01
Home landscaping
Gardens and habitat planting that work with the land, with decks, edges, screens and seating built from upcycled timber.
Macedon Ranges
Mornington Peninsula
South East Queensland
Northern Territory
Mornington Peninsula
South East Queensland
Northern Territory
Sustainable, distinctive spaces, built from upcycled timber and local materials.
Blackgum Creative designs and builds landscapes, entertaining spaces and hospitality fit outs across the Macedon Ranges, the Mornington Peninsula, South East Queensland and the Northern Territory. Upcycled timber is at the heart of what we do, alongside locally sourced recycled materials and local specialists, so every project carries a little of its place in it and leaves a lighter footprint.
We are named after the black gum, a distinctive native eucalypt. Like the tree, we want our work to feel at home in the landscape.
What we do
Landscape · Living · Hospitality02
Entertaining spaces
Places at home for gathering with family and friends: courtyards, outdoor rooms, bars and benches in reclaimed hardwood.
03
Hospitality fit outs
Bars, counters and outdoor areas for wine bars, cafes and shops, built from timber with a story.
Upcycled timber
Every board has already lived one life. We give it another.
Upcycling timber is the heart of Blackgum Creative. We seek out hardwood from early 1900s buildings: old homes, halls, sheds and factories. Much of it was cut from old growth forest and has spent a century slowly seasoning in place. We pull the nails, keep the character and build it into spaces made to last another hundred years.
Timbers we look for Messmate · Victorian ash · Red gum · Jarrah · Ironbark · Baltic pine · Oregon
Character you cannot buy new
Nail holes, bolt holes, saw marks and a deep patina. Every piece carries a record of where it has been.
Seasoned for a century
Decades of slow drying leave old hardwood dense and stable, so once it is built in it moves far less than new timber.
A lighter footprint
Reusing timber keeps it out of landfill, keeps the carbon it stores locked away and means no new trees are felled.
Timber that is getting harder to find
With native forest logging now ended in Victoria, salvaged hardwood is one of the few ways left to build with these timbers.
From salvage to centrepiece
- 01
Salvage
Sourced from demolitions, salvage yards and old buildings, often close to where it will be used again.
- 02
Prepare
Every nail and bolt pulled, damaged ends cut away and each board checked for soundness, borer and old paint.
- 03
Mill
Resawn, dressed or left rough, depending on how much of its history the design wants to show.
- 04
Build
Crafted into bars, decks, benches, screens and garden structures, then finished to let the grain speak.
Selected work
Where the timber ended up
Two Macedon Ranges venues where early 1900s timbers are now in use every day, with the saw marks, nail holes and patina left in.
Materials with a story
Chosen for character, built to last
Reclaimed hardwood
Early 1900s timbers, cleaned up and reworked, with their history left in.
Local stone
Stone sourced close to each project, so it sits naturally in its landscape.
Weathered steel
Recycled steel that ages to a warm rust and pairs well with old timber.
How we work
Designed with you, built to last
- 01
Design together
We start with collaborative design sessions and use 3D models so you can see the space before anything is built.
- 02
Choose the materials
We source recycled materials locally, from early 1900s timbers to stone and steel, and check each piece for durability and character.
- 03
Build with care
Skilled craftsmanship and sustainable building practices, with regular check ins and room to adjust as the project takes shape.
Get in touch
Planning a garden, entertaining space or venue?
We would love to hear about your project, at home or in business, in the Macedon Ranges, on the Mornington Peninsula, in South East Queensland or in the Northern Territory.
Have old timber of your own, from a house, shed or family farm? Tell us about it. We love giving timber a second life.
Or email us directly at hello@blackgumcreative.au