Your Home and Garden

Is north-facing really worthy of the reputation bestowed on it by real estate agents? From west to south, here's everything you need to know about house orientation.

It turns out, quite a few of us are failing when it comes to keeping our sheets clean.

Don't get caught out by a surprise visitor with these simple tricks to make your home always guest-ready.

Are you searching for a better night's sleep? Try a new pillow

The best kind of creepy crawlies to find in your garden

Biophilic design principles have been applied to a new garden at North Shore Hospital and can be applied to your own home too, says Ryan McQuerry

It's surprisingly easy and a great way to get kids interested in plants.

Press one of these butter dishes into service and you’ll wonder how you ever went without.

With its picturesque beaches and bustling CBD, fun for the whole family awaits in (and just outside of) Auckland

Indulge in wishlist-worthy items at discounted prices

Greytown independent book store owner Millie Blackwell, of Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop fame, shares some gardening picks.

A contemporary home on a Christchurch estuary provides its owner with an outlook that’s always changing

The Shark MessMaster vacuum is making Shelley Ferguson’s life easier

Over the past four months, we’ve asked readers to select the nation’s favourite interior products. Here’s what’s hot in kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom spaces.

Calling all weekend painters, decorators and upcyclers

Plan your dream room using our template and be in to win $2000 cash and $500 of Resene paint and wallpaper to make it happen

What to pack for a perfect day of grazing and relaxing

Yellow, orange, dark blue and even a burnished gold, these colourful front doors set a cheery tone before you step inside.

A gardening guru gives her top tips for growing your favourite summer fruit

Enter below for your chance to win!

Dr Michelle Dickinson has teamed up with floorcare leader Shark to revolutionise the way you clean

Get lost in the pages of one of these brilliant beach reads this summer.

Once lined wall-to-wall with dull Seventies plastic, this bathroom has been transformed into a black, white and pink room of teenage dreams

Your birth month can influence your interior design style, helping you curate your home

Keep your fresh or potted Christmas tree looking its best throughout the festive season!

Swap needles for driftwood, ladders or origami this Christmas.

An excerpt from garden and interior designer Michael's long-awaited book Everyday Opulence.

Splurge on one yourself or buy for the home baker in your life – and be paid back in delicious treats. 

Personalise your tree with some adorable homemade woodland characters

We’re looking for the country’s favourite room designs

A perfectly composed cheeseboard is the perfect finish to any meal these holidays. Or, skip the main and go straight to the cheese

Bring the big screen to your backyard.

With so many vacuum cleaner options available, we break down which options are best for you

Bye-bye checkerboard, any colour works with striped homewares

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From a colourful paper wreath to a DIY advent calendar, these creative Christmas craft decorations will get your family in a festive mood.

Stains and spills? Bid them farewell.

Mount Maunganui design store Kayu Studio has expanded its horizons with Kayu Casa, an Airbnb allowing guests to experience their favourite pieces

Prepare your favourite spirits, syrups, mixers and juices, as you'll be filling these cocktail glasses to the brim.

Impress even the pickiest of recipients with these Christmas gift ideas.

Join us in-store for styling tips, nibbles and drinks, exclusive discounts, goodie bags and more!

We’re dreaming of a long, hot summer. Here’s how we’re gearing up for dining, drinking and relaxing this season

These three smart appliances combine functionality with modern design

Growing herbs is one of the easiest and most rewarding types of gardening, especially for beginners.

Hands up if it's time to upgrade from those threadbare sheets you've had since university.

Tactile textures and a refined, yet fun palette bring the drama to a centrally located New Plymouth house.

A rainbow of colours breathed new life into thie beloved Waitaki Lakes bach

This couple’s first build is an absolute blinder

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Are you a Palm Springs, contemporary or coastal type? Here's how to get each look.

Give your home a spooky (yet chic) makeover for this most fa-boo-lous holiday.

The age-old art of terrazzo takes the form of chic homewares

Cool yourself and your house down without blasting the aircon.  While it’s easy enough to keep yourself fresh with a quick dip in the pool or a cold shower during summer, it’s not always as easy to cool your room down as fast without ending up with an eye-watering electricity bill from leaving the air […]

Lynelle and Josh Olson had always dreamed of travelling through the South Island, so when the opportunity to adopt a dilapidated caravan came along, they couldn’t believe their luck

Designed with the doll’s houses of yesteryear in mind, this pretty home is some kind of wonderful

The plans have been unveiled, and 'Ravenswood' is set to be spectacular.

Make cleaning time easier with these cleaning tools

A mandarin tree may not be a short-term project, but if you can put in the work and nurture it for the years required to grow strong, it'll be so rewarding

Make a statement with gorgeous upholstery from Nine Muses Textiles Image: Nine Muses Textiles Interior design enthusiasts know that the right upholstery fabric can transform a space from ordinary to extraordinary. Whether you’re revamping a vintage armchair, updating a contemporary sofa or embarking on a bold DIY project, Nine Muses Textiles provides a myriad of […]

As the days become warmer take the time to prepare your garden beds if you want to ensure a bumper growing season. Here are the top tasks to add to your September gardening list Your September gardening to-do list The weather mightn’t be markedly different, nor does the garden suddenly spring into life, but there […]

Love an outdoor adventure but don't love unpacking and re-packing your tent? We've found the best glamping spots in New Zealand to book for your next getaway.

Spring has finally sprung! It’s the perfect time to get out into the sunshine and get your hands dirty with some spring planting and harvesting Photographer: Martina Gemmola A new season is upon us, which means it’s time to get busy in the garden and the vegetable patch! But before you begin planting delicious spring […]

From flora to fauna, wallpaper can transform a room with very little effort Wary of wallpaper? Dont be. While the term may conjure images of the eyewatering patterns that dominated 70 bungalows here in Aotearoa, when used correctly, wallpaper can transform a space – taking it from plain to fabulous without much effort at all. […]

The secrets to zapping stubborn stains

Raspberries need very little room and grow easily up any vertical support

Turn up the brightness and shine a light on a dim and dull living area with helpful tips from a design expert After the cold and rainy days kept us inside over winter, we’ve been looking forward to a cheerful dose of spring sunshine. Dark rooms that don’t see a lot of sunlight can feel […]

Adopting these 10 habits will have your home sparkling in no time!

A murky green-black shade adds a chic touch to this Taranaki rental

With just a bit of wallpaper, you can upgrade a lampshade and personalise it to your space.

All the things you need to check off your list for a flowery spring Marigolds are a natural pest deterrent – perfect for a sustainable garden in spring. Spring is the ideal time to plant colourful flowers. There is a plethora of varieties you can plant that will enliven your garden and create a vibrant […]

Prepare to be dazzled

How many of these tidy habits can you tick off?

Welcome the sunny days of spring with a spot of cleaning and some home beautification Spring is here, and even though we might not have the warmer temperatures yet, I still feel inclined to throw open the windows and give my home and health a much-needed refresh. Here are a handful of simple ideas for […]

Here's the best spring cleaning tips to give your house a thorough refresh to usher in a new season.

These juicy gems are ideal for beginners, busy people and small gardens

If you’re looking to flip a house, but unsure about the steps, you’ve come to the right place How hard can it be? We’ve all heard of people buying a home in need of some TLC at the right price, renovating it to a suitable standard before selling it three or six months later for […]

Keep food fresher for longer while saving on your power bill with Haier’s new energy efficient refrigerator freezer. And one lucky person will win this new refrigerator freezer valued at $2,199! Haier’s newest 70cm Bottom Freezer fridge (model HRF420BEC), is the country’s most energy efficient fridge with a market-leading 8-star rating*. It operates at 59.9 percent […]

Whether it's wood, cane, fabric or leather, give your second-hand finds a sparkling new lease of life with these cleaning tips and tricks.

From garden hoes to hand weeders, these are the best gardening tools for any beginner or garden enthusiast to have at the ready If you’re passionate about cultivating a flourishing garden or looking to elevate your gardening game, having the right tools is essential. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or a gardening amateur, investing […]

Real estate agents might say it’s all about the location, but how do you know when you’ve found the right house to do up? While the potential profit of buying and restoring a house, then swiftly selling it – house flipping – may appeal, it’s wise not to rush into it. Research into the market […]

An Auckland architect’s home is all about sun, family life and views of the zoo.

Cancel food waste and save big bucks by following these expert tips for an organised fridge and freezer These days, a trip to the supermarket is a recipe for heart palpitations, yet many of us are letting a fortune in food quietly rot in the fridge or languish as unlabelled mystery meat in the freezer. […]

One of the oldest homesteads in Matamata gets a contemporary New York loft-style update

Do you want to know how to reduce stress, handle big emotions better and lead a more fulfilling life? These eight steps are a good place to start to enhance your emotional intelligence We often think of intelligence in terms of IQ, but what about EQ? Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, is all about understanding, using […]

Green room or greenhouse? British comedy star Caroline Quentin says she’s happiest pottering around outside We know Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek star Caroline Quentin best as an actor, so you might be surprised to know her first book is about gardening – and she also did the illustrations. It all started during the […]

This side table has a wonderful home-crafted look to it like it has been cobbled together from odds and ends found lying around the garage. It’s precisely this Frankenstein feel that gives it such charm If you love the character and uniqueness that comes with handmade furniture, this DIY project is perfect for you. This […]

How one architect sustainably built his dream home with a kitchen to match.

Visitors come to this Northland town for its surf beach and safe harbour swimming, but there’s also an unexpected bonus – the shops Sun, sea and sand. Mangawhai’s town slogan is: “A little out of the way. A lot out of the ordinary.” Find out if it delivers on this promise. Mangawhai Artists Gallery, 45 […]

A media room presents an opportunity for the whole whānau to come together for bonding time in an easy, entertaining way With technology becoming more entwined with our daily lives, it’s important to have some segregation between screens in our own homes. That can mean no phones at the dining table, but dressing gowns on […]

A month ahead of (allegedly) filing for divorce, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez put their house on the market.

Discover for yourself why Te Whanganui-a-Tara is often dubbed the “coolest little capital in the world” Don’t miss the cable car for a new perspective on the city. If the weather’s fine, disembark at the Botanic Garden and wander down to the Beehive to see why the locals say, “You can’t beat Welly on a […]

From coloured tiles to crazy paving, the latest flooring ideas will sweep you off your feet Soft, organic carpet, exotic tiles or weathered floorboards – whatever your choice, the floor covering in your home drives your interior’s design, uniting the space. Here, quality is just as important as style. It’s time to let your flooring […]

Consider these cosy contemporary furnishings to switch up your style When it comes to making your home cosy and contemporary this winter, it’s all about soft furnishings. They’re the key to making your home look cool while feeling snug. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? “Not only do soft furnishings […]

Redecorating your home? Follow these 10 interior design rules to create a functional and stylish space you’ll love (without needing an interior designer) Just like an outfit, the right accessories tie everything together when you’re decorating spaces in your home. And you can’t just pull things out of cupboards, throw them together haphazardly and hope […]

Are pantry moths plaguing your home or office? These expert tips will help you to banish them for good Up there with flies and mosquitoes, pantry moths (or Indian meal moths) have to be some of the peskiest insects of all time. Unfortunately, they are also the most common. These little creatures are like Newman […]

Create a healthy garden without wasting water Photography: Hannah Puechmarin Watering plants – it sounds simple, right? Just get the hose, or watering can, and let the water flow until the plants have had their fill. While this does describe the general routine of plant watering, once you actually go to do it, you might […]

Resene has everything you might need for your decorating project. It’s here you’ll find quality colour and paints, decorating accessories, wallpaper, wall decals, curtains and cushions. And there’s professional advice at every store to help you make your choice easier. There are thousands of colours to choose from, but if you can’t find one that […]

This Manawatū home embraces slow living and a bond with the natural world

We’re sharing the yummiest bakeware that will have you asking for more  Lou Rota Mother Nature Pie Dish, $78.58 at Anthropologie From rolling pins to cake tins, measuring cups to cookie scoops, we’ve found the bakeware that you’ll want to have on display. Hide your tired mixing bowls in cupboards and drawers, as these baking […]

A small renovation project turned into a year-long makeover that gave this Titirangi family time for much meditation and design contemplation