There’s no doubt about it: when it comes to protecting our planet, most of us are eager to do the right thing. But it can be hard to discern which products are actually sustainable and ethical, and those that are simply ‘green washing’.

In the home care department, Sydney-based brand Koala Eco are determined to be the positive choice for their customers. Using natural, non-toxic ingredients derived from Australian plants with natural antiseptic qualities, Koala Eco’s products are both effective and gentle, and as a massive bonus, they smell amazing!

Founders Jessica Bragdon and Paul Davidson believe passionately in their mission of helping to contribute to healthier homes, and a healthier planet. Here, they take us behind the scenes of Koala Eco to explain exactly how they’re doing it.

Fitzroy Bridge House started as a typical Victorian terrace: beautiful, but lacking in natural light and ventilation. 

Rather than add a contrasting extension (a common heritage renovation approach), Matt Gibson Architecture + Design designed a series of mews-like buildings to expand the Melbourne home.  

Breaking the linear layout that typically defines these historic terraces, the updated home features three separate volumes, linked by a glass bridge above and two internal courtyards below. This ingenious approach invites light and air into the narrow site, without compromising on movement or space within.

Today our garden columnist Georgia Reid of The Planthunter introduces us to Matt and Lentil Purbrick of Grown & Gathered, who have crafted an idyllic life in Tabilk, an hour and a half north of Melbourne.  TODAY we admire their bountiful gardens… and later this week we’ll check out their house!