Nicholas Martino and his father, Mario, have been importing ceramics, glassware, ironware, antiques and furniture from North Africa and the Middle East for the last 20 years. Don visited their showroom in Mortdale, and talked to Nic about using Moroccan artefacts in...
Outdoor Living Space Many new houses are built without any thought being given to outdoor living areas and rooms. Some garden designs include pergolas and gazebos, but these structures are not really very functional. Vine-covered pergolas provide shade, but if it...
Ready-made Ponds Landscaper, John Forrest, had trouble finding water features that were easy to install, so he decided to build his own. He teamed up with his brother, Peter, and together they developed and patented a special, lightweight material to use in the...
Rique Romero’s House Rique Romero and her husband, Peter Bell, purchased an old, Federation-style home four years ago. The building was termite-ridden, and had to be demolished to the foundations with only a couple of walls retained. The plans for the renovation...
Screwdrivers Scott Cam, the builder from ‘Backyard Blitz’, looked at different types of screwdrivers and their uses. Two main types Scott explained that there are different kinds and sizes of screwdrivers for different jobs. If you choose the wrong one you...
Shifters and Spanners Scott Cam, the builder from Backyard Blitz, looked at shifters and spanners. Shifters and spanners are made in many different shapes and sizes to deal with specific jobs, but the basic requirement is that the spanner must fit the nut snugly....
Rita Hill and Scott Cam teamed up to transform a small, ugly balcony into a fabulous entertaining area. The balcony was originally a fire escape and was a tiny, 4 square metres in size. However, lack of space wasn’t the only problem facing Rita and Scott. The...
Backyard Blitz builder, Scott Cam, showed how to build a fabulous cubby house for two little girls, Cassi and Delaney. Once the cubby was completed, Tara Dennis and the girls added some finishing touches. Building the cubby: Materials 1 bag Rapid set concrete 20 x...
Eccentric Art House Artist and teacher, Andrew Hayim De Vries, has completely rebuilt a small, 1920s timber worker’s cottage using what he calls ‘urban rubble’. Andrew purchased the house in 1986, and over a period of 12 years he transformed it into...
Eco Concepts Don visited Eco Concepts in Melbourne, and spoke to Rick Eckersley and Ben Kerr about the latest trends in landscaping materials and how to use them. Innovative products Rick explained that people can easily go to interior design showrooms, but...