Hi I would check that your deck can take extra weight like tiles and additional cement sheet products as well. It looks to me like a light timber frame structure but it does have steel beams holding the cantilevered weight. I would get a designer or draughtsperson to look at it and give you some ideas. If you use a hardwood it will grey off naturally but you will have no maintenance. If you stain the timber the maintenance is every 2yrs really...

Suzie, hubby and I are just contemplating engineered spotted gum flooring throughout our in-progress new build. He wants matt, I want satin. We have gloss or semi-gloss throughout our current home and love the look but not how much scratches show up. We are struggling to see whole room/house matt finished spotted gum floors - and I'm wondering how you feel about yours? And what did you decide for kitchen? We have a 'lemon myrtle' cupboard door planned for upper cupbaords and white semi-gloss for lower cupboards and benchtops.

Outdoor entertaining spaces are an important part of home and landscape design today. Creating an on-trend, attractive outdoor space can present a challenge, but DECO has some stylish options to help design the ultimate outdoor area. Enhance your backyard with a deck No garden or outdoor area would be complete without a deck. Decking adds a functional space to a backyard, ideal for family gatherings or quiet time alone. Add a bit of innovation to a decking design by utilising the leftover decking material as a seat or built-in storage box, or by creating an extended living area that flows from the indoors to the outdoor space. DECO’s timber-look aluminium decking product, DecoDeck, is a premium, durable and attractive decking product for an effortless outdoor space, designed to endure even the harshest of Australian conditions. Elegant batten privacy screens The only thing that makes an attractive outdoor space even better is making it more serene and private, blocking out the prying eyes of the neighbours with a timber-look batten privacy screen. As well as adding some much-welcomed privacy, batten privacy screens allow light and shade into the space, add warmth to a garden or courtyard and pair well with native plants or add a stunning contrast to modern materials such as concrete or brick. Batten privacy screens can be spaced narrowly for extra privacy or widely for a more open space. DecoBatten, the elegant timber-look batten system by DECO, offers a highly durable timber-look batten option ideal for privacy screens, minus the maintenance and weathering of real timber, and with the added bonus of a wide range of sizes for mix-and-matching and unique designs. Decorative ceiling panels If your outdoor area features an overhanging ceiling, this can be incorporated into an atmospheric backyard design by adding a cladding product to it. Cladded ceilings can be a visually pleasing statement feature, as well as creating designs where undercover areas seamlessly transition into the rest of the outdoor space. DECO’s timber-look cladding product, DecoClad, offers an aesthetically stunning alternative to timber-clad ceilings. Made from solid aluminium, it requires no maintenance, will not weather like real timber, and is safe for use even in bushfire areas, while retaining the natural timber aesthetic Australians adore. DECO recommends choosing lighter ceiling colours for a cladded ceiling, as being on the underside of the roof, ceilings always appear darker once installed. A functional opening roof A twist on the cladded ceiling, timber-look opening roof systems allow an alfresco to be opened and closed as desired. This allows your outdoor space to transform with the seasons, keeping it sheltered from strong sunlight and rain, while providing shade and shelter for a space that can be enjoyed whatever the weather. DECO partners with Opening Roof Specialists to create luxurious opening roof systems finished in DECO’s timber-look finish for aluminium, DecoWood. Mixed materials for unique designs Make a unique statement with your outdoor area by combining different materials, colours and textures, to create contrast, add a modern look to your outdoor space, or create a one-of-a-kind statement. Combining different timber grains can add extra warmth, colour and contrast, while combining timber-look finishes such as DecoWood with neutral, urban colours such as DECO’s edgy concrete-look finish, DecoCrete, can create an on-trend classic-meets-modern aesthetic. For more information visit www.deco.net.au.

Builder Lindon Homes’ latest creation is an eye-catching custom home, with an unmissable design flair. The architecturally-designed home ‘The Bonaventure’ is situated in Queensland’s Raby Bay, and offers an inspirational appearance reminiscent of a coastal resort. The expansive two-level home features a variety of DECO Australia’s renowned timber-look aluminium products, all finished in the luxurious DecoWood® Natural Curly Birch finish for that beloved coastal vibe. The spectacular combination of products, from decking to louvres, creates a cohesive design sure to impress, with the benefit of using low-maintenance products for effortless, beautiful living. The coastal location perfectly showcases the durability of the DecoWood® products, highlighting that sun, sea and salt spray are no match for this long-lasting finish. The home’s arresting signature look is created using DecoClad® V-Groove horizontal cladding. For curb appeal and a contemporary, sophisticated look, the cladding carries seamlessly over across the triple garage, and wraps around the top of the home all the way round to the back. Where the home faces the canal, louvres finished in the same DecoWood® colour keep out the harsh sun, while retaining their appearance even when exposed to the elements. Cleverly spaced, they not only denote luxury, but protect resident privacy and add to the contemporary resort-style aesthetic. The home’s inviting swimming pool is surrounded by DecoDeck®, the low-maintenance timber-look aluminium decking solution. Replicating the form, feel and appearance of natural timber decking, DecoDeck® recreates the quintessential Australian deck beloved by all, with the added bonus of chorine resistance and a P4 slip rating for safe use around pools and spas. With astounding thermal conductivity, DecoDeck® dissipates heat effectively across the boards, eliminating ‘hot spots’ and enabling it to be walked on even on a hot day. The result? Combining these stunning DecoWood® features into one cohesive design creates a unique and enviable home, whose beauty rivals that of its northerly water views. Images courtesy of Brock Beazley Photography