > Informative articles on DIY interior design and more.
- Interior styling. Make the right choices of colour, texture and design...
- DIY interior design. Why can some people make their home look stylish, cozy or just plain brilliant when others, no matter how hard they try, simply make a mess of it?
- DIY wallpaper. Gone are the days when you hear the word "wallpaper" and you think of old English homes with a faded floral brocade on every wall. In fact, if we look further into the past, we'd be surprised about the extent to which wallpaper was used in homes to create glamour and decadence.
- Colour wheel tool. Use this tool to help you select a colour scheme for your home. (This colour tool should ideally be used after you've read the following two articles.)
- Picking colours for your home. Why can some people pick the right colours and and other can't? The answer is simple, they have not read this article... (page 1 of 2)
- Colour selection rules for your home. When furnishing, decorating and painting the interior or exterior of your home you should consider the following rules when selecting colours... (page 2 of 2)
- DIY your home office. If you're lucky enough to be able to work from home, then you probably already know how important it is to have the right home office set up. It's amazing how much a work environment can affect productivity and quality of work...
- The use of neutral colours a case study by Colour Consultant Samantha Bacon
- The Swiss Cheese approach to decluttering your home When decluttering the first rule is use the Swiss Cheese approach. Don't look at the overwhelming entirety of decluttering your house. Look at it one area at a time...
- Feng Shui analysis of your home. There are many techniques in Feng Shui, e.g. San Yuen, San He and Xuan Kong to name a few that are or can be used in an analysis...
- Interior styling. Make the right choices of colour, texture and design...
- Privacy screens. So what type of screen is right for your space? Here is an easy 5 step guide...
Lighting > Learn all about indoor and outdoor lighting.
- Light and lighting in and around the home. Most light is delivered by the Sun Corporation and is thankfully free of charge. This is called natural light. Natural light has two forms... The most important areas for good light are the work areas- bench tops and stove. Ideally light falls on this area from two directions. A window behind the bench top is great light source. A long, narrow, clear or milk glass window between bench and cupboards will give a very workable light...
- Energy efficient lighting and quality of light If you haven't already started to feel guilty about the lighting in your house, someone is going to make you feel that way soon! There is a huge, and well founded, move towards encouraging us to make the lighting in our homes more efficient. After all - if we can create the same amount of light for 20% of the energy...
- How to get the light right in your home. When it comes to home lighting, the choice of lights, lamps, fittings, fixtures and finishes is endless, but there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure you get the very best result...
Landscaping articles > Articles focused on landscaping and gardening in Australia.
- Fertilisers. The advantage of manures and composts is that they also improve the texture of the soil in your garden. The advantage of fertilisers is that they are measurable, can be distributed more accurately and are faster acting...
- Composting. One of the most import elements in landscaping in compositing, if your soil is unhealthy you have little chance of producing healthy plants...
- Green walls. A green wall is basically a verticle garden bed. Green walls are a relatively new trend, that is not only space efficient but equally productive as traditional ground based gardens...
- How to choose a new fence. Five important tips when selecting a pool or boundary fence.
- Garden walls Up until about 20 years ago Australians played it safe when choosing their style of garden wall and gates. But now, and particularly in the last ten years, Australian manufacturers and home owners have ventured out and there are some amazing new products on the market...
- Featured landscaper, Rob Staines, owner of Logic Coastal Landscapes. Logic Coastal Landscapes specialise in low water, low maintenance landscapes with an eye for classic design.
- Featured landscaper, Adam McCall, owner of Adam's Garden. Adam McCall specialises in edible gardens in addition to more traditional landscaping.
- DIY Australian landscaping.
- Garden themes. Types of gardens and garden styles.
- Planning your garden. How to plan your garden on paper.
- Plants for your garden. How to select plants for your garden.
- Stone Gabion walls and fencing. Gabion is a wire basket or wire form, filled with stones and shaped into a fence or retaining type structure. Gabion fencing is now the latest fad in residential fencing and soil retention solutions and is specified by many building designers and architects for new houses and renovations. For the DIY person it's quite easy to construct and can look fabulous.
Construction articles & tools > Learn all about house construction.
- Construction cost calculator. A comprehensive and useful tool that uses a technique similar that used by many building professionals to get a rough idea of the cost of construction before any work begins...
- Prefabricated and modular building. Learn about prefab and modular homes (a.k.a. kit homes).
- DIY home building inspection. DIY your own building inspection for a potential new home.
- The building process fully explained... This article spans several pages and is written for owner-builders and property owners hiring a builder who want to familiarize themselves with the home construction process. It covers:
- So you want to be an owner builder... then read this article
- How to read a builder's quote. Reading a builders quotation can be frustrating and can leave many people wondering what it actually includes! There are a few essential things that you can do to greatly improve receiving a thorough and easy to understand quotation...
- Residential structures: the basics. Many people that don't work within the construction industry have little idea of how a simple home is constructed. Here we have provided some examples of basic home construction details so you can better understand how your home is 'put together'.
- Sample construction specification. Here we have provided a few sample pages from a full construction specification document that building designers and architects produce for clients.
- How to read construction plans. Each type of plan is explained interactively. As you move your mouse over the plan diagram explanatory text is displayed.
- Keeping construction costs down. So why do building and renovating cost so much? And what can you do to limit the mental stress and tame the capital outlay that will inevitably occur? Here are six tips to help keep the process in check and prevent the loss of your sanity...
- Fire ratings. Learn about building product fire ratings.
- Dealing with tradesmen. Some practical tips on dealing with tradesmen.
- DIY page. Our do-it-yourself portal.
Home renovation articles > Articles to help you with your renovation project.
- Overcapitalising with renovations. Whether you are renovating your home for more space, updating its interiors or developing with the view of selling, you need to consider whether your investment will be recouped by the value you add to the property...
- Home renovation resources... Our portal to various online DIY renovation resources.
- Aussie renovation case study How profitable could it be? Everyone had reminded us that it's not easy renovating and then immediatly selling a house for profit. Many have failed miserably, some tragically...
- Renovation tips. Renovating your house can be a personally and financially rewarding undertaking however is often fraught with frustration and stress. Depending on your time, skill, inclination and budget you may like to DIY. Most DIY renovators are actually...
- How not to blow your renovation budget. Renovation costs always blow out no matter how much you try to keep them under control. It's usually because we want more than they we can afford...
- How to make your home cosy & warm in winter & cool in summer. How can your home be altered to enhance its energy efficiency, thermal comfort and overall functionality? Its not that difficult, you just need to follow some important tips...
- Be asbestos alert when you renovate. >Many people think asbestos is only a problem in houses built before the mid 1950s. But, the reality is, you'll find significant amounts of asbestos in homes built right up until the early 1980s....
- Summer brights. Describes the current trend in the use of bolder colours.
Bathroom articles > Use our bathroom cost calculator and learn from our informative bathroom articles.
- Find a bathroom specialist in our online kitchen and bathroom directory.
- Bathroom cost estimator. A useful tool to help you get a rough cost for your new bathroom project.
- Australian bathroom design. What to do with a bathroom really depends on how much the bathroom is used. An entire family using one bathroom warrants more upgrade and facilities (like double showers, basins) than a one person bathroom...
- DIY bathroom renovation. DIY renovations can be a satisfying and cost saving process, but should you do it all yourself? Most DIY renovators do the project management, demolition, colour scheme selection, source the fixtures and fittings, remove and install most fittings such as hooks and towel rails and paint. However, unless they are really skilled...
- Choosing better bathroom and kitchen fittings. Selecting bathroom and kitchen (wet area) fittings for your new home or DIY bathroom renovation project can be a daunting task. The choices are overwhelming. But there is an easy way...
- Japanese toilets. Enter a modern Japanese home and one is struck by both the sophistication of electronic entertainment and white goods. The pursuit of design and high technology seems imbedded in the Japanese psyche. Also imbedded is their art of cleanliness...
Kitchen articles > Use our kitchen cost calculator and learn from our informative kitchen articles.
- Find a kitchen specialist in our online kitchen and bathroom directory.
- Kitchen cost estimator. A useful tool to help you get a rough cost for your new bathroom project.
- Australian kitchen designs & appliances. In the last decade living spaces in homes have thankfully become much more open-plan. The modern kitchen has in fact re-invented itself. Once considered a utilitatian room solely for food preparation and a quick breakfast, the kitchen has become more exposed, more used and is now often the epicentre of the house...
- DIY kitchen design. Does your kitchen need a full re-design or just a makeover?
- Benchtops. Avoid the boring one, please! You may think that you know all there is about bench tops but lets push the envelope on conventional thinking...
- Blog article: Kitchen splashbacks. Why do we use them, are they really needed, and what kinds are out there? The kitchen is a fairly messy area in many households and...
- Blog article: Rangehoods. What a range there is in rangehoods. I thought doing a blog on rangehoods would be fairly dull but I have been pleasantly surprised! Recently there have been significant changes to kitchen exhausts and listed below are 6 different systems available on the market...
- Ovens. This article talks about general oven features - what you need and what you should consider when making your decision.
- Benchtops Learn all about the types of benchtops you can install in your kitchen or elsewhere. You will be surprised by the variety.
Featured product articles > Products worth considering when building or renovating.
- Polished concrete furniture. Have a look at polished concrete furniture to enhance the look of your home - buy or make benches, counters, tub surrounds, planters, and more...
- 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 concrete flooring is relatively easy to install and is hardwearing, easy to maintain, cost effective
- Laminates, reconstituted stone, timber veneers, doors, flooring and more. The Laminex Group is the leading marketer, distributor and manufacturer of premium decorative surfaces in Australia and New Zealand and has a portfolio of market leading brands. This iconic Australian owned company has been around for more than 70 years.
- Funky claddings. Cladding can be fun, durable and classic; you just need to be careful in your selection. Many crazy items can be used as claddings but it's the waterproofing and longevity factors that will limit your choices, not your imagination...
- Aluminium windows and doors. If you are looking at buying windows and doors it is important to have a general understanding about your product before you become overwhelmed with industry jargon. Here is some information about general window construction that will give you a head start on understanding the product.
- Composite windows and doors. Aluminium on the outside, timber inside, these composite windows by Timberview combine an easy to maintain powder coated aluminium exterior with warm, beautiful timber on the inside. Aluminium's durable nature eliminates exterior maintenance and performance issues such as sanding and painting, timbershrinkage, swelling and warping. Timberview composite windows and doors accommodate both single and double glazing.
- Door screens. The issue of insect screening has long been a limiting factor to external bi-fold door specification in the modern-day building and renovation industries. The desirability of uninterrupted views and unrestricted movement in the summer months...
- Fibre cement Fibre cement cladding comes in various forms but is often seen in horizontal boards, imitating wooden clapboard and in sheet form. Other formats include imitation shingles. Fibre cement cladding can be used to cover the exterior of a house...
- Stainless steel. Stainless steel sheeting for both interior and exterior use is available in a wide variety of both subtle and striking finishes. Sheets can be brush, matte, reflective, mirror, satin, bead blasted or coarse abrasively finished. They are available in a variety of patterns and decorative effects and can even be custom patterned or etched...
- Cement render. Traditional cement rendering is the application of a thin premixed surface of sand, cement and lime to brick, cement, stone or mud brick. It is often textured, coloured or painted after application. It is generally used on exterior walls but can be used to feature an interior wall...
- American 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.
- Colorbond roof sheeting. Learn about the various types, applications and profiles of this iconic Australian product.
Directory services > Find a builder, interior designer, architect, landscaper, kitchen specialist, etc.
- Find an architect, building designer or interior designer
- Browse for an architect, building designer or interior designer.
- Find a builder on our Australian online builders directory.
- Browse for a builder on our Australian online builders directory.
- Find a landscaper on our Australian online landscapers directory.
- Find a kitchen or bathroom business on our Australian online kitchen & bathroom directory.
Other services > Advertise or list your business on our website.
- Advertising. Contact us, we're very affordable and helpful! Pay yearly or quarterly.
- Feature your product or home design. You supply the text and images, we'll do the rest.
- List your home design business...
- List your kitchen or bathroom business...
- List your building or residential construction business...
- List your landscaping business...
