A L L   H O M E   R E N O V A T I O N S  A N D   M A I N T E N A N C E




~specialising in bespoke carpentry ~

Michael Van Heel  ABN: 30159774409

Hello and welcome to my new website page!

 In the age of social media, it was time. Why is it on the Fairy Wren Cottage website you ask?
My wife Jude (with a lot of tech support from our daughter Liliana) created fairywrencottage.com to share our country life, guided by the seasons. Keeping our social media on one website creates a cohesive story,
everything housed under the one roof, so to speak.

There is a contact form at the bottom of this page or you can text or call me during business hours, Monday to Friday. No question is a wrong question, ask away, it is important to me that working together is as stress free as possible and that you become a returning customer like so many of my clients.

 Michael


Custom-made kitchens.
Free-standing kitchen dressers, buffets and hutches.
Free-standing and fitted pantry cupboards.
Bathroom vanities.
Laundry and Mudroom shelving, bench tops, cupboards and cabinetry.
Bedroom fitted and free-standing cabinetry and wardrobes.
Home office and studio free-standing or fitted cupboards, bench tops, desks and storage.
Bookshelves. Home libraries.
Furniture including daybeds, window seats, TV cabinetry.
Tables and tabletop replacement. 
Timber floorboard installation.
Architraves, skirting and picture rails.
Dado panelling, wall panelling and shiplap installation.
Timber windows. 
Timber doors, french doors, hardwood and glazed.
Timber screen doors.
Timber fencing. Picket fencing.
Outdoor furniture. Tables, garden seating.
Timber gates and garden features. Henhouses, wood storage and potting sheds.



My work ranges from the smallest bespoke carpentry project right through to full home renovations.
I'm really happy to work to your designs, together with my 30 years of carpentry knowledge and experience.

T E S T I M O N I A L S

Thanks Michael. I appreciate your work and that I can trust you to deliver things as and when needed. ~ Pat. Huon Valley ~

Hi Michael, I really appreciate your work and helpfulness. Look forward to the next chapter.
~ Louise. Kingsborough area ~

Hi Michael,  Although I did not get to see you when you finished, I just wanted to say thank you very much for all the work that you did
 - what started with replacing a few windows certainly did not finish there and the home is now lovely as a result of the work you did.
So thank you very much it was greatly appreciated. ~ Kaylene. Huon Valley ~

Born in The Netherlands, I completed my apprenticeship there plus ten years of working on heritage buildings from the 1600s onwards.
 I love to travel and on a holiday to Australia in 1999 I met Jude in Darwin. It was love at first sight, and in less than 40 hours we had decided to spend the rest of our lives together. I went back to The Netherlands, handed in my notice, and returned to Australia four months later.
I enjoyed working for small building companies in The Netherlands, Tasmania, NSW and Victoria; the camaraderie and team work.
But I had also wanted to try working for myself. For the last twenty years, I have owned my own carpentry business and don't regret it for a minute.
Being a company of one means I can control the quality and standard of the work that represents my name.

 Fairy Wren Cottage is home, situated in the Huon Valley. As soon as we bought Fairy Wren Cottage, I gutted it (think shagpile carpet in the kitchen) and renovated it. This is our second renovation, our first was gutting and renovating a Miner's Cottage. To have personally done this twice, I have a very good understanding of renovating, working to a time frame and keeping to a budget. I live here permanently and don't leave the island when it is colder. Actually, I enjoy the colder weather!

Together with Jude, we homeschooled our daughter Liliana from Prep to Year 12. Every family is different and for us homeschooling was the right fit. Liliana completed Years 11 & 12 at the same time as completing the Diploma of Family History at the University of Tasmania (Utas) and is now a qualified Family Historian. In July 2023 Liliana returned to Utas and is furthering her professional development through studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in History. 

As well as renovating our cottage, we have planted a 3/4 acre bee friendly organic garden. It is important for us to live as sustainably as possible. Resilience and regeneration are words we think about a lot, along with how we can do things with the lowest environmental impact. One way we do this is by using reclaimed timbers if they don't compromise a project, valuing materials and giving them a second life - for example, making a new table top and replacing the old one instead of throwing the whole table out and buying new. 







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