When you’re looking for colourful bedding, it’s impossible to go past Kip & Co. Always packing a punch in the pattern department, and with dreamy colours to match, its bedding offerings never fail to impress. Linen pillowcase set, $119, from superett

05 For someone who loves make-up, LiLash Eyelash Serum has become a staple for me. Naturally dark and long lashes make for an effortless morning regime. Nothing like feeling your best self. As the visual merchandising manager for Freedom New Zealand

Getting the family up and out the door in time for work and school, then organising after-school activities and who’s doing what, where and when is complicated. And don’t even mention getting dinner ready for the hungry masses. An old-school blackboa

Beautify your backyard Turn your outdoor spaces into places to entertain. Shade, a pizza oven, fruiting citrus trees and hurricane lamps equate to a garden your guests won’t want to leave. For more of this house, turn the page. ■

Why settle for a bowl of limp, soggy leaves, when you can create a satisfying, vibrant salad that surprises and delights? A salad can be a great opportunity to get creative and experiment with colours, textures and flavours. Over the years, I’ve lear

Down a long, narrow driveway, tucked snugly in a corner of the small plot in Auckland’s Western Springs, sits an understated and unassuming cedar-panelled house. The first clue that this simple, clean-lined little building contains something very spe

For Kiwis renovating or building a new home, PlaceMakers has a comprehensive range to choose from and can help coordinate everything from design to installation. If it’s inspiration you’re after, PlaceMakers’ nationwide showrooms are a great place to

You could be forgiven for thinking Emma Willetts’ photographs are paintings. Abstract shapes and striking colours dominate her work, which is taken from above. From the salt lakes in Hutt Lagoon, Australia, to Farewell Spit in Golden Bay and the snow

Do you have any favourite stores/spots for great vintage/ retro finds or has it just been collected here and there over the years? Mostly collected over the years. I love Mr Bigglesworthy and have a few pieces from there, but others have been collec

That ’70s show If you ever needed proof that colour is uplifting, Nikki Kettle’s home is the perfect example. Visitors can’t help but smile when they see this bold retro knot-style mural, which Nikki painted freehand. For more inspiration, turn to pa

Ask Kathy and Warwick Baigent why they painted their front door bright blue and the answer is a simple, “It needed a bit more oomph.” It was originally Resene Biscay Blue to match the gutters, but the Baigents thought it needed to have more impact

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 do that again. We wanted to find something that was move-in r

What project was your favourite one to tackle in the house? Making the kitchen more functional. It was brand new but it wasn’t designed for modern living and it wasn’t to our taste. Now it’s practical and pretty. What’s the hardest project you’ve t

As the way we live changes, so too does our relationship with our outdoor spaces. Exteriors are becoming more and more thoughtful, expressing our lifestyles through our choices of outdoor furniture pieces and how we use and display them. Gone are the

When Selena McWilliam and Mike Austin first visited the empty 942sqm section at Botanical Heights in Taupo, they were drawn in by its beautiful vista. Its breathtaking view stretched out across the town and its surrounds, towards Lake Taupo and Mount

What areas of your new build did you save on? Splurge on? I don’t like spending money so I stuck to the budget, but splurged on the things that were important to me, like brushed brass tapware, Italian tiles, wool carpet and a beautiful deck. What

SERVES 6 The only thing better than a ripe peach is one grilled and served with whipped ricotta. Minimal effort required, maximum results. 50g dried muscatels on the vine1½ Tbsp brown sugar¼ cup water500g full-fat ricotta1 tsp finely grated orange

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 find too hard? Tick, tick and tick. Sydney-born Emi

SERVES 6-8 Butterflied lamb leg is excellent on the barbecue, especially when treated to a marinade first – it can be left to infuse for as little as an hour, but for the best flavour marinate it overnight. 2 Tbsp oregano, finely chopped, plus extr

+ I always like to reuse or recycle things, mainly because vintage pieces are way cooler and much better made, but also for the environmental aspect. I also think using something old makes the space feel more authentic. + Don’t be afraid to mix and

There’s something about growing lilies in water rather than the garden – it just feels more exotic. And they’re such delicate beauties. To grow them in a pond or large watertight pot –not a wine barrel, unless it’s waterproofed with heavy plastic – t

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 off at once. Okay, maybe one bang on approach – the Palm Springs-style cedar-covered entrance – but that’s to kee

• Cut back whip-like new green shoots on wisteria to five or six leaves. Letting more light in allows the wood to ripen and helps next season’s flower buds form. • Keep camellias and rhododendrons well watered to ensure next year’s buds develop. Mulc