Hello! In this episode, I’m sharing some exciting news with you – especially if you’re a USA-based member of the UA Community - and I’ll also be highlighting some of my learnings and experiences from my recent trip to the USA, and how these ideas can be translated into your home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Eric Reinholdt of 30X40 Design Workshop and I have created a new online course together. It’s called “The Welcome Home Course” and it will teach you how to confidently remodel or build your future family home – and get it right.   Together, we have over 40 years industry experience in residential design, remodeling and building. In ‘The Welcome Home Course’, we’re diving into what you need to know to successfully design, remodel or build your home, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes, heartache and drama along the way.   There’ll also be other industry experts to support you in your learning, and give local insights for your region, climate and specific challenges. I’ve been to the USA a few times now, and it never ceases to amaze me how big it is, and the diversity of environment and natural conditions from state to state … and so this course is crafted to really guide and help you wherever you’re located in the USA.  This course is specifically for USA homeowners. However, if you’re in the USA design, building industry and want more insight into residential home remodeling or building, this will also be awesome for you – as in it, we take you through the step-by-step process from start to finish of a remodel or new build project.  We seriously can’t wait to bring The Welcome Home Course to you. Having worked with hundreds of Australian homeowners in this way (and already a few Americans), I personally know how great it is in empowering you for your remodel or new build, so you can enjoy the process and successfully create that fantastic home you’re dreaming of.   In this episode, I’ll be talking about a project I got to learn about, which is actually an incredible restaurant in Barcelona, called Enigma.  It may sound strange to talk about a restaurant, and your home, but stick with me here, because I feel there’s always things to learn about our home design when we look at how other project types are working in the built environment.  So, when I was in New York, I attended an event at the HG Stones Showroom. HG Stones is a stone supplier that does a huge range of natural and engineered stones, and they’re located in New York City.   At this event, Pau Llimona, a Spanish architect, talked about the design of a project called “Enigma”. This is a restaurant in Barcelona, where a maximum of 24 diners per evening are taken on a journey that melds food, theatre and the materiality and design of the spaces.  So, what does this have to do with your home? Well, I’ve got 5 things I’d love you to think about, that are inspired by this project. These 5 things are:  experience  materials  lighting  personalisation  and team  Listen to the episode now to learn more …  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Learn how to avoid 3 expensive mistakes when planning your renovation or new build … and ultimately how to avoid disaster and heartache in your project.   So many homeowners make avoidable mistakes when embarking on their project, so I’ll be taking you through these specific ones I see.  And I’ll also be sharing how we can work together in a really affordable way to simplify your project journey, and help you achieve a great outcome in your future family home.   SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Before I start today’s podcast, if you’re listening to this between July 31st and August 7th, 2018, it’s really exciting, because right now you can join me in my 6 week online course “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”.  Hundreds of homeowners have taken this course, and enjoyed how it’s helped them get ready for their renovation or building project.   Listen to the episode to learn more about “How to Get it Right” and how it could help you plan your future family home, and have a simpler, stress-free and successful project throughout this podcast. Or head now to www.undercoverarchitect.com/getitrightnow  Now, let’s talk about HOW TO AVOID 3 EXPENSIVE MISTAKES WHEN PLANNING YOUR RENOVATION OR NEW BUILD. These are mistakes I see homeowners commonly make that can cause big budget overruns, and unnecessary expenses in their projects.  These mistakes are:  #1 is the DIVE IN mistake  #2 is the MAKE YOURSELF A TARGET mistake  #3 is the SAVING TO SPEND mistake  Listen to the episode now to learn more about these mistakes, how to avoid them and key tips to get it right …  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

How can home garden design be inspired by award-winning and large-scale public projects?  Whatever the size of your home garden, there are key tips you can take away from these amazing examples of landscape and building design – The High Line in New York, and The Spheres in Seattle.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Now before I get stuck into today’s podcast, I wanted to quickly mention that, if you’re listening to this on the day of release – the 7th of August – then this is the last day you can join “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”.   This is my 6 week online course that gets you ready for your renovation or building project.   It’s the last live round I’m running for 2018 … so don’t miss the chance to get guidance for your project, get your questions answered, and kick off your project in the best possible way.   Even if you’re still working with a designer, now is the time to be sure you’re getting your design right.   So, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/getitirightnow to join now, and not miss out.   In this episode, I’m heading back to the USA, and sharing 2 incredible projects where gardens and landscape were designed in an innovative way.   I think they’ll help you with ideas for your home, whether you’re renovating or building, and whatever the size of your project.   These projects are The High Line in New York, and The Spheres (or Amazon Spheres) in Seattle.  The High Line is an urban park, sitting 30 feet, or 10 metres in the air. It’s a repurposed rail-line, and it has a fascinating history. It’s 1.45 miles or 2.33km long, and has been opening since 2009, as new sections are completed.  In the podcast, I share 2 key ideas from the High Line that can inspire your home garden design. These are:  #1 Remembering history (of your home, or the area it is situated in) and how that memory can enrich the quality of your home design  #2 Looking at the small things, and how they can create intimacy and a sense of relaxation in your home garden design (and the home itself).  You can see photographs and more information about the High Line in this blog I wrote here >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/the-high-line-new-york  The Spheres are glass domed structures built by Amazon to provide a place for its employees where they can be directly connected to nature, within an urban location (the CBD of Seattle). They were built between 2013 and 2018, and house over 40,000 plants, as well as cafes, meeting rooms, and break-out spaces for employees to meet, sit, work and enjoy.  There are lots of ideas here to inspire your home garden design, and I talk about those, as well as 2 in particular:  #1 The impact of volume  #2 The impact of natural light.  You can see photographs and more information about The Spheres in this blog I wrote here >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/the-spheres-amazon-seattle  There’s loads more in this episode of the podcast to help you with your home garden design – no matter its size. So, let’s dive in …  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Want to learn about underfloor heating? This is a topic of much interest in the UA Community. Previously seen as a luxury item only used in high end homes, in recent years it’s become much more prevalent.   There’s still lots of confusion and misconceptions about how it works, where it can be installed and how to get the most from it – whether you’re building or renovating.   SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, I’m bringing in an expert … Luke Chant, from Hotwire, who has 15 years industry experience, to help shed some light on how to get it right when it comes to underfloor heating. Luke and I met through a business networking group we’re part of. This is not sponsored content … it’s simply from talking with Luke, and seeing the reputation Hotwire has in the industry, and how many other brands trust them, that made me want to bring him to the UA Community – because I knew how helpful his knowledge would be for your projects.  As I said, Luke has 15 years industry experience in this area. His company, Hotwire, supplies the various components and gear to installers for underfloor heating, plus a range of other items you may want to check out. Hotwire is based in Melbourne, and they have installers throughout Australia that specify and use their products.  Hotwire has been featured on, The Block, House Rules, Reno Rumble and The Home Team. Hotwire is also the recommended floor heating (and/or) heated towel rail supplier for some of the biggest tile and electrical suppliers in the industry.   I asked Luke some of the most common questions I receive about underfloor heating … the different types, what type of floors you can put it under, how much it costs to install and run, retrofitting it to an existing home, and how to find a trustworthy supplier. He gives us loads of info on all of these questions – plus lots more.   So, let’s dive straight in!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE