Laying the foundations for your outdoor building project »

With summer fast approaching, you might be thinking about starting work on an outdoor building project. It’s important to remember that such works are covered by the same laws as other types of domestic building and renovations.. More »

Product Selection & Installation »

The products used in your home renovation can have a big impact on the overall quality of the job and on how satisfied you will be with the end result. There are two key considerations – the quality of the products and how they are installed. More »

Renovation - making the most of a shoebox »

If your home contains a room that has always seemed too small to be of much more use than a storage or utility area, take another look. These steps may help you create an extra functional space or even another bedroom. More »

Top 10 DIY Renovations »

Are you looking for a way to spruce up your home but want to do it yourself?  While there are some jobs that should always be left to the professionals, there are some jobs that you can do yourself that will make a big difference. More »

Blackboard Walls »

Do you have pieces of paper lying around with important notes on them, or kids’ drawings?  Why not make something that is not only useful but is a great conversation piece. Blackboard walls are perfect for those notes and kids can draw to their heart’s content. More »

Calm & cool as the temperature rises »

Another blazing summer is in full swing and around Australia householders are working on ways to keep their home cool as the temperature mounts. More »

Creating an hospitable hallway »

How many houses have a hall these days? By ‘hall’ I mean an actual room into which the visitor steps before getting to the rest of the living accommodation, rather than a tiny vestibule with just enough space for a hallstand. More »

Lighten up the living room for summer »

You wouldn't dream of wearing heavy winter coats during summer, so why put up with the same internal décor that kept you snug during the cooler months? More »

A little planning saves a lot of heartache »

Your new home or extension starts from the moment you sit down with the architect or home designer to discuss the plans.

Those extensive sheets of paper full of detailed drawings and figures can be daunting, but it is absolutely crucial that you can relate them to what you want. More »

Back to School - and Homework »

Christmas is behind us and the lazy, hazy days of school holidays are winding down. Thoughts turn to school and the routine of special projects and homework. More »

Maximise your Living Space »

If your home is still in the lounge, or even the front parlour era, it's worth considering structural improvements that maximise the useable space. More »

Storage Tips for a Clutter-Free Life »

With spring in the air, once again many of us are thinking of clearing the decks and getting rid of some of the year’s accumulated clutter. Perhaps a major renovation or extension is planned that requires the removal of substantial amounts of furniture. More »

Beware of Unwanted DIY Expenses »

Christmas is the season when many of us have the leisure to do the things we really like, whether that is holidaying, partying or simply relaxing with a good book. It is also the time when do-it-yourself enthusiasts plot their more ambitious projects - and that can lead to trouble. More »

Robbing Rogues of Holiday Pickings »

Australia goes on holiday in January - but don't bank on burglars doing the same. Empty houses and quiet streets are a great incentive for enterprising rogues, so make sure when you shut the front door and head off for your fortnight in the sun you leave behind a home that is reasonably secure. More »

A New Life for that Redundant Garage »

Are you a member of the bicycle generation who are trying the shake their dependency on the motor car? If so your numbers are increasing as you explore all the options, including bicycles, but also public transport or movement back into the city centres to ensure you are close to work. More »

Letting Light into your Life »

Do you want to let more light into your home, or failing that the illusion of more light? Skylights are one obvious answer, and there are such a range of different designs these days that they can be made into a feature in their own right. More »

Bringing Bedrooms Down to Earth »

For generations the single-storey bungalow has dominated Australia's home design. With an apparently endless supply of land, it didn't seem to make sense to build upwards when homes could sprawl over quarter-acre blocks with plenty of room still available for any extensions needed in the future. More »

Creating an Oasis of Peaceful Privacy »

We have a proliferation of names to describe the rooms of our homes: living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms are ever-presents of course, but how many of us can boast parlours or sewing rooms or conservatories these days? More »

Consider the Beauties of Bi-fold »

One of the most popular items currently on the new home and renovation market are bi-fold doors, now available in aluminium and timber and looking great in both. More »

Green Bathroom »

With the bathroom accounting for up to 40% of water consumption in a family home, greening your bathroom can not only make you feel better about yourself, it can substantially lower your energy costs and help conserve precious natural resources! More »

Planning a kitchen for purpose and pleasure »

When it comes to the kitchen, always focus on what you want your kitchen to do for you. For instance, if you are planning to get into gourmet cooking, providing new and exotic meals for the family and for dinner parties, then you will want a highly functional kitchen with plenty of storage space and up-to-date appliances. More »

Tile Heating»

Bathrooms, ensuites, kitchens and entry foyers are the obvious locations for tile heating because the tiled floor is otherwise cold during winter. Comfort underfoot is quickly achieved through a ‘warm floor effect’. More »

A Place for Everything »

Drawers and drawer systems are becoming increasingly popular: they’re quiet, well-organised and efficient – and look great too. It wasn’t that long ago that cupboards held the monopoly for storage space in the kitchen. These days, however, kitchens have been given a facelift, driven by a consumer desire for drawers instead of doors. More »

Kitchen Renovations that Don't Bust the Budget »

We would all like the kind of kitchen that is featured on the pages of glossy lifestyle magazines, but we don't fancy taking out a second mortgage to do it. In fact, a tired old kitchen can be spruced up, even transformed, on a limited budget. All it takes is a little ingenuity and an eye for the important details. More »

Glass Blocks - A Fashion for the Ages »

Glass block windows are one of those design features that never seem to quite go away. Are Australians behind the times, clinging to an outworn and dated product? The fact is glass block windows are just too useful to be discarded on the whim of fashion. More »

Ensuite - It's a Matter of Vanity »

Today, new homes are much bigger, but how has that impacted on the humble bathroom? The trend is going away from a single centralised bathroom and moving toward a private ensuite for each bedroom. More »

Warm Soapy Palace of High Fashion »

The biggest changes in the bathroom are the installation of twin washbasins, dual showerheads and frameless showers. There has also been a willingness to create views from the bathtub. It's turning into a warm, soapy palace of high fashion. More »

Planning the Bathroom Renovation »

As we move into 2007 the bathroom scene continues to be dynamic. During most of 2005 the geometric, stark white look dominated, but in 2006 more organic shapes, coupled with warm, natural tones, have been making a comeback. More »

Paint a Brighter Home – Paint Colour Trends 2011/12

Colour schemes are becoming increasingly more individual as decorators break out of specific eras, designated fashions and aesthetics and instead, focus on creating more simple homely spaces inspired by memories and the pleasures of the everyday. More »

Colour Your World »

Shelley Friesen discovers that the little personal touches you put into each room, through your colour choices, can really transform your property from just another house, into your perfect home.

Alcove Seating »

An alcove is often a little used area in the home. however with the right seating, you can transform it into a decorative or useful space that enhances your home and gives you that little bit of extra room. More »

Getting Space from the Value above your head »

Whenever there is uncertainty in the housing market and people are unwilling or unable to move in order to upgrade their living arrangements, renovations and extensions come into their own. In the case of many inner city homes this often means that the only way is up. More »

Inject a Splash of Yellow into your Life

Yellow will be the next big colour to sweep it's way across retail stores, home décor and interior finishes in 2009. We've found a selection of items to inspire you. More »

Thinking Big on Small Blocks »

The recent policy decision by the ACT Government to have more houses built on 'compact' blocks only highlights a trend which has been developing in Australia for several years. More »

Chandeliers Swing Back into Fashion »

Chandeliers, exiled to the palaces of the mighty and homes of the affluent for generations, are having something of a renaissance as Australian householders seek a touch of opulence. More »

Let there be light - plenty of it »

Dramatic seascapes, busy cities, rolling countryside - we are letting them all into our homes in a quiet revolution in window technology that is blurring the borders between indoors and outdoors. More »

Wallpaper Features in a Return to Opulence »

Mention wallpaper today and most people under 30 will think you are talking about the background to computer monitor desktops or mobile phones. The fashion for white walls and minimalist décor has held sway for a number of years, but now leading European interior designers are predicting . More »

The Sunny Side »

Harnessing the potential of passive solar design helps reduce both power bills and carbon emissions, writes Australian House & Garden’s Sarah Pickette. Another winter, another round of expensive heating bills, right? Not if your home has been built with passive solar principles in mind. More »

Going Going Green »

From organic cotton clothing to coveted hybrid vehicles, being conscious of one’s global impact is a hot new trend.Madeleine Watson discovers the ways the bathroom scene is also going green. As seen in Melbourne Home Design & Living

Green Bathroom »

With the bathroom accounting for up to 40% of water consumption in a family home, greening your bathroom can not only make you feel better about yourself, it can substantially lower your energy costs and help conserve precious natural resources! More »

Bushfire precautions - it's later than you think »

It seems that the bushfire season is getting longer with every passing year, to the point when there is no longer any time when residents in fire-prone areas can relax their guard. More »

An Alternative to a Wet Garden »

Until the onset of the current drought and the screening of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", governments across the spectrum of politics were treating the impending water crisis much as an Ostrich treats danger. Just hoping it would all go away. More »

Going to pot in the Garden »

With water restrictions continuing, many people are turning to containers in which to grow limited numbers of plants. More »

Fruit and Vegetables the Easy Way »

We hear a great deal about sustainability these days. For the most part it concerns power and water use, but there's also a revolution going on in some gardens, where the lawns and flower beds are being dug up and turned over to fruit and vegetable production. More »

Chasing the Elusive Feng Shui Energy »

A couple of years ago we wrote about the Chinese concept of Feng Shui channelling positive aspects of the life force into buildings and the fact that many of the things it advocates promote a pleasant and healthy living environment. More »

Long time exhibitor, Ian Barker wins a silver-gilt at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

The Australian Horticulture industry is celebrating success on the world stage, with the Trailfinders Australian Garden presented by Fleming’s awarded the prestigious SILVER-GILT medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. More »

Cheap and Cheerful Bulbs»

If you think bulbs are too dear to plant in serious quantities, think again, says JENNIFER STACKHOUSE. Bought in bulk, they can quickly earn their keep, providing colour year after year and in ever greater force. More »

Blossom Time»

The cool temperatures of winter linger, but an abundance of colourful flowers is a welcome sign that spring is on its way. Timely tasks and pruning advice from Australian House & Garden’s Helen Young. More »

Pools »

Australians love to spend time outdoors indulging in the many pleasurable pastimes our wonderful climate allows. We also love water and it’s a love that blooms at a very young age. After all, how many of us grew up with a backyard swimming pool or, at the very least, a neighbour’s pool we could cool down in come the weekend? More »

Outdoor Entertaining, Poolside by Ian Barker »

Australians love to spend time outdoors indulging in the many pleasurable pastimes our wonderful climate allows. We also love water and it’s a love that blooms at a very young age.

After all, how many of us grew up with a backyard swimming pool we could cool down in come the weekend? More »

Bamboo Shoots into Top Fashion Lists »

Bamboo, for years relegated to the role of cheap veranda furniture, is having a resurgence as a high fashion statement, its versatility rediscovered at the same time as an increasingly concerned world is finding its green credentials to be impeccable. More »

The Great Outdoors »

When warmer weather is upon us, the backyard is the perfect place to play host and entertain your guests. Michaela Skilney looks at the different ways you can entertain outdoors.As seen in Melbourne Pools & Outdoor Design

Decorative Driveways »

Many of us have a fairly plain concrete driveway, or perhaps a section of concrete down the side of the house or in the backyard. There are several options to improve the visual appeal of these areas. More »

Defy the Drought with a Specialist Lawn »

As the drought continues lawns have come under severe pressure. However, horticulturalists insist that lawns can survive quite lengthy droughts so it is simply a matter of choosing the right type of grass for the conditions. More »

Think Before Sacrificing Your Backyard Pool »

With the drought dragging on and water restrictions apparently a permanent fact of life, more householders are questioning whether they should continue to maintain their backyard swimming pools. More »

Mending Fences with the Neighbours »

There's nothing with more potential to provoke disputes between neighbours than fencing. Ideally it should be the responsibility of the two households it divides, but getting agreement on its care and maintenance is another matter. More »

Avoiding Mass Extinctions in the Garden »

Our recent column on small gardens attracted a lot of interest, with many readers saying they have tried to get one started but have just had one disaster after another. More »

An Extra 'Room' in Time for Summer »

As winter begins to subside in the southern states and it's possible to venture out again without coat and gloves, thoughts turn to the alfresco living which is so much a part of being Australian. More »

Artificial Rocks a Lightweight Alternative »

At first sight it seems rather strange that there should be a demand in Australia for artificial rocks. After all, don't we have enough of the real thing? Why not go to the nearest quarry for your landscaping requirements . More »

Enclosing a Little Slice of Heaven »

Courtyards are the most personal of places, where the mind and imagination can run free. They are also havens - retreats from everyday life when time can be spent in contemplation, tranquillity and seclusion. More »

Leading Up the Garden Path »

A beautiful garden comprises many elements – flowers, trees, shrubs, cool grass, private nooks for reading or contemplation and of course, paths. We tend to overlook paths, some quite large gardens don’t have them at all, leaving people to wonder aimlessly from one area to the next. More »

The Value of Special Property Reports

When buying a new home, it is important to get inspections done before making an offer, so that you are completely informed about what you are getting. More »

To market to market »

Selling your home is all about marketing your asset to maximum advantage, writes Australian House & Garden’s Harvey Grennan, and choosing the right agent is crucial for a successful campaign. The internet is your major marketing tool and you must use it well. More »

Strategies for selling your home in a tight market »

Was it just a year or two ago that homes for sale had queues at the door of each exhibition; that agents of properties for auction were besieged with buyers trying to close the deal ahead of the scheduled date? How times have changed. More »

Research needed to ensure a quite life »

How much is noise going to influence your decision in the purchase of a new home? There are people to whom noise seems to matter not at all. More »

Smartening Up your Apartment for Sale »

A reader owns an apartment he wants to sell, but realises he has been remiss over its upkeep and it now has a rather run-down look. "In fact, there hasn't really been much done to it, apart from essential maintenance, since the 1970s," he says. More »

Getting value from the space above your head »

Whenever there is uncertainty in the housing market and people are unwilling or unable to move in order to upgrade their living arrangements, renovations and extensions come into their own. In the case of many inner city homes this often means that the only way is up. More »

High-rise Gardens Attraction for City Dwellers »

In an increasingly hectic world, large houses with gardens are simply not an option for many potential homeowners, but if you are a busy professional deciding on an apartment or town house, you don't have to rule out enjoying some open space, even in the centre of a city. More »

Choosing a Good Nights Sleep »

The selection of a bed and the mattress that accompanies it is one of the most important decisions you can make. They will contribute to your well being; keep you healthy in youth and active in old age. It is worthwhile taking a great deal of trouble over their purchase. More »