We spent most of the summer languishing on the couch, under the fan, in our new house, playing games and drinking frozen cocktails. I think we were well and truly exhausted, and a little bit burned out, trying to recover from the shock of spending so much money all in …
Tuesday was a momentous occasion – that was the day we got our keys! Key handover is the time when the house passes from the hands of the builder back into the hands of the owner. The culmination of all the hard work over the last 3 years! We picked up …
A big, big thank you to everyone who answered my reader survey! And as I’m sure you’re curious as to the outcome, I thought I’d post the results. Here are some highlights.
One of the biggest milestones in building is what’s called “Practical Completion” (PCI). This means the build is basically finished, and all that’s usually left is a few minor fixes. At this stage, we undertake what’s commonly called a Practical Completion Inspection (PCI for short), although our builder calls it …
One of my building obsessions involves curtains. This post is all about my search for beautiful energy efficient curtains to help with our climate control.
So now that we’re heading towards the finish line, it’s become clear that the raison d’être of my blog has to either come to an end or change direction very soon. As I’ve enjoyed blogging so much, I’d like to keep doing it, but am asking for a little guidance on the sort of content you are interested in reading. So, I created a survey! Oh, and we have a PCI date!
One of the more banal sides of building is purely functional exterior paving. Using a thermal break between the paving and the house prevents the heat absorbed by the pavers from being transferred to the slab.
Way back in the beginning, when we decided to build a house, we always knew we wanted something thermally efficient, and that would make use of the natural resources we have for heating and cooling. What wasn’t so obvious was how to go about getting that right design.
I’m taking a detour today to fess up to an obsession I appear to have with glassware. I think it probably started in my teens when I first became aware of Moroccan tea glasses. I used to think they were gorgeous but too small to be practical, but now I think …
Today we look at the first stop of the Solar Dwellings Sustainable House Day bus tour (Casa Nostra), and the last (Green Swing). Casa Nostra If grand and imposing are on your wish-list for a house, then Casa Nostra will not disappoint. And with a 9 star Nathers energy efficiency …
Eco Home Style is a blog about building a sustainable and stylish passive solar house in the inner city fringe of Perth, Western Australia.
It's my hope that by sharing this experience, you have some insight into the building process. As the build comes to an end, my focus will shift to what it's like to live in a passive solar house.
