Home Tours

A property developer and his family find magic at Moonlight on a steep section overlooking the Tasman.

A couple on a mission for more space found just what they needed – and it was practically on their doorstep Serendipity was surely at play when Melissa and Marc Gibson embarked on their most recent house-hunting exercise. “With the arrival of our son Hugh four years ago, we quickly realised we had outgrown our […]

Sandra Barrio von Hurter’s colourful jewellery is adored for the way it brightens up Zoom calls – and she has a home to match Meet & greet Sandra Barrio von Hurter (jewellery maker), Felix von Hurter (businessman), and Frida, one. Sandra Barrio von Hurter lives and breathes colour, from the cheeky cherries that dangle from […]

A serious health crisis led to career changes for an enterprising couple who share their demo-to-reno secrets Meet & greet Tyge (project manager/ house flipper) and Christina Dellar (interior designer/house flipper), Valor, six, and Zeph, three. There are certain times in married life when you question your partner’s thinking. A very dated old bach in […]

Leaving the city and heading north to embark on a new build was a happy leap of faith for a savvy young family Meet & greet Joel Mowat (director of Movewell Physio), Jess Mowat (mum/teacher), Sailor, four, Xanthe, three, and Sullivan, one. For the former Auckland couple Jess and Joel Mowat, trading the big smoke […]

Designer Hannah Whitehead finds balance in a newly built home that prioritises simplicity Meet & greet Hannah (creative) and Dylan Whitehead (mechanic), Frankie, seven, Leo, four, and Riley the retrodoodle. If there was one word Hannah Whitehead kept returning to when picturing life in her family’s new build, it was ‘calm’. The creative lead at […]

How a couple with vision tackled a run-down house on a steep, overgrown site and transformed it into a charming stylish home Meet & greet: Tomislav Ciganek (builder), Allanah Harrington (cardiac sonographer) and Harvey the cat. When Allanah Harrington and Tom Ciganek laid eyes on the 1940s three-bedroom art deco house on a steep bush […]

A couple’s renovation of their neglected home in Papamoa has incorporated design features from the ’60s and the ’70s Meet & greet: Andrew Inman (global sales manager for mountain biking company Kids Ride Shotgun), Marnie Carter (policy researcher), Koia, six, Reenie, three, and Hatupatu the cat. The renovation nearly didn’t happen. First there were eight […]

Imagination and professional expertise were required to completely transform this coastal house into a beachy-cool family home Meet & greet Amy Fowler (registered nurse), Ash Donkersley (construction business owner), Millie, seven, Bobby, three, Jack, 10 months, Luna, the English Staffordshire dog and Rosie the Tonkinese cat. For Mount Maunganui born and raised Amy Fowler, the […]

In Brianza, in the north of Italy, a fabric designer gives new life and colour to a 14th-century nobleman’s home Meet & greet Clio De Maria (fabric designer), husband Gabriel (IT consultant), Pietro Leon, five, and Galizia Lea, two. I like a place if I trust its light,” says Clio De Maria, a fabric designer […]

A Bay of Plenty couple spurned big and flashy in favour of stripped back and simple for their charming beachfront house Meet & greet: Mike and Laura Bryant (co-owners of Barrett Homes), Maddie, seven, Beaudie, five, and cats Blue and Little. Mike and Laura Bryant didn’t have to look far for builders to construct their […]

An intimate project that’s a tribute to slowness You can only get there on foot by taking an ancient Napoleonic trail through a forest that’s a tangle of chestnut trees and dense vegetation. The small house is made from stone, lime and wood, and clings to the mountain, overlooking the breathtaking panorama of sky and […]

PR executive-turned-ceramacist Lauren Young and her current affairs reporter and keen gardener husband John Hudson left city life for a lush paradise by the sea. Meet & Greet Lauren Young (PR executive and ceramacist) and John Hudson (TVNZ current affairs reporter), Yorkshire terriers Molly and Harry, and Cornish Rex Nico If you’re looking for Lauren […]

Having access to some of the best global homewares meant the owners of a Mediterranean-inspired beach home were spoilt for choice. Meet & greet:  Jill & Perry Coleman (furniture and accessory retailers). Everything has meaning in Jill and Perry Coleman’s beautiful and beguiling home by the sea. Jill is a passionate collector who founded a […]

The classic versatility of black and white was the starting point for the Sutherland-Tolley villa renovation

A New Plymouth home that could be in Bali Meet & greet Ginny Niwa (former nurse, now stay-at-home mum and interior design student) and Chad Niwa (builder, Chad Niwa Building), Indi, two, and Billy the English bulldog. Ginny and Chad Niwa have always been on the same page, and things were no different when the […]

Meet & greet Jonathan Kennedy (architect), Fiona McIlraith (commercial manager), Jackson, eight, and Archer, one. Jonathan Kennedy has come home. He grew up on a 1600sqm Merivale site, studded with mature trees a hop, skip and jump from Christchurch’s verdant Hagley Park after his father bought the section when Jonathan was 10 and built a […]

A home in the hills above Muriwai provides the ideal rural retreat for a couple in need of an escape from city living In the quest to find balance between city and country life, Hannah Gordon and her husband Brooke found it was possible to combine the best of both worlds. Together, they have created […]

A young family built a home in Christchurch that is a red-hot favourite with them Meet & Greet Myles Laing (managing director, Laing Properties), Lucinda Laing (dental assistant), and Mackenzie, eight months. The Design Myles Laing is no stranger to building houses. As the managing director of construction company Laing Properties it is his job. […]

An Auckland restored villa has blossomed over the past three years and is now the merriest of places to be for the Goddard family. For Josh and Fiona Goddard, Christmas this year will be their most exciting yet. For the first time, they get to celebrate as a family of four, including adorable toddler Billie […]

The decorations are up and the kids excited to spend Christmas in their mid-century inspired home To say the least, this was an ambitious project – a couple with three young children deciding to tackle their vision of designing and building every corner of their home. And so it was that Megan and Mike Fishwick […]

In artist Maiko Nagao Irvine’s newly renovated home DIY comes naturally – as do the Christmas decorations In 2018 Maiko Nagao Irvine and Mike Irvine’s Birkdale home in Auckland graced the cover of Your Home and Garden magazine. Small, cosy and filled with Maiko’s ingenious DIY projects and interior hacks, it was perfect for their […]

A dark and unwelcoming Despicable Me-type villa was reanimated into an Auckland family’s dream home The calm feeling that envelops you as you walk into Chloe and Shaun Lincoln’s home belies the hard work that went into making it the serene space it is today. The 1910s villa wasn’t always this polished – in fact, […]

It must have been fate that led two globe-trotting Royal New Zealand Ballet leading lights to a neglected, historical Cuba Street penthouse apartment in Wellington Before settling in Wellington as the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s artistic director, Patricia Barker and her husband Michael Auer had only spent three days on a whistle-stop tour of the […]

An ’80s suburban bungalow in Cape Town was given a charming makeover by its owner Kirsten Goss with the use of colour, quirk and a disco ball Rows of cacti, china dogs, a wacky cluster of retro flush-mounted lights on the wall, and a glass cabinet brimming with vintage cameras – all before you have […]

Moving from a studio in a caravan to a heritage-listed central city building has given a Whanganui artist Fleur Wickes room to breathe and create Whanganui-based artist Fleur Wickes has always been a great believer in writing down what you want. So, when she found herself outgrowing a tiny 1950s caravan that she used as […]

Take a tour of style aficionado and TV personality Neale Whitaker’s freshly renovated home After 10 years of holidaying in rental properties, Love It or List It Australia host Neale Whitaker and his partner David Novak-Piper decided to take the plunge and relocate from their home in Sydney. It was here in this blessed location […]

As the weather warms in the Antipodes, a nature-loving interior designer and her family in Sussex celebrate the cosy pleasures of an English Christmas When searching for zero cost, sophisticated festive styling ideas, interior designer Maria Le Mesurier, the creative force behind WoodEdit, likes to make her home Christmas ready using nature’s best. “Dressing our […]

A New Plymouth couple’s arts and crafts home is the result of time, patience and meticulous attention to detail Ros McKenzie hadn’t even driven all the way up the driveway when she realised she’d fallen in love. She and husband Craig had been alerted to the New Plymouth arts and crafts home where their good […]

An architect designed this sun-drenched home to perfectly suit a couple with plans of retiring When architect Richard Furze was approached by a design-conscious husband and wife for his professional opinion on a site in Ōmokoroa in the Bay of Plenty, his immediate response was, “Yeah, this is great.” Although it was a reasonably compact […]

A dark and dreary home is polished until sparkling light and bright. Take a tour of this inspiring renovation below When Brydhi Williamson first spotted this Alexandra home online, she was sure it was a diamond in the rough. Beneath the burgundy walls, crazy cottage wallpaper, dark wooden panelling and cluttered interior was her and […]

Driven by a highly refined taste and a love for plants and flowers, a TV producer has radically refurbished a basement apartment “I really wanted to create a space that felt completely separate from the bustling city outside,” says Rosie Rockel, who works in the entertainment industry as a television producer, when asked about her […]

Co-founder of The Hello Cup, Robyn Mclean’s modern Hawke’s Bay townhouse is filled with wit and whimsy, and a reflection of its fun and colourful inhabitants  ‘Impulsive’ is one adjective that might be used to describe Robyn McLean and Jol Bates. They’ve heard a few others too – reckless and radical, as well as instinctive, […]

This opulent family home was also designed to be luxury accommodation for guests to completely relax in a resort-style setting When expats Stuart and Rochelle Wilson were living in Hong Kong for 15 years, they dreamed of returning to New Zealand to build their dream home as “a place where people came to just exhale”. […]

A well-travelled Auckland family’s light and airy home, which overlooks a valley, features beautiful reminders of their overseas trips Far-flung destinations might be off the table for now but for freelance writer Helene Ravlich and her family, every day at home reminds them of their travels. She and husband Jooles Clements bought their early 1900s […]

Designer Lynda Gardener mixes old and new with the found and the collected to create a warm sense of whimsy in her inner-city home Lynda Gardener, an interior decorator and owner of boutique accommodation, is an avid collector. Her warehouse home is filled with countless treasures she has slowly collected throughout the years. What is […]

Jo Lavender and Rob Newland’s coastal cottage blends sorbet shades and vintage fabrics, for a home that’s cosy and chic After visiting a pretty coastal town a few years ago, Jo Lavender and Rob Newland fell in love with the idea of a home by the sea. They’d stayed at a local hotel recently renovated […]

There’s no place like home for this young family, who have breathed glorious new life into their cottage home What began as the chance to transform a dilapidated cottage into a dream home to be sold to another family, soon became so much more for builder Dale Cheesman and his wife Gemma Sampson. To the […]

A Wellington two-bedroom cottage has expanded over the years to become a restful, warm and beautiful home to a family of seven filled with vintage treasures collected over the years Everywhere you look in Sarah and Mark Vivian’s Wellington house there’s vintage rubbing up against new. Green velvet Trade Me chairs book-end a contemporary black […]

Building their dream home ensured this couple got everything they wanted, from Passive House certification to an enviable view across Dunedin The design As intrepid DIYers with plenty of renovations under their belt, Ilona and Mark Weekley wanted to start with a blank slate that wasn’t constrained by existing structures when they built their Dunedin […]

Childhood memories of the bush and nature inspired the design of this cool home Jane Power grew up on large farm and, as an adult, had visions of waking up and looking out her bedrooom window at lots of trees, something she’s finally managed to do in her new home by award-winning architect David Boyle. […]

After many years living abroad, a small but perfect Auckland cottage caught the homeowner’s eye After years of working abroad, Gretchen Young knew exactly the kind of home she wanted to live in when she returned home to New Zealand: sun-drenched, character-filled and close to all the action in central Auckland. It didn’t take long […]

A husband-and-wife design team dramatically transformed their cramped and dated bungalow To look at the sleek timber lines of this home in a small seaside town, you’d never know that a few years ago it was a pokey 1970s bungalow with a cramped, complicated layout. “People who knew the house from before we bought it […]

Industrial style, a little French country and grunge luxe is mixed to perfection in this spacious family home in Masterton Building a house from scratch isn’t an easy endeavour, but after working on their first home and loving the process, Masterton locals Danielle (Dani) and Johnny Burkhart took a gamble the hot property market would […]

A would-be holiday house became a cosy home when this family decided to swap busy city life for adventures in Wanaka For a family that loves getting outdoors and having adventures, suffering through Auckland’s busy commute every working day can only be endured with a ‘grin and bear it’ attitude for so long. The remedy […]

A Wellington couple transformed their little bungalow into a bright new home – but not without plenty of hard graft                   When Ryan and Hannah Frost first clapped eyes on the 1925 Island Bay bungalow they now call home, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. “It […]

Intent on creating a luxe holiday at home vibe, an Auckland couple took inspiration from coastal Hamptons sophistication and Hawke’s Bay landmark Black Barn Vineyards While most of us look forward to escaping everyday life with long weekends in the holiday hotspots of Hawke’s Bay or Queenstown, Sarah and Matt Cotterall took it one step […]

A husband-and-wife team, who can’t seem to stop building houses, have finally built a home in Kumeu that’s just right Back when Terena and Tony Anderson had three young sons and Tony was a fireman, the couple were constantly building homes. “We moved every nine months for six years when the kids were little. During […]

Renovating a home with hubby who likes to tear things apart and two tiny ‘helpers’ has its own challenges and blessings. See the before and afters of their reno below When teacher Hayley and firefighter Isaac first met they were living on opposite coasts. Hayley was based at Mt Maunganui, while Isaac was in Taranaki […]

Undaunted by restrictive property caveats and two earthquakes, a Christchurch family couldn’t be happier with their self-built and designed dream home With its wide eaves, low-pitched roof and walls of timber-framed glass, there is little mistaking one of the primary influences on the design of the distinctive Kennett/Maher house on the coastal hills of Christchurch. […]

An Auckland family’s contemporary home, with its judicious use of doors, features a number of ultra-cool design features The saying goes, “A builder’s home is never finished”. Well, tell that to Martin and Jodi Wiltshire, owners of a David Reid franchise, whose new home is not only finished but spectacular to boot. It helped that […]

When dreaming up their new family home this couple wanted open spaces, a timeless look and to bring the outdoors in. Here’s how they achieved it When Bay of Plenty couple, Geoff and Cris Seavill, set out to build a new home that was uniquely their own, they were clear about what they hoped to […]

   A young couple left life on deck in the Med and got on board with building their future in Kerikeri Meet & greet Amanda Cooper, (photographer), Ben Gavin-Young (landscaper), and Isabella, two. Ben Gavin-Young and Amanda Cooper say their Scandinavian-inspired house in Kerikeri is “the house that Pinterest and YouTube built”. When the couple […]

After leaving their large family home, this Auckland couple found their new forever place in a smaller character home where their art could take the stage Make-up artist Lisette Cross is used to translating the wants and needs of clients, using her flair for colour and composition. Her creative background and years of experience came […]

Moving to a property with four glasshouses prior to last year’s lockdown turned out to be a blessing for Michael Mansvelt If you’re looking for Michael Mansvelt, you might find him under a palm tree surrounded by tropical and sub-tropical foliage and vibrant-coloured blooms. And no, he won’t be in some Far North hotspot or […]

Statement pieces, a touch of whimsy and a tactful approach to colour ensure personality reigns in this two-storey, city-fringe apartment Crafting a comfortable, stylish home out of an apartment isn’t always easy. Even if you’re the owner, you can be restricted with what you can change in terms of the structure, and space is often […]

This barn-style house in Wanaka is designed to foster golden childhood memories with its cosy nooks, easy flow and semi-rural vibe. A site close to town with a rural aspect was too good to pass up for Anna Findlay, a Wanaka real estate agent for Ray White and mum of Estelle and Jake. “I had […]

Author Alice Nelson and her husband Danny saw great potential in this home. Their recent renovation is the latest update in a century-long tale of transformation. Author Alice Nelson used to write in cramped studios and at noisy public libraries, always dreaming of having a library in her own home. It would be a peaceful […]

Interior designer Kim Stephen’s home combines her signature flair for colour with a clever use of its relatively compact spaces As it is situated in a row of brick homes, the facade of this house is almost identical to those on either side of it. Step inside the front door, however, and the uniquely colourful […]

A creative couple designed and built their forever home in Gibbston Valley, with space for all the family including the horses For Laura Shallcrass, having a house in the hills with space for horses was always a dream. Settled in Queenstown for the past 12 years with her husband, architectural designer Robbie Dick, Laura, who […]

A carefully considered extension to a compact bungalow has given an Auckland family some much-needed breathing room – and extra display space Michelle Hall Collins and Michael Collins are “serial renovators”, but they may have done themselves out of jobs. The Aucklanders have spent almost 20 years having their 1930 bungalow in the city’s seaside […]

Influenced by holidays abroad, this family’s transitional villa embraces the colour and vibrancy of exotic Turkey and Morocco Clarissa and Doug Thompson’s brief for revamping the transitional villa they’d just bought was simple and unambiguous: “Anything but white.” They wanted the interior of their house to be colourful and to work with some of the […]

It was love at first when a British interior stylist first clapped eyes on this inner-city apartment The first time Shelby George saw the Auckland downtown apartment she now calls home was through her work. Her cousin Kate Alexander, founder of styling and interior design company Places & Graces, had been asked to stage it […]

After saying au revoir to France, a Kiwi family are enjoying la belle vie in their chic Christchurch apartment When Kiwi singer-songwriter-turned-business owner Flip Grater and French husband and fellow business owner Youssef Iskrane moved from Paris to Flip’s hometown Christchurch five years ago, finding a rental was a bit of a culture shock. “We […]

Completely private from the front, this home opens out to the private garden through sliding doors and raked windows. With no windows you can casually peer into from the road, Tim and Polly Dagg’s home is a mystery by day. “One of my pet hates is having big windows facing the street and looking into […]

Opening out to outdoor entertaining areas, you won’t want to leave. There’s something about the little pool house in Hannah Williams’ backyard that’s instantly relaxing. As soon as guests walk past the palm trees and the pool, they feel like the best vacation version of themselves. This tiny house, which Hannah created for guests and as […]

A serene home in Taupō unites breezy neutrals, soft textures and furniture with relaxation in mind. Meet & greet Selena McWilliam, business owner and interior designer, with daughter Jordyn, 11, and Burmese cats Polar and Egypt. When Selena McWilliam and Mike Austin first visited the empty 942sqm section at Botanical Heights in Taupō, they were […]

With a couple of kids under two, this hard-working tradie has transformed her home one colourful room at a time. After a massive villa renovation in Island Bay in 2018, builders Nikki Kettle and Tom Taylor were determined to find a home that didn’t need any work done. “We said to each other, we can’t […]

A previously stark contemporary home is given a lively makeover with bold colour, fearless pattern and travel treasures on display. You could never accuse Emily Hunt of being afraid of a challenge. Move to New Zealand from Australia? Channel a love of interiors into a design business?  Take on a major renovation that others might […]

The character features in this classic bungalow have been given the most elegant update. We talk to the homeowner and interior designer to get all the details Meet + greet Emily White, 44 (sales manager at Les Mills), David McKellar, 48 (general manager, corporate travel), and Molly, 9, plus cats Colin and Malcolm. Problems & […]

When a builder and an interior designer created their own home, the result was a considered house rich in details with plenty of glass sliding doors and carefully chosen natural materials. For such a handsome home, the entrance to Bronwyn and Bruce Turton’s Horsham Downs place is not an example of letting all your fireworks […]

A mother-daughter duo give their old family bach a much-needed update with nods to the past When Henrietta MacDonald and her daughter Emma decided to renovate their bach at Buckleton Beach, on the Tāwharanui Peninsula north of Auckland city, preserving its history was at the top of their minds. The land surrounding the bay was […]

Slowly but surely the garden of this character-filled Art Deco Tauranga house has become as heart-felt as the home itself Sally Blockley remembers well the day in May 2013 when her home dream in Tauranga became reality. She’d seen the house she now calls home but hadn’t bothered going to the auction thinking it was […]

Time, effort and an expert way with textiles has helped transform an early 1900s house situated on the edge of a hill in Auckland into a cosy family home In 2010, Meredith and Michael (Mike) planned to renovate a tiny Auckland bungalow the couple owned. Unfortunately, the cost of the project kept escalating and after […]

A stroke of luck brought Pip and Shane McNeil to this lush Whangārei section. Now, with chickens, fruit trees and space aplenty, they can’t imagine themselves anywhere else As the McNeil kids race around their acre (4000sqm) section, weaving in and out of trees and shrubs and delightedly hunting for chicken eggs, it’s clear to […]

Armed with a paint brush, this homeowner transformed her idyllic rural home room by room while her children napped. See the before and afters below After selling their quake-damaged home in Christchurch, Sofie and Daniel Isherwood were looking for an escape from the damage recovery and roadworks in their area. In February 2014, they found […]

Somehow this 1930s apartment was renovated and filled with soft colour in 10 short weeks – just in time for the arrival of daughter number five. Having four children and expecting a fifth might cause most people to put any thoughts of a major home renovation in the too-hard basket. But not Christina and Anders […]

Footwear designer Kathryn Wilson had to tear herself away from her beloved little townhouse, but she has found a forever home in this grand old dame Kathryn Wilson is not afraid of colour. Colourful footwear is the gregarious shoe designer’s calling card and her must-see fashion shows are a playful parade of models clad in […]

A tired-looking bungalow is given a fun-loving touch, resulting in a home that boasts creative colour and easy flow for a young family If there’s one thing about renovating, it’s that – if done right – a little can go a long way to creating a functional home that is pleasing to the eye. When […]

Ten years after moving in, this interior designer completely gutted her Auckland villa to transform it into her dream home Annick and Tim Larkin hunted for a new house for nine months before realising it would be better to renovate their current home to better fit their family’s needs. Although Annick is an interior designer, […]

When Nita Pearson and partner Francis Scordino were looking for a family home, they saw potential where others saw problems. While nothing had been touched since the Seventies, Nita loved the location of the property and they were able to snap it up.  Meet & greet Nita Pearson, 49 (administrator), Francis Scordino, 48 (sports club […]

From run down to remarkable, this special home shows what’s possible with a bold vision — and hard work Meet & greet John Price, 40 (works in landscaping and construction), Brydie Price, 39 (flight attendant), Miila, 17, and Spencer, 15, plus dogs Pedro and Chica. If there’s one thing to take from hearing Brydie and John […]

Classic design and vintage pieces mix with intentionally provocative art in this cleverly curated family home in Aahurs, Denmark The first time Bianca Heinsvig entered this newly built house in 2014, she didn’t think much of it. But when she walked 15 steps further in and discovered the cosy atrium courtyard and beautiful view from […]

A new home in the charming locale of Greytown, Wairarapa, is designed to be as inviting as a boutique retreat Whether it’s savouring a glass of fine wine or sinking into a good book on a sumptuous couch, everything seems better when you’re on holiday. So why not bring a little bit of that leisurely […]

Masters at making every dollar count, this family have worked wonders on a classic split-level house that no one else wanted When Nita Pearson and partner Francis Scordino were looking for a home, they saw potential where others saw problems. “We needed a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a boys’ backyard that sat within our budget,” […]

Over the years Herbst Architects have made a name for themselves and their distinctive architectural style. Here are 10 of our favourite houses by the award-winning duo Lance and Nicola Herbst of Herbst Architects have become a regular feature in architectural magazines over the years. After moving to New Zealand from South Africa over 20 […]

From run down to remarkable, this special Mt Maunganui home shows what’s possible with a bold vision — and hard work Meet and Greet John Price, 40 (works in landscaping and construction), Brydie Price, 38 (flight attendant), Miila, 17, and Spencer, 15, plus puppies Pedro and Chica. If there’s one thing to take from hearing […]

In just two months, this dark, smoke-stained cottage in Taupo was transformed into a sweet and soulful character home on a super-tight budget Meet & greet  Selena McWilliam, 33 (business owner and interior designer), Michael, 44 (builder), and Jordyn, 10. Why did you purchase the house? Selena: I fell in love with it; it was […]

   This year’s Resene Colour Home Awards winners brought subtle colour and a dose of character back to an Oamaru villa Meet & greet Tessa Simpson, 35 (freelance makeup artist), Tyler Simpson, 34 (project foreman), Reeve, 5, and Luca, 3, plus Monty the Labrador. Tessa Simpson never imagined her character-filled Oamaru home would take out […]

When this family decided to turn their bach into their permanent home building new was their best option. They share the highs and lows from their journey Meet + greet Reuben Nicklin, 38 (videographer and photographer at Reuben James), Amy Nicklin, 36 (photographer and owner of Vanish Ink), Luca, 9, Daisy, 6, and Louie, 1, […]

Vintage finds picked up for a song and old furniture revamped with paint give this family home a cool, arty style Meet + greet Tash Stokes, 26, Arie Stokes, 31 (photographers and co-owners of Black Robin Photography), Ruby, 3, and George, 1, plus Bobby the family pooch. Thanks to a unique agreement with their landlord […]

Following their move from a character villa to a near-new home, this family got to work adding some personality to their property. Here’s how they did it Meet + greet Katy Rolleston, 38 (interior decorator at Katy Rolleston Design), James Rolleston, 37 (CEO of Spaceships Rentals), Freddy, 8, and Wilbur, 5, plus four-month-old puppy Goldie. […]

Turning their bach into their permanent home means the holiday vibes don't stop for this family.

Replacing a dangerous staircase sparked a major rebuild – and ended with this transformed character bungalow that’s full of light and warmth A damp basement and a dangerous staircase aren’t music to a homeowner’s ears. And Emily White and husband David McKellar were mightily glad to say goodbye to both when they renovated their house […]

All it took to transform this tired rental property was a creative eye, plenty of hard work and an unusual agreement with the landlord Four years ago, Tash and Arie Stokes made the decision to start a family and grow their photography business instead of buying a house and taking on a mortgage. But when […]

For this family, a shift from Auckland to Christchurch meant a near-new home with plenty of space and scope to make it their own This is a tale of two cities, two houses and the call of home. At least, it was for James Rolleston, who’d always wanted to move from Auckland back to his […]

After downsizing from a high-maintenance home to a sunny pre-designed new-build across town, this Rangiora family have no regrets Meet + Greet Jecasta South, 41 (homemaker), Pat South, 44 (sales manager at New Style Homes), Onika, 22, Jak, 18, Larkin, 12, and Mika, 10, plus Muffin the cat and Doogle the dog. Jecasta’s top tips for […]

A backdrop of off-white and pale wood allowed this couple to go bold with brilliant blues of every shade in their bach-turned-home.

This 1950s bungalow was run down with a cramped layout, no privacy and no outdoor living. Here’s how these homeowners completely transformed it Meet + greet Renay Robertson, 44 (founder and owner of Haven Skin Spa), and Stuart Robertson, 41 (owner of Mean Business). Problems & solutions Problem: Cramped layout Solution: Rooms opened up and […]

This creative owner proves that paint isn’t just for the walls. See how fun-loving ’50s style was the starting point for this home’s colourful makeover. Interior designer Becky Lee has transformed the former blank canvas of her 1950s Christchurch home. When she purchased the house – which she shares with partner Phil Tumataroa, a writer, […]