Design showcase

Ambition rewarded

Brendon of Lilydale, Victoria, built Paal Kit Homes’ large Castlereagh design on a deeply sloping block and did a magnificent job. He also saved at least a quarter of a million dollars by tackling most of the work himself. The home of Brendon and his partner, Denise, overlooks a bush-filled valley on Melbourne’s eastern fringe, with the commanding outlook achieved by positioning the house and deck on 88 steel piers that are nearly 3m high at the deck’s edge. Brendon taught himself new skills, including pier placement and support for the elevated timber flooring, and used the mandatory tradespeople for roofing, plumbing and electrical. While admitting that his 420m2 home, including a double-garage and deck, was ambitious, Brendon says, “It was also straightforward in a lot of respects. I’m very happy with the result.