mitre 10 – The Interiors Addict

Summer is the season of fine weather, outdoor fun and the great Aussie tradition – barbeques! From juicy meat to chargrilled vegetables, barbeque dishes represent the quintessential Australian summer.

Barbequing is a social and communal activity where you can relax and chat with friends and family whilst cooking a meal to share. And with so many BBQ options available, you can find the perfect one to suit your needs, whether you have a small inner-city apartment or a house in the ‘burbs.

Things to consider before you buy….

When shopping for your own grilling partner, ask yourself how often you will use the BBQ, the number of people you will cook for, and your budget.

There are three different types of BBQs: gas, coal and electric.

Gas grills can be propane-powered or natural gas. The propane-powered grills will include a number of features like temperature controls, side burners and cabinets. Propane-powered gas BBQs are very popular and available in a range of sizes that are suited for all spaces. Gas grills are also very easy to clean. Natural gas grills are known to heat up quickly. They are recommended for households that have an established gas connection since this is readily available and there’s an endless supply of fuel.

Keep the location in mind of where you wish to place you BBQ. Is it on a covered patio? Or exposed to the elements? There are many different types of finishes on BBQs. Just two examples are powder coated steel and stainless steel. Powder coated steel works best when undercover as it does not handle the elements as well as stainless steel. Stainless steel BBQs work in all outdoor entertaining spaces as they provide a nice ambiance and a modern feel to the space. They also do not rust and are easy to clean.

BBQs for small homes/apartments

A two or three-burner gas BBQ is ideal for an apartment because they provide a substantial grilling area suitable to feed four-to-five people, yet are considerate of the limited space that comes with urban inner-city living. If you live in an apartment that provides natural gas, then you should select a gas BBQ that is suited for natural gas lines. If you are unsure about natural gas, contact your strata or a major gas provider to determine the status of gas supply to your building.

Alternatively, LPG to natural gas converters can be purchased to allow regular LPG powered BBQs to be used. Be cautious; failure to use a natural gas suited BBQ or converter on a natural gas line is very dangerous and can potentially damage your BBQ due to different fittings and level of gas flow.

If you are not planning to use your BBQ often, then consider an electric-based grill. Electric based grills are great for the odd occasion where you may be entertaining outdoors. Most electric grills have been developed with smaller areas in mind. They are easy to clean, quite energy-efficient and compact.

Recommended BBQ: The recently released BeefEater BUGG BBQ is an ideal BBQ for apartments, with two burners. Available in two different colours, the BUGG BBQ is looking to redefine the way we cook on a compact grill. The BBQ certainly is a game changer, being easily compactable into a carry bag yet having the full functionality of a larger BBQ with its higher hood.

BBQs for large homes/backyards

The most popular type of BBQ for larger homes is certainly the LPG gas-powered BBQ, being seamlessly efficient, grilling fast and requiring little upkeep. Gas-powered BBQs are often a more permanent outdoor solution, many too large and bulky to easily move place to place, hence why they are the most popular type for larger homes. Our specialist BBQ team recommends a three-to-five burner BBQ for homes three bedrooms or larger, as they cater for both outdoor entertainment requirements and the regular cooking needs of the family.

For the BBQ enthusiast who has the space, there’s no going pass a coal-powered BBQ. Charcoal BBQs come in a range of sizes that are suitable for all types of living spaces and perfect for travelling. When using this type of BBQ, you can easily cook meat at a high temperature, sealing in the juice, and at the same time cooking the meat in a slow manner. The end result is meat that is cooked perfectly with that authentic smoky flavour. However, coal BBQs also come with the downfall that they can be messy and difficult to clean, depending on the model of course.

Recommended BBQ: There are many great BBQ models available for larger homes and backyards. One brand we stock is Weber, who produce an exemplary range of quality BBQs suitable for homes of all sizes. The perfect model for larger homes is the Weber Q3200. Recommended by Choice Magazine in 2013 as the preferred BBQ, the Weber Q3200 can cater for up to 15 people and roast a whole turkey. Weber is a top quality brand, with an excellent reputation for producing premium BBQ products.

Whatever the occasion, a backyard gathering is always thoroughly enjoyed, so make sure you are prepared with the perfect barbeque!

— Steven Czeiger has been the managing director of Sunlite Mitre 10 for the past 10 years and won the NSW Retailer of the Year Award in 2008.

To say 2014 was a whirlwind year for brothers Shannon and Simon Vos would be a massive understatement. Not only did they win The Block Glasshouse, and pocket over $400,000 as a result, they got themselves a manager, started their own design and construction business and even did some modeling on the side!

shannon and simon interiors addict — Shannon (right) and Simon

“We’ve been absolutely flatstick since The Block,” explains Shannon. “I think I had three days off after the show and then got straight back into working as a painter. Then there was also the juggling of our Mitre 10 and Beaumont Tiles commitments and our appearances for Channel 9, whilst also being inundated with job requests for renovations.” First world problems, eh?

One of their most exciting renovation projects is a training facility for boutique coffee company Pablo & Rusty’s. A multipurpose space near Sydney’s Castle Hill, the centre will double as a barista school and a retail space. Alongside this, the duo are also in the initial stages of conducting a full-scale renovation on a well-established pub in Coffs Harbour which, with three or four bars and a huge verandah, could be a 12-month project. “These are some really quirky, exciting and fun jobs,” says Shannon. “Simon and I worked really well together on The Block and we definitely want to keep that ball rolling as we form our own business.”

With Shannon having studied interior design for the last two years and Simon soon to have his builder’s license, the duo are keen to play to their strengths. “I’ll be more focused on design, and Simon on construction,” explains Shannon. “Of course we will throw ideas off each other and help each other where needed. But the dynamic we had on The Block worked, so we want to continue that.”

With 2015 having only just begun, this year doesn’t look like it’ll be any quieter than the last, with talks of a TV show in the pipeline. “We’ve just shot a sizzle, which is like a 10-minute teaser, and are now at the stage of selling it to the networks. It would follow Simon and I working together and all the quirky stuff we get up to. We’ve been approached by a few companies to represent them, we’re flying all over Australia and we’ve done a few modeling shoots (which isn’t really work!), so the camera crew would follow us around doing all of that.”

And on the topic of TV, what do the boys think of the upcoming series, The Block Triple Threat? “It’s massive, there’s a lot going on, and I think it’ll be quite interesting having the old Blockheads versus the news ones,” says Shannon. “It’s a big leg up having done it before but I’ll tell you what, I’m very glad we’ve done ours and we’re finished! I wouldn’t want to do it again straight away.”

But would they ever do The Block again? “Definitely, but just not straight away. After the Glasshouse I needed some time off, I needed to go for a surf, I needed to lie on the beach! Simon and I both literally lost 10 kilos so it’s nice to eat a normal breakfast again, relax and just do nothing for a bit.”

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