Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Barte comes from a family of talented musicians and performers. He has appeared in many TV commercials, both in Australia and the U.S., print ads; industrials; live theater; television programs and films, including Peter Benchley's The Beast, starring C.S.I.'s William Petersen, and Race The Sun, starring Jim Belushi and Halle Berry. Since moving to the U.S., Barte has hosted a 4-episode special on the Outdoor Life Network, Cycling: The Inside Track, and has spent two years hosting Renovations, a weekly prime-time program on HGTV, which has included several intriguing renovation projects as restoring a 250 year-old stone farmhouse and moving an entire house across the street.

Barte has a degree in landscape architecture from the University of New South Wales. Not content to simply design from behind a drawing table and computer, Barte has also physically built landscapes — including one for a Habitat for Humanity house and an entire community park. With Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls, Barte hopes to contribute not only to a great television program, but also to positively influence the lives of children, whatever part of the planet they come from.