Bernard Robin Director

Bernard ROBIN

Moving to Australia some 27 years ago, Bernard started The Good House Pty Ltd in January 2000. With already 20 years of experience in mechanical and structural engineering, he had quickly realised that, to the contrary of old Europe, where everything had been done, tried and tested many times over, Australia was an unfinished country, and there was plenty that still could be done in the building industry in terms of style and design, especially in that small niche of the residential market with a "from Provence to Paris" influence.
After operating for 10 years out of Richmond, in 2010 The Good House moved to larger premises in Fitzroy and in the process Oblica Pty Ltd was created for the purpose of distributing a wide range of contemporary French wood heaters, with arguably one of the best refurbished, industrial style showrooms in Melbourne.
Not wanting to be too far away from his architectural client base, Bernard relocated The Good House to a boutique Armadale showroom, soon finding himself having a coffee at Le Petit Prince with a couple of past clients, a Toorak builder he just completed a job with, or an award winning real estate agent.
Bernard likes to describe himself as a "problem solver", thanks to his technical background, and is keen to recall what architect Robert Mills told him in the early days of the company: "You have to be a reliable supplier". 24 years on, The Good House is still alive and kicking, having done work with some of the best architects and interior designers in Australia and New Zealand.
Indeed this is what Bernard brings to the business:

Experience and Reliability.

Having scaled down the company after 24 years in business, Bernard now works from home and is best contactable by email or SMS


A bit of History:

It may sound like an old chant, but "from humble beginnings" in a back office of the old Bryant & May factory in Richmond to today's select and classy Armadale showroom, TGH dwelled its way up to recognition in various abodes. These included a run down shop in Cremorne, painstakingly converted after 3 years into a rather decent showroom; a huge warehouse in Reservoir that was decidedly way too far from the action; a heritage factory in Fitzroy replete with remains of the rug trade era, beside being a bottomless well for renovation costs; and even a temporary storage tucked away under the rain forest of the Dandenong Ranges!
The voyage also included stays ranging from 4 days to 4 months in France to find new suppliers and look after shipments that allowed no room for a single set back (and eventually look after the set backs...!). In comparison to these pioneering days, TGH now is a well oiled mechanism that recently sourced, shipped and installed without a single hiccup the largest supply of Burgundy limestone works ever imported to Melbourne for a private residence (15 tons approx').


Acknowledgements:

The Good House would not be what it is now without a handful of remarkable individuals who played a key role in a timely manner:

  • Warwick Anderson, a director at RT Edgar Real Estate, advised us on who-is-who and who-makes-what(especially French style), even before TGH was incorporated. The ensuing consultations with the recommended architects gave us the start!
  • In 2000 Architect Robert Mills gave us our very first job and since then has consistently kept us in the loop for French inspired projects.
  • Not long after, Architect Michael Munckton, from Rosenthal Munckton& Shield, commissioned TGH for the sourcing of a unique, 4 sided tower clockwhich is now proudly ticking above an Arabian horse stud on the Mornington Peninsula. Michael has lent us a listening ear ever since.
  • Krongold Constructions has been a prolific client from the beginning.
  • Interior Designer Stephen Akehurstis our most loyal specifier, twice a year on average.
  • Were it not for his sudden and recent passing, there would be reasons a plenty to mention interior decorator Stuart Rattle. Not only did Stuart give us our largest Australian job ever for a residential project, but also the most challenging ones, sparing no effort to help us exceed clients expectations.
  • Tradesman Neal Slattery was a roof tile artist during business hours, and a man with a big heart any other time. As it happened, he also had a big factory from which TGH operated for many years, for receiving and dispatching container shipments.

Stephen Akehurst Design
John Alkemade & Associates
Allan Powell Architecture
Ammache architects
Anderson Construction
Asseyez-Vous Pty Ltd
Baracon Group
Bates & Smart
Bayside City Council
RBA Architects
Birchall & Partners Architects
Black Milk Interior Design
Iain Bradbeer
Brian Harvey
Buro Architects
Darren Carnell Architects
Catt Architects
Chalmers Le Fevre
Chene Construction
Peter Clark Interior Design
Concept Design & Construction
Chris Connell Design
Red interior design
DAIS
Davies Henderson
DG Jones P/L
Nick Dipaolo Architect
Doig Architecture
Domain Ramsey Group
Domain Prestige Homes
DS17
Glenn Eagles Homes
Easton Builders P/L
Edmond and Corrigan Architects
Element Design International
Christopher Elliot Design
Encapsul8 Pty Ltd
Engleheart Homes
Estate Design Group
Euting Pty Ltd
Michael Factor Architect
Fearon Hay Architects
Fiona Lynch Interior Design
French provincial homes
Full Circle Design
Peter Gibson Development
Nick Goode Construction
Grant Maggs Architects
Nicci Green Design
Grodski Architects
GTAA Associates
West Simpson Hatzellis Pty Ltd
Hayball Leonard Stent Pty Ltd
Patrick Healey Architect
Hecker Phelan & Guthrie
Jean-Pierre Heurteau Design Pty Ltd
Hillery Priest Architecture Ltd
Hooke Architecture
Backman & Company
Jackson Clements Burrows Pty Ltd
Jacqueline Homes
John Wardle Architects
Stephen Jolson Architect
Kennedy Nolan
Krongold Group
Lacoste Stevenson Architects
Renascent
LDG Pty Ltd
MALBAC Pty Ltd
Malt House
Marino Construction Management P/L
Marsh Cashman Koolloos Architects
John Matyas Architects
McKimm Developments
Meacham Nockles Mc Qualter
Glenn Mealey
Melocco & Moore Architects
ALAN MILLER P/L
Mills Gorman Architects
ML Design Architects
Mode East
Montales Cook Pty Ltd
Ian Moore Architects Pty Ltd
Maddison Architects
Nicholas Murray Architects
NH Architecture
Noordenne Construction
Nouveau Developments
Noxon Giffen Architects
O'Connor & Houle Architecture
1+2 ARCHITECTURE
Paul Bangay Garden Design
Pleysier Perkins
Sterling Plummer
Pohio Adams Architects
Allan Powell Architecture
Stuart Rattle Interior Design
Redmann-Berg Architects
Renascent
Kathryn Robson architecture
ROOM-E
Rossetti Architects
SAAJ design
Charles Salter Architects
Seeley Architects
Linda Simons Architects
SJB Architects
Stoll Long Architecture
Stonehenge Group
Cathy Stonier
Studio 35 Architecture
Tait Timber
Stuart Tanner Architects
Tarastar
TFD interior design
Thonard Interior Design
Bruce Trethowan Architect
Adam Tugentaft Architect
Karen Wagner Garden design
Warin Architect
WHACC Pty Ltd
Wheel & Barrow
Wilkore homes