Tips and Advice

Let's be honest, we all judge a house by its cover.

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

Is the hot weather getting to you? Check out these fan-tastic solutions to beat the summer heat.

Does bathing beneath a leafy canopy float your rubber ducky? We’ve devised a comprehensive list of things to bear in mind before install your outdoor shower or bath.

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

Elf on the Shelf is an entertaining way to count down to Christmas (and keep the kids behaving).

If a real Christmas tree isn't available to you this year, try one of these alternatives.

The wonder over choosing and bringing home a freshly chopped tree never gets old.

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

Have you mastered fridgescaping and want to tackle a bigger project? We present your essential guide to pantryscaping.

Designing your private green sanctuary is an exciting challenge – and, all going well, extremely gratifying.

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 […]

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

How many of these tidy habits can you tick off?

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

Cladding sets the tone for your house as well as protecting it from the elements. We’ve rounded up the top options to consider before you dive in When planning a home renovation or new-build, many of us will spend hours umming and aahing over different shades of white paint or selecting the perfect kitchen benchtop […]

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.

Spring is knocking on winter’s door so it’s time to do a bit of soil prep, pruning and veggie planting in anticipation of the warmer months Chores to consider for August gardening The last month of winter is often the most brutal but it is also when the new season is tantalisingly within our sights. […]

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 […]

Texture is an important element of interior design that is often forgotten. 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 […]

Find out how these feng shui tips can change the energy flow in your home Do you feel tired and lack energy regularly? Your home’s feng shui (or lack thereof) could be to blame. Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of balancing the flow of energy in spaces like the home, to encourage a […]

We speak to the experts to find out how to best tackle household mould and mildew Not all mould is bad. After all, it helps convert grapes to wine, milk curd to blue cheese and has even contributed to medical breakthroughs like penicillin. But that’s very cold comfort when this living organism invades clothes, ruins […]

Choosing 'white' paint is the first step. Finding the 'right white' paint is another task altogether. 

It’s time to plant new fruit trees, pop in some leafy green seedlings and plan spring crops Chores for your early winter gardening Winter has come. Activity in the garden is slowing. In cooler parts of the country, growth has all but stopped. With the plants needing less attention, more time can be paid to […]

Enhance your home improvement game with this list of toolbox essentials – whether you’re a budding builder or DIY dab-hand Whether you’re renovating the guest bathroom, installing floating shelves of just making minor repairs around the house, having the right tools makes all the difference. A well-stocked toolbox can save you time and frustration and […]

This small Wairarapa town is as pretty as a picture, with shops to match Greytown’s reputation for being really good-looking is well deserved. Why, if you drive down the main street, the restored Victorian buildings make you feel as though you’re on a Peter Jackson film set – if hobbits lived in a bucolic colonial […]

Upgrade your home by installing a refurbished backyard caravan to use as a retreat, sleep-out, office space or party-ready cocktail bar.

Be kind to yourself and silence your own worst critic In today’s fast-paced world, perfection has become a common objective for many. From striving towards a successful job to maintaining the perfect body, home, or family life, our desire to attain perfection can often feel never-ending and all-consuming. It’s no wonder we feel inadequate. Society […]

If you’ve already got a tree or are planning on getting one soon, here’s how to keep your Christmas tree fresh for longer, from the team at Misa Christmas Tree Farms

Follow these easy organisation tips and shopping picks to keep your linen cupboard neat and tidy Do you dread opening the door of your linen cupboard out of fear you may become buried under an avalanche of fitted sheets, towels and extra duvets you keep “just in case”? At one point or another everyone goes […]

Save time and money with these useful hacks for our most dreaded cleaning tasks Moving house is always a hassle. While a landlord can’t withhold your bond on the grounds that your house has not been cleaned, it is important that you leave the property reasonably clean and tidy. If you’ve got a few problem spots you’d like […]

Pink and green can be a polarising colour pairing, but when applied thoughtfully – like it has been here – it can be a winning combination Pink and green is an enduring colour pairing – and one that is naturally occurring in spring when blossom appears among bright green leaves. And, while it works seamlessly […]

This handy method will give your duvet the clean it needs

Garage overhaul with designer Hannah Feltham, Good Space Design Day 1 – Clear & Prepare Move everything out of the garage. Make three piles: throw away, give away and keep. Check the ‘throw away’ pile to make sure it can’t be used by anyone else or for anything else before it goes to landfill. We […]

Decorate your gifts with as much care as you did in choosing them, then watch as eyes light up on spying these perfect offerings Crepe paper is vastly underrated. Cheerful and bright, we’ve pushed it to its decorative limit and got the very best out of it by fashioning tassels, fringes and twirls for Christmas […]

What to consider when you’ve outgrown your house and can’t decide to extend or sell There are a number of reasons why you might outgrow your home, for example, you’ve had children, you’re working from home more, or another member of the family has moved in. Whatever the reason, you have a couple of choices: […]

After a hard winter, the season of growth has finally arrived September 1 is the official start of spring, the season of rejuvenation when it feels like nature has given us the go-ahead to get out into the garden, sowing and planting. But patience is prudent in all but the warmest parts of the country. […]

We spend on average 384 days doing laundry in our lifetime. Let’s try to cut that down, shall we? Three hours – that’s the amount of time most of us spend on washing, drying and folding laundry every single week. What’s more, the LG Annual Household Survey 2016 found that almost 60 per cent of […]

Escaping the winter chill?  Her’s what to do around the house before you go away Nothing beats jumping on a plane, knowing you’re heading to a holiday destination that’s a few degrees warmer.  Or, if you’re embracing winter, heading to the snow to carve up some fresh powder. Before you even think about zipping up […]

How to beat product shortages, unstable pricing and supply chain problems in your home remodelling If you’re thinking about renovating your home, you may be wondering how you’re going to navigate the long lead times and constant price increases you keep reading about. Ultimately, it all comes down to planning – which is the 101 […]

Consider these ten helpful tips before making any big changes to your bathroom 1. Reuse the plumbing If your budget’s tight, do your best to reuse the existing plumbing locations. Try not to move the toilet or shower as this can be a costly exercise by the time the water supply and wastewater pipework is […]

Lifting the veil on how to make your home space spick and span, without spending hours cleaning. The three-minute rule In a nutshell, you put aside three minutes each day to tidy one small area of your home. Surely we all have three minutes to spare, am I right? You could do this while you […]

Our DIY expert Nikki Kettle shows us three clever ways to make your own DIY bedside table How to make your DIY side table What you will need: • Bedside table • Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer • Paint brush • Roller • Dowel 8mm • Handsaw • Caulking gun • Construction glue • Ruler […]

Decking the halls is a great mood enhancer, so try some of these on for size Throw some shade The creatives of the world will always seek to find new ways to represent the Christmas tree. This is a brilliant and easy take on it. Take five parasols and fix them in various states of […]

Designer Annique Heesen from Gezellig Interiors offers advice for killer kitchens Be it small and unassuming or large and glamorous, the kitchen’s importance as a gathering point, a hub and the heart of the home remains the same. With open-plan spaces soaring back into popularity, the kitchen’s role has expanded so it now needs to […]

There is so much more to paths than just perfunctory straight lines. With long-distance travel out, it’s a great opportunity to go on a journey without leaving your garden Useful as they are for getting from A to B, from the back door to the washing line or the front door to the gate, paths […]

Designer Annabel Berry from Design Federation shares key inspiration for dining room design With open-plan living so much a part of our homes these days, traditional dining rooms have morphed into living spaces. Whether you have a designated room for dining, or just a table and chairs between the kitchen and living areas, make it […]

It’s easy to plan a successful summer gathering for friends and family. Eleanor Ozich shares her top tips for an easy Christmas dinner party As the days become longer, we spend more time dining al fresco, making it the perfect season to bring friends and loved ones together for a meal, lockdown permitting. Spring also […]

Interior designer Vic Bibby from Bibby & Brady shares five golden rules for laundry design There’s something about a beautiful laundry that never fails to evoke a look of longing, or a gushy ‘wow’. Perhaps that’s because we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that this hardworking space is just that, a space for hard work. […]

Give your home the best base with well thought out and practical flooring choices – here’s what’s trending With pets, parties, children and probably the occasional scooter or pram traipsing across its surface, your flooring needs to stand up to the trials of family life underfoot. So, regardless of whether it’s going to be the […]

Whether it’s dripping with orchids, peppered with hydrangeas, completely adorned with sunny-coloured flowers or decorated with the dried variety, these five floral Christmas trees are blooming with inspiration  We are so lucky to enjoy beautiful summer flowers at Christmas time. Jess Britten’s floral Christmas tree uses hydrangea, cosmos, dahlias, scabious, achillea, delphinium and cow parsley […]

Subdued greens and curvaceous, organic shapes create an understated natural Christmas style that is both relaxing and joyful Deck the halls For a modern interpretation of the traditionally bright and bold garland, wind strands of delicate foliage (olive branches look lovely) around handrails or curtain rods. A trail of thoughtfully wrapped gifts tied with sumptuous […]

Designer Toni Brandso from Material Creative suggests clever ideas for lovely living room design We’ll assume most living rooms need to be places for family to come together for a night of TV, as well as spaces for having friends over and a decent conversation. As with all rooms, you need to decide what the […]

Give your home the best base with well thought out and practical flooring choices With pets, parties, children and probably the occasional scooter or pram traipsing across its surface, your flooring needs to stand up to the trials of family life underfoot. So, regardless of whether it’s going to be the perfect neutral backdrop, or […]

Designer Mary-Ellen Hinton from Hello Saturday has some hot tips for beautiful bedroom design Bedrooms equal sleep. It follows that they should be a place of tranquility, somewhere to calm yourself after a day of sensory overload. Except it’s not always so cut and dried, particularly because many of us also use our bedroom as […]

Designer Amber Armitage from Amber Armitage has some golden rules for entranceways First impressions count. So, like a good handshake, it’s important to start strong. You want your entryway to set the tone for the rest of your home – and leave your guests wanting more. Unfortunately, entrances often become a dumping zone for, well, […]

Discover the latest lighting trends and technology for your home Design, furniture, paint colours – these are all important aspects of successful interior design. However, they all rely on one thing to pull them together – lighting. And it’s not just the style of your lighting, but how much and what types of illumination you […]

Is your garden a bleak vista inhabited by a few straggly citrus trees on the lawn, or do you live in a house where the outside areas feel disconnected from the inside? From creating a good first impression to planting for the future, our expert landscape designer has some sage advice Like anything worthwhile, the […]

Interior designer Sarah Foote from Sarah Foote Design shares practical pointers for bathroom design A well-designed loo never goes unnoticed – it has a captive audience, after all. What else is there to do while frequenting the smallest room in the house but admire an exquisite tile choice, a beautiful basin or a sumptuous selection […]

Looking for some tips for your next vintage op-shopping adventure? Here are five things to keep in mind:   Robyn McLean’s home is filled with treasure’s she’s found on op-shopping adventures. She shares her top tips with us: When it comes to rooting out one-off pieces for your home, you need to be prepared to […]

Four property experts spill on how to increase the value of your house for resale soon or in the future What do people most commonly pay a premium for when buying a home? Greer Tulp, sales manager at Premium Realty Milford: A full site. Land goes up in value, whereas a house only goes down […]

Learn how to layer lighting in your home for a brighter outlook Design, furniture, paint colours – these are all important aspects of successful interior design. However, they all rely on one thing to pull them together – lighting. And it’s not just the style of your lighting, but how much and what types of […]

A show-stopping pendant is the ultimate style statement. Here’s how to choose the perfect one for your home Choosing the right lighting over your dining table can make a big difference to the atmosphere you create for meals and entertaining. Here are five tips to help you choose. You want to make an eye-catching impression […]

Shutters are a timeless and classic addition to any home. Here’s all you need to know about this type of window treatment Choosing window furnishings is one of those decisions that is often left to the last minute. After all, it’s more fun to choose paint colours, bedding, art and furniture. But, as an integral […]

The enduring love affair we have with roses is strong. From the best smelling to the thornless, here’s our top 21 picks of the bunch Fossil evidence shows the rose to be an ancient flower – about 35 million years old, in fact. From Central Asia it spread throughout the northern hemisphere – America, Europe, […]

Curtains, blinds or shutters? Choosing window treatments can be a tricky decision to navigate. We’ve got the down-low on blinds to help make that decision easier Choosing window furnishings is one of those decisions that is often left to the last minute. After all, it’s more fun to choose paint colours, bedding, art and furniture. But, […]

Whilst it can be tempting to paint all your walls in various hues, sometimes small and simple dahses of colour are just as effective. Here’s how 1. Art Rather than buying a piece of art to fill a space, Stacey recommends finding something you truly love, then working the rest of your interior, including your […]

We’re shining a light on window treatments. Here’s what you need-to-know about curtains Choosing window furnishings is one of those decisions that is often left to the last minute. After all, it’s more fun to choose paint colours, bedding, art and furniture. But, as an integral element of interior design, deciding what you’ll dress your […]

Interior colour can be a minefield, but with a little know-how, you can freshen up your home for spring Is there any facet of interior style more daunting than colour? For many of us, choosing a scheme comes with indecision. I love mint-green but how will it look on all four walls? Will I regret […]

Are you leaving it to die or loving it to death? It’s time to take stock of your fiddle leaf fig situation. If you jumped on the trend or simply fell in love with this sculptural green wunderkind to bring it lovingly into your home, you may have discovered by now that the fiddle leaf […]

This cleaning checklist will make spring cleaning a breeze. The beginning of spring is the perfect time to refresh our homes and reset our minds before we descend into the busiest time of year, aptly named the ‘silly season’, where entertaining, visitors and celebrations are a common occurrence. While we all want our homes to […]

Make WFH a joy with our 30 tips to creating the ultimate home office, no matter what space you’re working with There are three letters that have become increasingly familiar to everyone over the last year – WFH. Whether it’s a little corner of the dining table, a nook under the stairs or an entire […]

Perfect your potting skills with our step-by-step guide to repotting a plant If your fiddle leaf fig has outgrown its pot you may be wondering how to repot a pot plant without disturbing its growth. Firstly, don’t be too worried about hurting your plants; they’re stronger than you think. Secondly, if you don’t repot your […]

These clever cleaning hacks will have your home spick and span in no time You may have heard the phrase ‘work harder not smarter’, but when it comes to cleaning a house, it’s all too easy to continue doing things the way you’ve always done them without realising quicker, more efficient ways exist. Our roundup […]

How to make our new favourite room – the laundry – a functional and practical space that’s full of style Unlike the kitchen, we don’t really expect to be enamoured by a laundry. That’s because this hard-working room is normally all function and no frills. But when a laundry delivers the unexpected – beautiful design […]

How to be victorious in the struggle to keep your stylish home from constantly turning into a children’s playground We all have an ideal for our homes, how we want them to look and feel. But sometimes our vision of perfection may not dovetail with family life. What’s important is to follow what feeds the […]

Create a simple crate storage shelf using plywood and a smattering of paint You’ll need: • 1 sheet of 2400mm x 1200mm plywood (at least 17mm thick) • Measuring tape • Pencil • Skill saw • Wood glue • Screws • Drill • 3 wooden crates • Paint brush • Resene Dusky Pink, Resene Sea […]

If cooking meals has become more of a chore than a pleasure, then it’s time to turn the hub of the house into a new fun zone. Eleanor Ozich explains how The way you feel about cooking affects everything you do – or don’t do – in the kitchen. You see, our thoughts control our […]

Renovating to add value? Reno queen Cherie Barber shares the top mistakes to avoid Whether you’re getting ready to sell or just looking to make a couple of updates around your home make sure you’re getting your bang for your buck. So we called in property flipping queen and founder of Renovating for Profit Cherie […]

Even the smallest space can bring you summer joy If you think your balcony is too small to provide a beautiful outdoor room to escape to, think again. Take a look at your tiny balcony. Does it serve as an outdoor room, or is it crowded with junk, dead pot plants, washing lines, mops and […]

Happy, healthy and natural ways of improving the air quality in your home When it comes to living a healthy, natural lifestyle, one of the best ways we can start our journey is by tackling the air quality in our home. After all, we spend plenty of time indoors, and particularly as the winter season […]

Get the most out of your expensive candles with these expert tips Nothing sets the scene like candlelight at home to provide a welcoming fragrance or to encourage relaxation. Aficionados know that you get what you pay for when buying candles. The best candles are often the priciest, reflecting the raw materials, time and skill […]

Interior designer, James Treble, shares his tips to help you control the clutter of connectivity We live in exciting times with the latest of technology at our fingertips, but most of these amazing gadgets also come with wires, chargers and storage cases. When you multiply all these by the number of members in your family, […]

Sleep easy in a room that’s designed with rest and relaxation in mind Apparently, we spend a third of our lives in bed. This alone makes the bedroom a contender for ‘the most used room in the house’ title. But we don’t just use the bedroom to sleep. It’s also where we get ready in […]

It may be the smallest room in the house, but potentially, it’s the one with the most impact. This is the place to indulge any decorating dreams you may secretly harbour. Here’s how It’s been decades since women used to “go powder their noses”, which was a polite way of saying they needed to use […]

White is a safe option but it can easily become sterile. Get expert advice on creating a dynamic interior with this popular neutral When selecting finishes and furnishings for your home it is easy to opt for white. This neutral colour is incredibly versatile and adds instant freshness; but are white interiors always right? Too […]

Walls looking a bit bare? Take a leaf out of Nikki Kettle’s colourful book and paint a show-stopping mural Out with the old The wall in Nikki’s living room has been an ever-evolving project, originally with just the one palm tree painted in the corner. She was inspired by the retro patterns she found on […]

Baby, it’s cold outside. So why bother venturing out? Stay indoors, indulge in some creature comforts and cocoon in style. Here are our top hunkering down tips 1. Hearth-warming fire A cosy night in by the fireplace is the stuff of winter legends. And, if you can’t have a real fire because of local council […]

Clutterbugs be gone! Here are our top 30 storage hacks for organising your home Ever wondered how some people manage to keep on top of the mess in their homes without looking like they’re trying? “A place for everything and everything in its place” is a great rule of thumb for staying tidy. But if […]

A new coat of a paint is an easy way to instantly refresh your home, so here interiors expert Shannon Vos shares his top tips on how to paint walls like the pros Painting your walls is an easy way to instantly refresh your home, whether you’re freshening up your white walls or are planning […]

Create a standout dried flower arrangement you’ll enjoy evermore.  When designing your dried floral arrangement think about colour, texture and height. Select flowers and foliage in various sizes and colours for visual interest and remember if something isn’t looking right, gently pull it out and place it somewhere else. Flowers that dry well: Roses, hydrangeas, […]

From heat pumps to insulation and the toastiest gas fires, here’s how to make sure your home is nice and cosy when the temperature drops Before you start blasting heaters, be aware heating your home for winter starts with two important steps – insulation and ventilation. Insulation “A house with good ceiling and underfloor insulation […]

Textured, contemporary, geometric or traditional? For colour, pattern and enduring tile style, here’s what’s hot for walls and floors Kiwis have traditionally used tiles for the wet areas of their homes, but these days they’re installing them elsewhere too. It’s a trend that’s growing as home and business owners look for attractive, durable and low-maintainance […]

As we turn our attention indoors, this season makes us rediscover the beauty of being at home A slight drop in temperature, not immediate but still noticeable, and shorter days can mean only one thing – autumn is coming. Apart from signalling a switch up in the wardrobe department, these changes also prompt a start […]

A room filled with vintage-inspired floral motifs is bound to make any little girl smile. Here’s how to get the look at home. Project: Floral headboard Transform your child’s bed with a bit of petal power. This floral-inspired headboard is an easy one-day DIY job. To start, measure and mark the size and shape of […]

Home improvements best done while the weather’s fine. When the sun is out, and the beers are chilling it’s the perfect time to put on your tool belt and finally get around to doing those jobs that have been on your to-do list for a while. Whether it’s simply giving your home a tidy up […]

From ceramic to terracotta to concrete, here’s how to match your planter to your interior style and arrange your pots like a pro Pots come in many shapes and sizes, in materials such as ceramic, terracotta, aluminium, fibreglass, stone, concrete and plastic. Plants can be planted into any number of containers – you are only […]

The experts from Kings Plant Barn are here to help  For those in drought-stricken areas, how can we offset the effects of not being able to soak the entire garden? Make sure you have water tanks installed to the downpipes of your roof (or garage roof) to catch any rainfall and use any extra water […]

We all know marinade can take a simple dish to the next level, and we’re going crazy for this Delmaine marinade.  Using pantry staples you can create this crowd-pleaser in next to no time. If you’re like us and you love to host family and friends during bbq season, try this quick and easy marinade […]