What's your proudest home improvement? WIN Darren Palmer's new book!
Comment below and you could WIN the new book by interior designer Darren Palmer's new book HOMESPACE! (Book available from 1 September, 2016)
What's your proudest home improvement?
If you've made some changes to your own space, making it into a home you love, which decision was the best? Extra points for photos!
We'll announce the winner in the comments on September 2!
View Terms and Conditions
Read more about the book here.
Comments (40)
10 years ago
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Comments (129)I am getting really ambitious...going out to pick some rhubarb so I can make a strawberry rhubarb pie. The new house has a strawberry bed and today's haul was enough to add to some rhubarb. The only problem is my hubby will probably make the filling as he doesn't like to add any sugar at all...I like tart, but I think it tastes best with a small amount of sugar to bring out the flavor. He really likes to cook and I don't, although I would do more baking but as soon as I get the ingredients out and the rhubarb cut up, he'll be there to take over. Note - I am not going too crazy...the toughest thing about this crust is unrolling it from the package!...See MoreExperience with Solar Heaters?
Comments (116)@solarventi, Hi, sorry, I didnt work it correctly, It is an interesting concept, but I am not getting it>>> bit slow... How do you heat up in winter in Vic when we get very little sun and the weather has turned Artic this year, Main reason I am noticing the cold, especially when working outside. I do have low blood pressure so feel the cold, but the red clothing next to skin works a charm. I would like to understand... I have seen on uTube where they DIY passive heat I liked the pictures but no explanation and these were using exisiting windows .. I this with gap at bottom on outside so cold air comes in and gap at top on inside so warm air into house.... but got to technical for me. And I get confused, as hot air rises and I dont understand why fans are at the top in newer models not at bottom [of heaters] But I would mind understanding how it works.. Am going to check the website, TU very much. I have bats to put in kitchen reno but would like something to attach to the corrogated iron so there is no gap between iron and bats. Appreciate your help and will check again on your site to see if I missed anything :)...See MoreHow to block out view of next door.
Comments (41)@ deanli14...the problem is that the neighbours don't want the tennis court fence as it is..more they want it lowered...thus depriving johnmcintyre of his privacy and the local Council is dictating what can and cannot be done....its not about planting for privacy...quite the reverse, the neighbours want the view! I've had an idea that might help. It is my understanding that today anyone wanting to build or alter any structure can employ a private building surveyor/inspector to approve the plans and then the final structure...and I understand that this applies everywhere in Australia. So there is a way to by-pass all the nonsense. The Council does not have to know about or approve anything. You are employing (paying) a private building surveyor/inspector to help you get what you want on your own property. I think its all got beyond a joke. Just by-pass all the red tape and the neighbours! I've extended my house to incorporate a very large semi enclosed veranda, I've had a large water tank erected on a tall stand so it gravity feeds into my house..and have erected several 3m tall greenery covered screens along my fenceline adjoining the neighbours.. for reasons of privacy.....all without the local Council even knowing about it because I employed a private building surveyor for it all from start to finish. You would be paying him to be on your side and get you what you want and he does not have to submit to Council, he is his own boss and your client. You'd need to get a draftsman to draw up the plans to start with...then it should be smooth sailing....See MoreLounge room decor advice needed.
Comments (22)I would paint your bookshelf the same colour as the walls and stuff it with, well, books! I would paint the built-in corner unit to match and just use it for potplants - ivy that hangs down would look good. As for the coffee table, if the room is small, what I did in our little family room was hunted around and found a large curved hunk of tempered glass from Freedom and it sort of 'floats' and looks invisible in some lights. Seriously, I think the line was called Ghost and was very reasonable (they also had a side table to match). Throw a bit of cherry red around and see how it looks with the creams and the taupes. Here is a pic of the coffee table....See More
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10 years agoMy laundry/bathroom, which I have transformed from a barely functional space, the waste water used to just run under the house, to a lovely, functional space, with storage (you can never have too much storage!).
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10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoVery happy with the outcome of beach house kitchen reno - from dark, dinghy & uninspiring to work in, to light, bright & a pleasure to work in. Lots of pull out storage (no cupboards under bench, only drawers), induction cooktop, light floors (removing slate, awful job, don't do it if you can get someone else to), & lots of light through a new unfussy window.
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PRO10 years agoWe've had a tonne of fun renovating our recently purchased 25 year old home, entirely brick throughout makes it more challenging to remove internal walls... Surprisingly it's the demolition that I love the most! Below are some renovations that haven't needed any walls to be removed but non the less, taken from 1990 to 2016!
Moving the dining table to the sunken lounge off of the kitchen made more sense for the thoroughfare of the room, we turned it into a reading room instead and I LOVE the added bookshelf for storage.
HouzzAU thanked life.home.creative- 10 years ago
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- 10 years agoOur amazing lounge room which we've transformed from a boring barn like room to a cosy dining space and lounge area. We hand selected the slate for the fireplace surround from a local quarry and built it ourselves, re-gyprocked over the windows, painted, installed the beautiful pendant lights, and hand made the curtains. The only professionals we used were the carpet layers.
HouzzAU thanked lynnrobe 
10 years ago
I once bought one of these. I cant find it anymore but it made washing and drying shoes a much less stressful experience.HouzzAU thanked hayley
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoBuilt-in wall to wall storage in what was once a small study. Very handy when the entire apartment is only 65sqm!
HouzzAU thanked petapea- 10 years ago
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10 years agoIn renovating our kitchen our best decisions: 1. replacing cheap, space wasting cupboards with long drawers. 2. Replacing the couple of deep shelves in the walk-in pantry with many shallow shelves (can reach and see everything!) 3. Ditching the built in oven and it's ridiculously huge and space-wasting brick surround for efficient cabinetry. 4. Going totally DIY. Saved a fortune & achieved high job satisfaction. 5. Not picking a boring colour. I'm an artist, I'm not planning on resale in the near future. Wanted to live a little!
HouzzAU thanked Polla Posavec
10 years agoMy 'big' Reno moment is about to begin! An extension to my Victorian era cottage. Not one to sit back & wait I have been preparing the original cottage in readiness for the transition. Currently a residential B&B the extension will provide me with a separate living annexe, freeing up the cottage for guests sole use. Having bespoke joinery doors installed was a real accomplishment & start for this old cottages journey into the 21st century.
HouzzAU thanked Kellie-Anne Briggs- 10 years ago
PRO10 years agoFirst of all, l love Darren Palmer's styling!
My favourite way to changing a space or reinvigorating it, is by painting the room or just an accent wall. Recently, I revamped our boring all-white guest bedroom/storage room into a playroom for our 1 year old. I painted a feature wall in a stunning blue-grey chalkboard paint (Dulux Wall Paint colour: Rainmaker), added a playful and gorgeous artwork (Crooked Houses: La Maison Jolie), couple of DIY wall hooks and also some small & cute recycled furniture to create an inspiring, creative and whimsical space. And now my little one has her own space that she absolutely loves!
PRO10 years agoWe gave an old dingy rumpus room a birthday. Removed an old workshop, put an opening through a feature brick wall and got ourselves a light filled pool room with 1950s diner booth and bar. My favourite spot in the house!
HouzzAU thanked Genus Landscape Architects- 10 years ago
10 years agoMy proudest moment was creating a space where my family could enjoy meals together and create memories that will last forever. This space is the focus of every event in our home.
HouzzAU thanked Erryn Franks- 10 years ago
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10 years agoCover for our Japenese sunken bath. It was dangerous to leave it open. We needed it to fit in and soften our all concrete bathroom and adjacent open shower. A local craftsman was engaged to design it. He originally wanted stainless steel with the timber but my husband felt galvanised steel would be more in keeping.
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Angela