About Karl
The Master Builder:
Australian native Karl Champley is an award winning Master Builder, environmental home inspector and building consultant for commercial and residential construction in both the USA and Australia.
In the building trade since 1983, Karl has won countless awards for prominent large-scale remodels, additions, new homes to the world-famous Glass House situated in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia. From colleges, libraries, restaurants, homes and even fire stations, Karl's masterpieces have earned him well-deserved notoriety in the building industry. He started in the trenches as an apprentice carpenter and joiner for four years and soon rose up the ranks as a credited tradesman, to site forman, project supervisor to a project manager. He continued his studies to acquire his building supervisor clerk of works certificate and structural engineering certificate to gain his Master Builders license for both residential and commercial construction. He then started his own building business KJC Building Services in 1990 then due to overwhelming demand he incorporated in 1993 to KJC Constructions (NSW) Pty. Ltd.
He was bestowed the Australian Achiever award in 2001 for his Australian Design and Construction company.
He is also an experienced and active property developer . His first home building project investment started early in life at the age of 19 years while still in his apprenticeship. His latest projects include an ultra modern home in Los Angeles he designed and built entirely on his own as well as modern condominium in the planning stages in Sydney Australia.
The Radio Host:
Karl Champley has been a popular radio show host for the past 7 years with his show DIY LIVE Radio through the Entertainment Radio Network in Hollywood, California and Radio America in Washington DC. He was also featured with his DIY tip of the week on NFLs Monday Night Football with Boomer Esiason and Marv Albert through Westwood One. Karl was also a contributor to Popular Science Radio. A publication thats been available since 1872.
In January 2015 Karl launched his new The HOME CHAMP Radio Show through CRN Digital Talk Radio Network. A nationwide and global show that is broadcasted in Los Angeles, USA across many platforms. This popular show showcases a passionate and no- nonsense approach to home improvement and eco-friendly, green design. The show features the latest insider trade show news on tools and products from a mix of top designers, decorators, building and remodeling experts as well as valuable advice from Karl's extensive career. From saving you money to simple questions like which table saw is right for the job, to fully redesigning a house, Karl answers listeners calls and offers doable tips to help make any project easier. Listeners will get real world experience and honest feedback on products that are tried and tested.
Karl is a great source when it comes to needing valuable information for all trades advice in the industry, including plumbing, electrical, framing, concrete, carpentry, bathrooms, kitchens, energy efficiency and curb appeal to name a few.
The Humanitarian:
Karl recently joined forces with The NIMBY Project where he performed a much needed makeover to a battered women and children's shelter in New York with actor Luis Guzman and Jacquelyn Aluotto. He is extremely passionate about helping children and young adults find their way. Karl and the NIMBY team plan to do many more of these rescues across the country. https://vimeo.com/65082432
Karl and the DIY Network joined forces with Dr Phil to help out victims of Hurricane Katrina and has hosted many Habitat For Humanity and Jimmy Carter workshop events around the United States. Recently Karl had the opportunity to work alongside the former president Jimmy Carter, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Miss World and many other great volunteers at various Habitat For Humanity build sites across the USA.
Karl is also a passionate wildlife rescuer and proficient snake handler where he was on call 24/7 for the WIRES organization in Sydney Australia to rescue native animals in distress.
In 2014 Karl became a board member for the Wildlife Waystation in Los Angeles http://wildlifewaystation.org He and the teams mission is to rescue and provide sanctuary for exotic animals from around the world as well as native wildlife. He is also associated with some of the worlds largest animal protection agencies and is always looking for ways to help troubled animals and reptiles.
The Author:
He is the author of a new home improvement book. "Same Place More Space" 50 projects to maximize every room in the house and he is currently in the process of creating more.
SAME PLACE MORE SPACE is Karl's latest addition. He has created this book due to the overwhelming response from people screaming to find extra space inside and outside their homes. Master carpenter and HGTV and DIY Network host Karl Champley offers 50 home improvement projects to maximize space in any dwelling, no matter how big or small. Keeping an eye on style and economy, Champley outlines tools, materials, and techniques for searching out and using hidden-away space to achieve incredible results. Readers will learn how to carve out shelving niches between studs in the wall, tuck more into kitchen cupboards, build hidey-holes beneath floor boards, and much more. The projects range from easy organization solutions to weekend construction projects and more ambitious undertakings. With easy-to-follow instructions for making more out of less, detailed illustrations, and no-nonsense advice on clutter control,Same Place, More Space makes it simple to create a more functional, expansive, and beautiful home without moving or remodeling.
Karl's first book with co-host Amy Devers, DIY To The Rescue: 50 Great Home Improvement Projects is full of tricks of the trade.
"This superb guide leads beginners - and weekend warriors - through a variety of tasks from start to finish, taken from DIY Network's popular show, no foyer need go without a fix-up, no garage without a makeover, no shoe collection without a sanctuary. Featuring extremely detailed step-by-step instructions and images, this superb guide leads beginners--and weekend warriors--through a variety of tasks from start to finish, helping them eliminate kitchen chaos, score a new floor, design a hallway art gallery, decorate an enchanting entryway, set up a home office, or create a serious study. It covers all the basic home improvement skills and showcases more than 35 complete indoor and outdoor projects--in a variety of styles, techniques, complexity, and budgets, with before, during, and after photography."
The TV Host:
Karl is a familiar face on the DIY Network and HGTV and has hosted over 200 episodes viewed in over 95 million homes in the United States and is seen in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Turkey and several other countries around the world. Both of his home improvement shows "DIY To The Rescue" and "Wasted Spaces" have won 7 Telly and Aurora awards. Karl recently WON Ellen's Design Challenge on HGTV with Ellen DeGeneres and he will be back for season 2.
Episodes have also been aired on US Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines. Karl has also been the expert, host and consultant to many television specials including the world's largest builders show (IBS) The International Builders Show. The National Hardware Show, the Kitchen and Bath Show, Pacific Coast Builders Conference and many others in the United States. You can catch Karl's expertise on Home & Family, Military Makeover, Wasted Spaces, DIY to the Rescue and many Habitat For Humanity specials.
The Speaker & Judge:
Karl is also busy throughout the year speaking & judging various trade shows and home improvement competitions across the United States, Canada and Australia. KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Show), IBS (International Builders Show), NHS (National Hardware Show), PCBC (Pacific Coast Builders Conference) CES (International Consumer Electronic Show) to name a few.
The Tool Man:
As a hands on guy. He is also known as the tool man when it comes to testing hand tools, power tools and lawn and garden equipment. Karl has worked with the top tool companies and various trade publications around the world testing many prototypes and existing tools on the market giving true feedback and advice to better improve the tool efficiency, durability, look and feel.
The Green Guy:
Since Karl started as an apprentice carpenter in Sydney, Australia in 1983 he has always been conscious and inspired towards products that make sense in the environmental world of construction. As a result he is very passionate and interested when a new product fulfills this niche and makes sense from tankless hot water heaters to the top thermostats available on the market today. Karl keeps up to date with whats available on the market by attending all of the major trade shows around the world that offer products and break through innovation in this field. He is also very passionate towards educating people to the meaning of Green and how to better utilize it in their life as he often states it is not rocket science.
Karl is also a certified Environmental Home Inspector.
The Accomplishments:
Karl won the State Master Builders' Association's Award for a major remodel and additions project to a four-story home in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs. He was also bestowed an Australian Achiever award in 2001 for his Australian Design and Construction Company.
Some other accomplishments include the project management and construction of a Sydney landmark, the award-winning glass house situated in the Royal Sydney Botanical Gardens as well as libraries, schools, homes and a convent. Karl has also renovated and remodeled fire stations, factories, colleges, restaurants and hundreds of homes from basement to attic
Many of his homes that he designed and built have been published in newspapers and magazines such as Home and Garden and Vogue Living.
Both of his home improvement shows "DIY To The Rescue" and "Wasted Spaces" have won 7 Telly and Aurora awards.
The Artist:
To balance his professional life with his creative interests, Karl enrolled at the Actors Studio in Sydney in 1995. A year later, in a Double Bay hair salon, Jennifer Treur of Jam Directions was getting her hair styled when she noticed Karl walk in to pick his wife up. She introduced herself and explained that she was producing a film and was looking for someone to play the lead role as a 'James Bond' type character in an independent film that she was making. The film made its way to various festivals around the world and after winning some awards this enticed Karl to try out his luck in Hollywood. So in 2001 he placed his construction company on hold and Karl and his wife, Diane, moved to Los Angeles. Karl picked up various roles in film and television and landed the role as a host on the popular home improvement show DIY To The Rescue in 2002.
Karl's latest film "Cockpit" has won many awards at various film festivals around the world. He was also nominated best actor.
The Renegade Builder:
Watch one man build his own house from concept phase to completion.
Between hosting shows, being a father, radio and a product spokesperson. Karl is at it again building his home in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles from the ground up. An ultra modern, green designed home which incorporates some of today's latest technologies and materials using energy efficient methods of construction.
Karl has embarked on this project entirely by himself from the foundation to completion including all trades except for HVAC, and fire sprinklers AND he is filming it all for you to see. He is the camera man, sound technician and host from beginning to end to reveal and share with you what home owners really need to now about this process. You will learn how much you can build on your own, when to get help and when to do it solo. So stay tuned as he will be sharing this with you as soon as the house is completed and the footage (500 hours) has been edited!
The Renegade Builder:
Watch one man build his own house from concept phase to completion.
Between hosting shows, being a father, radio and a product spokesperson. Karl is at it again building his home in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles from the ground up. An ultra modern, green designed home which incorporates some of today's latest technologies and materials using energy efficient methods of construction.
Karl has embarked on this project entirely by himself from the foundation to completion including all trades except for HVAC, and fire sprinklers AND he is filming it all for you to see. He is the camera man, sound technician and host from beginning to end to reveal and share with you what home owners really need to now about this process. You will learn how much you can build on your own, when to get help and when to do it solo. So stay tuned as he will be sharing this with you as soon as the house is completed and the footage (500 hours) has been edited!
The Blogger:
Great tips, news and ideas from Karl Champley. Your welcome to leave a comment or simply say G'Day.