Oh, hi there. Welcome to our house. Thanks for joining us. I'm just on my way outside. Why don't you see what's on the show tonight, and I'll meet you out there. We'll follow the dramatic makeover of this entrance, from living in the 70s to a hit in the 90s. I'll have a few tips to help you get a great look with cement paint. And we'll take a look at what to whip up to keep the troops happy during a reno. Ah, the sounds of suburbia. And I think it'd agree with me, that's not your average-looking family home. And in fairness to the architect, the owners had it designed before they had kids. Now they've got a couple. They've had to make a few changes inside. But see, we're out here, and it's a beautiful day. Let's look around. The most obvious thing about this place is they didn't cut and fill the land to suit the house. Instead, they used lightweight materials to allow them to build the house on the existing site. This meant they could take advantage of any surrounding views and allow winds to cool under the house in the hot Queensland summer. It's split into two levels, up here for living and entertaining, while downstairs is four bedrooms. But the function of the place has changed. One of the original design ideas was to have a horizontal theme throughout the house, and little did we think that that was going to be a perfect climbing frame. So what did you two actually want when you sat down to design this home? We wanted some large, entertaining areas, fairly open, and we weren't at all concerned that the house was going to be high off the ground. I noticed on the handrails outside you've sort of like doubled those. Well, we have, because, I mean, you just don't want to take the risk of a little one falling over. Also, the stairs, you've got to put plastic covers over the sledding. We've still been able to keep the design theme of the horizontal slats, you know, with the new covers. But we've also had to put some gates on the stairs as well. But we've lamped up with a lot of different play areas. So there's about four or five areas so they can go from one to another. Quite safely. What about out the back? Have you got any play areas for the kids out in the yard? Yes, we've fenced in a whole area. It was actually a garden, and we ripped the gardens out, and we've now got a sand pit and a swing. Planning some more kids? No. Now, there is a lesson to be learned that when you get something designed for today, it may not be suitable for tomorrow. And how many architects do you know that have offered to babysit after they've designed your house? Anyway, time for us to get on with the rest of the show because I've got kids' games to play here. My turn. For more than 20 years, this staircase and entrance has faithfully served three different families. And while it's still in pretty good nick, the new owners have decided it's time for a more modern look. The cladding's been removed, but the staircase is staying put, though it will receive its own makeover with a few design modifications. Well, having said that, I'd better make myself scarce. BELL RINGS But first up, there's a few jobs to take care of. These old double doors are out of alignment, so they'll be replaced with a Framex custom-made solid timber door. It's been designed to fit into the existing opening, which will help to keep structural work to a minimum. Being solid MDF, it weighs a ton, so heavy-duty stainless steel hinges will keep it in place. Well, that's definitely made a big difference. You'll notice these glazing bars have been designed to line up with the recesses in the door. And inside... ..there's a lot more natural light. Remember I mentioned the staircase was in for a new look? Well, the first step was to remove the old steel balusters. These were then taken off, these were then taken off-site and remodelled. Now the new inserts are welded back into place. If you're after a new look for your steel staircase, you might like to consider this $1,800 option. At one stage, the owners contemplated a stainless steel replacement, but when they were quoted some $5,000, it wasn't a consideration for very long. While work continues inside, I thought I'd duck out to check on the new floor tiles. They have an antique finish with a coarse, sandy texture. And according to the supplier, Tilecraft, they can be easily kept clean by mixing hot water with either detergent or vinegar. For continuity, the same tiles are laid both outside and in. Brushbox was chosen for the new stairs and the landing. To enhance its colour and to ensure it stands up well to heavy traffic, three coats of polyurethane were applied. To protect the new entrance from the weather and to complement its modern look, the owners have finished the job off with a creative canvas awning. There you go, all ready to greet the guests for another 20 years. When it comes to blunt drill bits, there's quite a few carbon wheel sharpeners on the market. This one here's called the Drill Doctor. It's a bit different because it's got a diamond grinding wheel in it, and they reckon that'll last 90% longer than the carbon ones. And it's dead simple to use. Put the drill bit into the chuck, select the type of bit, then into the alignment port and tighten. Place it in the sharpening port, push down and rotate. It works like a pencil sharpener. Or if you have a point splitting bit, that means they are self-centering and fast cutting, just put it in the point splitting port. With a good doctor, it'll even sharpen broken bits. It won't sharpen broken masonry bits. It sells for around $225 to $295, depending on the size of the bit you want to sharpen. And with the cost of drill bits these days, your mind ends up saving money in the long run. A new disc costs $55, but that will handle between 300 to 400 sharpenings. If you need anything solved, drop us a line. Shell's Tricks of the Trade, First Office Box 465 Willoughby, NSW 2068. On the new series of Good Medicine, the eye-opening operation that could benefit five million Aussies. I don't have to wear my glasses for anything at all. Likely braces, the invisible way to a beautiful smile and surgery on the unborn. Good Medicine, 8 o'clock tonight. The multi-award winning dual-range all-wheel drive Subaru Forester. Perfect for dirty weekends. Forester from $26,990, Subaru all-wheel drive, designed for life. Buttercup Wonder White is a great tasting white bread with high maize fibre. The white bread that's high in fibre. Big brand sale at the Wool Store. Australia's biggest names in furniture and bedding appoint the Wool Store Furniture Centre for their first ever big brand sale. The Wool Store for quality. The Wool Store for range. The Wool Store for value. Canton have added 20% more vegetables to make their stir fry sauces even better. So with new improved recipes, Canton helps you create healthy family meals in a moment. You can't go wrong with Canton. Has that salmon come in yet? Yes, Chef. More importantly, did you get our gold lotto entry in? Oh. Of course I did. Yeah. And the six ball down is 24. 24. 24. Oh my. Hey, Louie, we're having a real party down here. You guys better hold on. You're about to get cleaned up. She can't touch us. That's new. Morteen Dustmite Eliminator. Hey, guys. That really killed the party. New Morteen Dustmite Eliminator. The effective way to kill allergy causing dust mites. It's like we're saying Morteen. On a current affair, imagine living next door to this. Yeah, I couldn't believe it. Totally unacceptable. The public housing disgrace. Where they get the tenant from health, it intrigues me. And the tenants responsible. I always try to keep it nice and respectable. Tomorrow, 6.30. I must say, the old record collection doesn't get used much anymore. I don't even have a turntable. Still, there are some gems here that I'd hate to part with. And others I couldn't even give away. Not to worry. This doesn't have to go into the trash just yet. I'm going to show you how it can keep your kids amused for hours by turning it into a board game. Start with two coats of white gesso on one side only to prime the surface. When that's dry, you need to draw a spiral design, starting from the centre and working your way out to the edge. And of course, there'll be a pattern for this with the fact sheet. Next, mark up your playing squares. There are 35 in total. Then you can add some colour. As you can see, I've outlined all the blue using a black marker. And I've also numbered each of the squares. Now it's time to make the playing pieces, which I'll whip up using plaster and some craft moulds. First up, smear a little petroleum jelly in the moulds so that the pieces will come away easily when they're set. Then you can get on with mixing the plaster. The consistency should be smooth and lump-free. And remember, this stuff will set quickly, so you shouldn't muck around for too long. When you're happy with the mix, spoon it into the moulds. Be careful not to overfill them. A gentle tap on the tabletop should remove any trapped air bubbles, as well as level out the plaster. After about half an hour or so, the pieces should come out easily. Like that. Next, give all your shapes a light sand around the edges and follow with some paint to bring them to life. Then, for a centrepiece, fix the lifeboard to the board with some glue. Finally, a coat of water-based sealer on everything and you're ready to rock and roll. A simple counting game for youngsters where they can be creative with their own rules. You will have seen us using Murobond on the show before as an exterior paint. It's cement-based, easy to apply, and gives an aged look. But what is becoming very popular, and perhaps you hadn't considered before, is using it as an interior paint. It can be sponged or ragged, but it's usually sanded back through to give it a stressed finish. Here at the Douglas Street Design Centre in Brisbane, they hold regular classes to show you the kinds of finishes you can achieve. The classes are held here and in Western Australia, but I thought I'd show the rest of you some of the techniques they're being taught. It's been a long time since I've done a show because I haven't really had time to doibilidad. We'll be back shortly. Hola. Welcome to Feature很生活感動景點, Hello, everyone. I'm Derrick Frederick, and we were and will now work on the performance of a new favourite insane light sampler for our review small dough. So, the new spoilers will essentially air out around the mould so when you apply the next one, it won't leave a line. If you're after a more ragged, dragged outlook, follow the first coat with a banister brush. Although this product was originally designed for rendered services, as you can see, it'll go on a plasterboard, as well as bricks and masonry surfaces. But a neat trick, if you've got a smooth wall and you want to get a chunky rendered finish, just add a bit of sand to the paint. Then this stippling. Do a small area with a patchwork of one colour. Then dab around it with a lighter colour. And with a third brush, blend them together. Stab and twist. This gives a sort of sandstone effect. So there you have it, a few tips for you. Now, if you're interested in using this kind of product, all you have to do is get hold of your local franchise. They'll send out a rep who can give you some advice on what you can do with your place. Coming up a bit later, how to cook a great meal when you don't have a kitchen. Across the state, around the world, wherever news is happening, the newsletters will be there to tell you exactly what's happening. Join Bruce Page and Heather Ford for Queensland's number one news service, National Line News. Buy me. And me. Shop at Retrovision and you can win a house and land package during the $350,000 house and land giveaway. Look for this symbol to see how many entries you get with each product. Speedy non-stick sandwich maker, a very tasty bargain. This super classic Sunbeam fry pan roasts casserole, fries and bakes. Get a hot price on this Sunbeam steam iron. And this Vax wet and dry keeps things spick and span. The more you buy, the more chances to win at Retrovision. 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee prices will rise, but for a short time you can buy a Grand Cherokee Laredo for only $49,990 drive away. But hurry, stocks are strictly limited. VEGA Super Slim cheese slices are solo in fat. Even her eggs are slimmer. VEGA Super Slim, the slimmer's cheese that's big on taste. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. I am home! Woo-hoo! At IKEA, they have hundreds of space-saving ideas to tidy up. Hundreds of space-saving ideas to tidy up your life. Da-da-da! Ha-ha-ha! Boxes and storage, and, of course, wardrobes, to help you hide just about anything. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! IKEA. In this month's Women's Weekly... You can read it all. Sex and power, Hillary Clinton's hold over Bill. Monaco's Prince Albert's love for Aussie models. Magazine Queen's amazing facelift. Free AFL poster with all the stars, games and venues. The Women's Weekly. For women who want it all. On the all-new Animal Hospital, What's up, my favourite joke? a smelly solution to a dangerous situation. What have you done to me? A love-a-spat leads to surgery. And the seal who lost her spark. Animal Hospital, 7.30 Thursday on Channel 9. Yet another rags-to-riches story is about to unfold. And this time we're going to attack this rather ordinary chandelier we found during a council clean-up. We're going to turn it into something that'd be more at home in the south of France. The old French provincial look. Start by removing the crystals. And dust off with a damp cloth. Before we can cover the worn brass with paint, rub over a water-based deglossing medium, which will prime and prepare the surface. I'm going to give it a coat of paint now, and I've hung it up to make the operation easier. We're after a chalky appearance, so I'm using a product called Magic Paint, which is basically a thickened acrylic, ideal for items with a lot of detail. While we're waiting for the paint to dry, I can get stuck into making the five lampshades. And because we're after a particular look, a small cone-like shade, I've decided to make them myself. I'm using acid-free watercolour paper, which is quite thick, so it should be strong enough for the job. Trace a circle 18 centimetres in radius, then trace an inner circle 5.5 centimetres in radius. Using a protractor, divide the circles into 16 sections. Cut them out and divide in two, each half making one shade. Now, to be in keeping with our theme, I'm going to paint the shades in alternate stripes of French blue and a red Empire stencil. To hold the shades permanently together, attach them with paper fasteners. We'll make our frames from rings and wire available at craft shops. After that, it's simply a matter of fitting the shades and then finding somewhere more suitable than the workshop to hang it. Cut the craft wire into four equal lengths, allowing for a small overhang to be used as a base. Wrap the wire around the ring and fit over the globes. And there it is, saved from the scrap heap to complement this simple but rather elegant design. I'm going to use a simple but rather elegant dining setting. Our new look chandelier came to just over $47, a fraction of what you'd pay for the real thing. Well, if you're mad enough to stick around while your kitchen's being done up, you're bound to fall prey to the Dine Out Takeaway Syndrome, which in the end will leave you hankering after a good home-cooked meal. So today, a lesson in making do. With just a microwave and an electric fry pan, we'll whip together a tasty hearty meal which is homemade and isn't bangers and mash. The menu is crumbed chicken breast stuffed with spinach and ricotta, some chat potatoes and a green salad, and maybe something a little extra special for afters. Now, let's get this started. First off, in this bowl, we've chopped up a large onion, a clove of garlic and 50 grams of butter. By the way, have you come across these little butter portions? 100 grams each. You get them four in a packet. Gee, they're handy. All right, now we add a little water, say about a tablespoon, just to keep the moisture in. We cover that with film. And into the microwave for four minutes. Next step, we take a packet of frozen spinach, 250 grams this one, we put that into a bowl. This time we add a couple of tablespoons of water. We cover that with film. And we put that into the microwave for four minutes. Best to keep yourself occupied, or this will seem like forever. Next, draining the spinach as we go, add that to the onion mixture and we mix that all together. And return to the microwave. You guessed it. Now we have to let this cool down. So, while that's happening, we'll cut the pockets in the chicken breasts. Right, the spinach mixture is cool enough now, so to that we add 200 grams of ricotta. Mix that all about. Also, two tablespoons of parmesan. Now, I can't find the right spoon at the moment, don't know where it is, but I reckon four of these will do the job. So, the filling's ready, let's fill the pockets. Time to start crumbing. Now, we have three bowls here, one with flour, one with beaten egg and one with the bread crumbs. So, here we go. Five minutes aside. These little chapped potatoes are in a bowl here with some butter, salt and pepper and again a little water. And don't forget to prick the skins, otherwise they may explode. Into the microwave for ten minutes. Now, as for serving suggestions, well, we got ourselves a carton of tomato sauce or coulis from the refrigerated section at the supermarket. And of course, there's our green salad. Now, what about that dessert I promised you? Chocolate coated strawberries. Boy, are these simple. Melt a bar of chocolate in the microwave, dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate, set them aside on some greased with paper and then put them into the fridge to cool. Well, there you are, a delicious meal without having a kitchen. Coming up on the new series of Good Medicine, the eye-opening operation that could benefit five million Aussies and the invisible way to a beautiful smile. Good Medicine next. You could pay as much as $200,000 for a blow-dry. Yeah, but why would you? When you can get a conditioner for just $14,990 drive-away. Feeling blown away? The new look Starlet Life, now from $14,990 drive-away, with air. Toyota Starlet. The gutsiest little car in the world. You wouldn't believe how fresh his mouth is. He must be using the Zones' mouth. Zones? Yes, Zones. Did you know that Zones keep your mouth fresh for ages? They last and last and go on and on and on and on. And another interesting fact is that he's got Trevor again. Zones! Trev, it's still minty in here. Zones, it's the Vivazol that makes the freshness go on and on and on and on. Shut up! With ads for things under $100 free and anything over just $10 max, the new weekend shopper from the Korea Mail classifies his less bucks and more bargains. Phone 132 202. How do you improve a car that has already won two Car of the Year awards? You make it simply exhilarating. You make it simply breathtaking. You make it a joy to drive. Introducing the all-new, fully imported Mazda 626. It's simply better. This will be an everlasting love. This will be the one I've waited for. This will be an everlasting love for me. Yeah, oh, loving you is so kind of wonderful. Because you've shown me just how much you care. This will be an everlasting love. Friday. Isn't this awesome? A unique backyard watering hole. It's got that fabulous look of the Australian outback. Don gets to the root of a common problem. Can it be avoided? Plus jamming with Aussie pop legends. Perks Backyard, 7.30 Friday. This program brought to you by the multi-award winning Forrester. Perfect for dirty weekends. If you watch Channel Line's Our House, you'll love the Our House Lift Out magazine in the Courier Mail. Jam-packed full of great ideas for building, renovating or decorating your place in the Sunshine State. The Our House Lift Out magazine. Grab it in Tuesday's Courier Mail. If you'd like more information on our stories, call us on 1900 185035 and we'll post it to you. To get information from our fax service, telephone 1900 185033 and follow the instructions. If you have a phone fax, ring this same number, once again follow the instructions and we'll fax it straight back to you. Or you might like to visit our website. If I were to tell you that you're about to see someone painting a room, you'd probably think, big deal. I've seen that lots of times on Our House. Well, you're in for a surprise. This is Deidre Hunt, a Melbourne based artist who you can hire to paint or draw on canvas or paper any part of your home, whether it be inside or out. However, the driving force behind the operation is Barbara Higgins. So how many artists do you have on your books? Four paintings of houses and interiors of houses. We have seven and the mediums that are most popular are Watercolour and Pencil. And what are the main reasons people want paintings of their homes? Quite often it's the perfect gift. It could be a major birthday gift, an anniversary gift. If perhaps people are selling a home and they have memories of happy life in a particular house that maybe they'd renovated, spent a lot of time doing up and so on, it's a lovely memory. It's really part of their family history. They move on to another house and ideally remember fondly the house before. It might be that someone's renovating and they want to capture the house, the befores and then the afters. So mostly as a memory, sentiment. And that is really what this art is all about, sentimental art. And it's not really a new concept, is it? It's something that's been around really for a while. Absolutely. Well, certainly in England and Europe, paintings of interiors of homes have been very much an art form for hundreds of years. If you don't live in Melbourne but you like this idea, you can of course send photos which the artist can work from. And as for the cost, prices start from around $300. Well, that's it for tonight. Hope you enjoy the show but let's have a quick peek at what's on next week. Rebecca will have a few simple ideas to brighten up this bedroom. We discover that it's possible to build your own grandfather clock. And I'll break out the tools to knock up a washboard cabinet. So I'll see you next week but stand by because he's good medicine.