Let the neat hand-drawn illustrations on Lofty’s kites impress the kids while you get excited about their clever, conscious design. In a shape conducive to lift-off in even light wind, the strong yet flexible poles that form the frames are covered wi

A Room of Her Own by Robyn Lea (Thames & Hudson, $70) Twenty extraordinary women and their remarkable homes animate the pages of this feast- for-the-eyes tome, and if at first it succeeds in making you feel like you could never reach such interior-d

- Resene Colorwood stains are an easy yet high-impact way to add richness and depth to timber while allowing the grain to show through. Just one coat of warm brown Resene Colorwood in Resene Bark transformed our plywood back wall. - Coating interior

Some people like their architecture with all the bells and whistles front and centre. Others prefer buildings in which the expert solutions that enhance everyday life are skilfully hidden from view. For architect Rebecca Walker, less “Look at me!” is

Citing the South Island landscape as something she’s always had an affinity for, Auckland-based fashion designer Juliette Hogan says Christchurch turned out to be the ideal spot for her new store. “The more we travelled looking for the right location

Sandwiched between a hospital and Spaghetti Junction sounds like an uncomfortable location for a home; however, this Auckland house not only offers the ease of living close to amenities and a transport network but is also stylish and tranquil. Step i

‘Contemporary’ isn’t a word commonly associated with rattan — but just look at these pieces. By Hawke’s Bay industrial designer Scott Fitzsimons for Città, our new favourite seating, Liana, shows how this simultaneously nostalgic and now material can

Kiri and Ben Wahrlich of lauded Sydney lighting studio Anaesthetic have rebranded as Nightworks and set up an upscale studio and workshop back home in Aotearoa — Christchurch, to be exact. Their team specialises in design, products, furniture and pub

As a chef turned food writer and recipe developer, my life revolves around food. I adore cooking but, like most people, I don’t have tons of spare time, so my everyday food is quick and easy, using readily available ingredients and simple techniques.

Amelia Fagence grew up in Auckland in a home filled with art, where she loved making inside and exploring outside in the native bush that surrounded her family’s property. Of all the things that her artist parents taught her, perhaps the most signifi

Dubbed ‘Cottagecore’, this look is a little bit country, and kinda like Grandma’s house, but hip. Tying your eclectic look together with a defined colour palette, make do with what’s on hand (or make it by hand, like the tablecloths, placemats, napki

What led you to your careers in architecture? Jess: Strangely, we’d both planned to study medicine, but somewhat inadvertently ended up at the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture, thanks to chance conversations and the realisation that it

This one goes out to the believers who understand just how much joy beautiful bedding can bring. The soft, stonewashed linen fabric of this classic Silverton set by Wallace Cotton is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Plus, the duvet has a hidden but

At home in the windswept dunes on the Kāpiti Coast, this small but well-formed bach is the antidote to corporate life that many city-dwelling Wellingtonians dream of. “We were looking around the area and came across the subdivision here before it had

Creating spaces with feeling is something Olivia Moon is passionate about, and combining old and new is her go-to tool for making a house feel like home. The founder of handmade-rugs brand Nodi says, “I love pieces that have already lived for 100 yea

So Lucy, how did you guys find this home? We were both living in share houses in Melbourne’s inner north, working towards a move to NSW’s coast for a more natural outlook. After a couple of years of saving and searching, we’d watched prices in the ar

Already half of design studio Akin and online pet-product store Dogdogdog, Auckland’s Emma Kaniuk has recently become wholly responsible for another business venture, Tradespeople. It shines a nationwide light on women and gender-diverse people worki

The family behind West Auckland’s Powersurge enjoy an enviable relationship. They riff off each other with such enthusiasm and synergy that it’s immediately apparent why the business that makes magic with metal has forged a path to success. “We all h

Following the sun and surf around Aotearoa, Abbie and Gus Herniman have lived in coastal towns for most of their life together, so when they decided to return to Christchurch, where Abbie grew up, the search began for a new seaside spot to call home.

When fashion designer Juliet Souter of womenswear label Marle and her husband Justin bought their first place together, they didn’t think they’d be able to make it their home. The couple’s lives were centred in Auckland at the time, so they considere

‘This must be the place’, says the neon- sign writing on the wall at Kelly and Mark Pattie’s house. Two-and-a-half years, detail by detail in the making, their home is as close to the ultimate destination as they could have imagined, a place into whi