Recycled Materials
Natural House Builders is dedicated to recycling, re-homing and re-using fine Australian hardwoods, one-of-a-kind fixtures and features. We collect, recreate and restore unique objects – not only does this help our environment, it brings life, history and personality to our builds.
- Materials can inspire the project
- A diverse and rich collection of materials
- Treasures we have rescued
Consciously choosing to use recycled building materials for building, furniture and landscaping projects means that many of our builds are designed around the rich materials we provide. Every stain, scratch, old bolt and nail hole tells a story, and these stories bring vitality and warmth to your natural house. Being an avid collector for many years, we have a wealth of outstanding pieces for you to work with. Our favourite recycled material is Australian hardwood – of which we have a vast collection. This beautiful, enduring material is mainly used for gorgeous feature beams or for chunky window and door frames. When the character of this exposed hardwood sits within earthy clay surrounds, the combination of light and texture creates a very special ambience.
For many years, Natural House Builders owner, Peter Bertuleit, has been collecting windows, doors and fittings – saving anything of value from demolition sites. Too many beautiful materials go straight to landfills, their beauty and usefulness wasted. Doing deals with developers and demolishers is not our favourite part of this business but it is necessary and has proved extremely worthwhile. Many materials have risen in value, and so there has been a noticeable shift in availability and price. However, it needs to be done, and will continue to be a part of Natural House Builders philosophy and our builds – the sound of those massive machines crushing big beautiful old hardwood beams gives us nightmares.
Natural House Builders have a collection of about 20 doors rescued from one of the oldest churches in Sydney. These doors are our favourites together with eight large trusses from old wool stores, in which the bottom cord spans 18 meters (that is in a single piece of timber). These stunning features are waiting for the right space – the perfect natural project or eco-home.
Please note that all our collected materials are for use in our own projects only and not for private sale.