Renovation experience? Zero. Buy a rundown rental and turn it into a family home? It was a rollercoaster ride.

The arrival of a couple’s first baby put the reno of a Victorian-era doer-upper in Dunedin on a tight timeline

Traditional English details helped polish this refreshed Auckland gem

Spanish Colonial architecture, Leonard Cohen and Greece helped inspire this ranch-house makeover

A laundry you'll look forward to spending time in? You better believe it.

As an interior designer and judge on The Block Australia, it’s no surprise Darren Palmer’s own home is a winner

Spatial design expertise helped turn a south-facing ’60s unit into a light-filled family home

After closing one important chapter in Hong Kong, a family opens the door to new and exciting beginnings

Set in serene farmland and native bush and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this modern farmhouse is a testament to years of dreams and dedication.

Block planting their small, sloping section is the key to creating a garden brimming with perennials, vegetables, fruit trees and succulents.

A mid-century revival is taking shape in tree-clad Titirangi

We're dreaming of escaping the city and putting our feet up at one of these charming baches.

Explore some of the best caravan transformations on Your Home and Garden.

A revamped ’70s home by the sea is a celebration of personal style while remaining true to its retro roots

A New Plymouth couple have worked wonders, taking a turtle approach to the hairy problem of restoring a run-down villa

A converted Masonic lodge doubles as an eclectic family home and art studio

Two sisters and their husbands created a luxurious weekender with multi-seasonal appeal from summer to winter

A renovation pro tackles her most personal project yet – a forever home for her parents

Perfect for partying or chilling out, this couple built their dream beach house.

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

A 1950s bach provides the idyllic escape for a couple of city dwellers and all who are lucky enough to come visit

A plan to build in Tolaga Bay changed when this homeowner chanced upon an unpolished gem

Inspired by Napier’s iconic Art Deco Festival, this caravan was transformed into a pink dream.

Curated maximalism and a bold use of vibrant colour is a feast for the eyes in this interior designer’s spacious family home in Auckland

With hints of the tropics and relaxed Hamptons style, this laidback house invites people to shed their shoes and embrace coastal living

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

The lines between work and home life blur beautifully in this creative family’s 100-year-old Oamaru villa.

You may want to take notes from these very merry interiors.

Interior designer Catherine Evans shares her Christmas decorating tips.

Uninhibited use of colour and pattern delivers a home that’s merry and bright – and not just at Christmas

In an excerpt from The Makers, writer Pandora Sykes’ home is a cosy and chic statement in fearlessness with colour and patterns

All is bright when it comes to Alex's Christmas decor

A kitchen makeover borrows from the past to forge a new, timeless way of living

These villas have kept the charm of the original build, yet make them fit for contemporary living.

Taking cues from Hamptons style, this luminous home suits its family perfectly

A full-time home with a holiday feel, this renovated bach is as bright and merry as a sunny day at the beach

Opening up the rear of this bungalow with a cool new extension resulted in a seamless blend of old and new

This new-build, set against a fragrant pine forest, is all about clean, calm spaces

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

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

Building two homes during a pandemic with a newborn presented some next-level challenges for this couple

A family has created an absolute gem out of a rundown bungalow that needed a whole lot of love.

A character home, perfectly positioned for communal get-togethers, came with a few unexpected surprises.

What’s a young couple supposed to do when they find the right house at the wrong time?

An opulent bombshell inside a tough exterior.

This couple’s first build is an absolute blinder

Project managing their new Christchurch home while waiting for their baby to arrive was a wild ride for this couple

A dynamic mother-and-daughter team were up for the challenge when a 70s brick house at the Mount needed a magical makeover.

The design, construction and decorating of a Taranaki family’s new build was made all the sweeter thanks to family and friends.

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

When two creative minds collided, the result was this colourful Dunedin home Matt painted the orange squiggles on the walls and bought the colourful Vampiros en La Habana poster by Eduardo Bachs from a street stall in Havana, Cuba in 2014. They bought the green velvet sofa at Matt Blatt in Sydney. Home profile Meet […]

A 1970s home renovation took this old and run down building and turned it into a modern family retreat

United by Instagram, a graphic designer and an interior expert found themselves on a joint mission to transform a 1990s home.

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

One of the oldest homesteads in Matamata gets a contemporary New York loft-style update Polished concrete floors, black steel kitchen cabinetry, black wood and smoked walnut ply on the ceiling combine to create a stylish industrial vibe. Home profile Meet & greet: Chris and Kevin Norris (owners of Stonewood Homes Tauranga franchise), with Jackson, 17, […]

Setting sail for Aotearoa was both a homecoming and an uncharted adventure for this returning Kiwi couple and their rural new build.

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

Design duo Bonnie and Neil turned their hands to their own home with the same exuberance and passion they bestow on all their projects.

This Manawatū home embraces slow living and a bond with the natural world Home profile Meet & greet: Michelle (interior designer), Brad Webb (construction project manager) and their children Lachlan, Oliver, and Ruby. The property: Rural family home in Awahuri with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a spacious living area. Michelle Webb loves to stand […]

A small renovation project turned into a year-long makeover that gave this Titirangi family time for much meditation and design contemplation Designed over three levels, the middle level’s big, open-plan kitchen/dining area is homeowner Anastasia Dailianis’ favourite space. It’s here where her “kitchen choir” drinks wine, eats cheese and sings cover songs. All the walls […]

Though Brits by birth, this Invercargill couple demonstrated a can-do Kiwi attitude in the DIY-heavy creation of this rural paradise.

Saving a crumbling Palmerston North villa was a labour of love for this pair of professional renovators who had a clear vision for their heritage home.

Keen to care for the planet, a savvy designer revamped a harbourside home destined for demo with a light touch – no bulldozers required Josie’s art curation adds to the thoughtfully tailored appeal of the home. “If you go to the effort of doing a beautiful renovation, you need to dress the walls in the […]

A couple move cities to embrace a new lease of life, not just for themselves but for a 1920s home as well Home profile Meet & greet: AnneMarie Tangney (health professional), Steve Moratti (retired academic) and Chihuahua-Maltese Benny. The property: Four-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow in Mount Eden, Auckland. In January 2022, AnneMarie Tangney and her husband […]

An extensive Mount Eden renovation, 10 years after the first one, has transformed this bungalow into an open-plan oasis The luxurious kitchen features oak veneer cabinets, window seat and custom island made by BMC – Custom Designed Cabinetry. The benchtop and splashback are Dekton Entzo from Cosentino and the leather bar stools are from King […]

In an edited extract from her new book, Aussie interior designer and photographer Ingrid Weir visits designer blogger Victoria Smith’s California coastal cottage Home profile Meet & greet: Victoria Smith (San Francisco Girl By Bay blogger) and rescue dog Frances. The property: Rented 1929 Spanish revival cottage, Laguna Beach, California. Ingrid Weir’s New Coastal: Inspiration […]

This artistic enclave on Waiheke Island embodies a Mediterranean sense of warmth and welcome The wind wall blocks breezes while still allowing beautiful views of Church Bay. The pitched roof was designed as an accent to break up the wall and looked so much like a bell tower when finished that they had to find […]

A large modern barn style home was exactly what a young family wanted – and got – when they built on their Manawatū farm.

They call it The Can House – a compact family home built inside a ’can’ or shipping container lined with warm plywood, clever storage and ingenious ideas Meet and greet: Kimberly (clothing designer and children’s book creator), James (clothing designer), and Nova. At first glance, this shipping container home across the harbour from Wellington City looks like […]

Creating a child-friendly garden was a priority for this Auckland couple

This new-build makes a bold statement on the outside, but inside it’s warm, welcoming and designed to create the ultimate Kiwi childhood.

Help from friends and family and treasured heirlooms added heart and character to this Havelock North bungalow makeover.

Drawing on countless international influences, this multifaceted farmhouse renovation is the perfect fit for GlobeWest’s Stephen Mendel and his wife, Tanya Bifolds frame the vistas from the living room. The occasional chairs, sofa, coffee table, ottoman, side tables and rug are all from GlobeWest. The sculpture is by Camie Lyons and the exterior is Alpine […]

Let there be light.

Thinking outside the box worked for this creative couple who went door-knocking in search of their new home Home profile Meet & greet: Shay (owner of Idyllic Disruptive Design Studio) and John Starrenburg (construction site manager), their children Hudson, five, Olive, three, and Prince the border collie/Pomeranian cross. The property: A 1950s New Plymouth house […]

Connection was the goal of this Wellington renovation, which now has room for the whole tribe.

What started out as a simple cosmetic renovation quickly snowballed into a full home makeover for Zoe and rugby league great Benji MarshallA ZipWater tap serves up boiling, sparkling and filtered water. The Eclipse pendants are made of acrylic and brass and the Chass surface-mounted lights are finished in matte brass gold. Home Profile Meet […]

A small family who missed Mount Maunganui beach life had big plans for a rundown little bach.

In dire need of a major renovation, a 1930s bungalow in Nelson became a bigger, better version of itself

Entering a new life chapter inspired a family’s move to a simpler, less laborious way of living in a cedar-clad black houseThe 1990s home was extensively renovated and reclad in black-stained cedar. Home Profile Meet & greet: Maree (founder of skincare company Evre) and Brad Glading (research and insight manager), children Frankie, 14, and Louie, […]

A family opts for a maximalist home with interiors providing a spectacular show of lilac, green and yellow The original pitched ceiling has been lined with pine. The cushions from Sage x Clare, Gorman and Bonnie and Neil pick up on the large artwork by Mignon Steele. The eye capiz shell wall plaque is from […]

Time-tested elements are harmoniously matched with light-handed hints of modernity in this renovation of a Wellington villa.

Statement decor and a love of art have layered this new-build with character aplentySimone describes the kitchen as “fairly stock standard, what you’d see in most new-builds.” Home profile Meet & greet: Simone (content creator) and Trent Forsyth (sales manager), their sons Asher, two, and Ryder, one, and French bulldog Maddox. The property: A four-bedroom […]

This candy-coloured home makes you smile whether you’re inside or out.

With plenty of passion and a lot of persistence, an Auckland couple create a rural dream with vibes of the Med

For their sixth house, this family opted for a farmhouse build that combines dramatic architectural details with practical, family-friendly living

An interior designer shows how she stamped her mark on a rental property and turned it into home Home Profile: Meet & greet: Mary (self-employed interior designer and artist) and Matt Tapsell (executive chef), and their daughters Rosemary, six, Olive, three, and Daisy, one. The property: Three-bedroom attached rental unit in Bucklands Beach, Auckland. For Mary Tapsell, […]

A sustainable, stylish Lake Taupō house is the perfect escape for two families living side by side

Inspired by Japanese and Scandi design principles, a Bay of Plenty couple create a serene family retreat.

Whatever you love should be reflected in your interiors, and made brighter for it.

A downsizing move became a more ambitious project than anticipated for a retired Auckland couple and their wider family.

A couple’s decision to buy a Napier home sight unseen turned out to be the right one – and it had a surprising family connection

This farmhouse makeover was all about working through the quirks of an old home.

A little-known medieval mansion sets the scene for writer-director Emerald Fennell’s debaucherously divisive film, Saltburn Saltburn is the hot film on everyone’s lips right now. It’s spawned numerous bathtub-inspired candles, the babygirlification of the mesmerizingly 6 ft 5 Jacob Elordi (a fact that SNL couldn’t resist paying homage to multiple times) and a trending TikTok […]

Advised to bowl this old Auckland house, its new owners opted for a transformation of epic proportions.

A dated Christchurch house is transformed into a stunning modern home

An Auckland couple were inspired by the 'tiny house movement' and began a DIY journey to build a home on wheels.

Settling into her Eastbourne house, Your Home and Garden DIY queen Nikki Kettle shares her mantra for a stress-free festive season.

Stylist and homewares store owner Ginamarie Riley shares her holiday traditions, old and new.