‘‘Well my younger sister Steph is living and working on the Greek island of Skopelos ... I

Wollongong businessman Michael Bolt nominates colour and music as the essentials for establishing a comfy home – and he has had plenty of practice.
Bolt, who runs Red Square bar and bistro in Keira Street, has lived in some impressive homes throughout the city, not the least the four-level ultra-modern Smith Street house he designed himself.
He now lives in an A-frame bungalow-style home in Keira Street he shares part-time with son Tom, 17, and Zoe, 16.

‘‘You can brighten up most houses with colour,’’ he says glancing around his loungeroom, his favourite space that pops with reds, blues and yellows.

Bolt, one of the original Wollongong Steelers, has discovered a natural talent for not only finding interesting pieces in unlikely places, but also making equally stylish furniture from recycled materials.
He started 20 years ago with an extended recycled outdoor dining table, which is the centrepiece of his courtyard.
The fanned garden seats nearby are also his work.
‘‘Furniture making is something I find relaxing and there are so many things you can do,’’ he says proudly displaying an outdoor stained seat he is making from timber palates for his bar.
His dream home, he says, keeps changing at different stages of life.
‘‘Right now this suits me fine because it’s a great house and low maintenance, which suits the long hours associated with my business,’’ says Bolt.
But further down the track?
‘‘Well my younger sister Steph is living and working on the Greek island of Skopelos ... I
like the idea of something like that.
‘‘I can see myself maybe running a little taverna ... I know I’d get plenty of Australian friends visiting,’’ he says with a laugh.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1589155/gallery-a-tour-of-gong-bar-owners-house/?cs=298#