Play Stuff

Gardening columnist Julia Atkinson-Dunn shares her tips and techniques for getting hanging baskets that are beautiful and thriving.

Making soap can be super therapeutic, especially when it involves creating your very own radiant gemstones.

Ditch those expensive Lush products and start making your very own organic, exfoliating soap bars.

Rather than throwing away your toilet paper rolls... Why not upcycle them and turn them into cute phone holders instead?

Are you fed up with wet and slimy soap? Then it's time you learned how to make soap that you can hang up.

This is the ultimate autumn-inspired candle! It's cute, easy to make, and perfect for when all you want to do is sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate.

Owner of Feilding house "prone to flooding" has listed the property for 13 years, but there's a reason it hasn't sold.

Maidenhair ferns are notoriously hard to keep alive, but is setting them on fire the answer?

LaurDIY, also known as Lauren Kobayashi Riihimaki, is the host of HBO Max's ";Craftopia."

Meet the mum who has transformed her home into a spectacular tribute to the 1970s.Estelle Bilson, 43, has loved all things vintage since her student days and spends hours tracking down original pieces in auctions, on eBay and in charity shops.The ...

Looking for a fun craft to do this weekend? Here's a super simple eggshell candle recipe you can try out at home.

The listing says it's a "quaint", "hidden gem" that's "packed with potential", but what exactly does that mean?

It took him 16 years to cover the condo entirely with cans—including the ceilings and the master wardrobe.

William Samuels and Hannah D'Arcy talk about the modular studio house they are building on leasehold land in Nelson.

It may look like an ultra modern waterfall house, but inside is a surprising contrast in periods and styles.

This made to measure Christchurch home has been a triumph

Built in about 1895, the cottage had been used as a shearing shed, until its owners rescued it.

Completed in 2019, this 1880s Wesleyan Church was saved from demolition by being converted in to family homes.

There's no substitute for hot soapy water and elbow grease to keep these household favourites at their best.

The secret to choosing the right pillow is understanding that the best pillow for you is the one you like best.

This custom tiny house made from two stacked containers is all about the good life.

Meticulous planning went into this home.

David McNatty, Kerry Sunderland, Steve Henry and Ali Law jointly own a Kaiteriteri home in a co-housing arrangement.

A chance meeting opened the door to Karen and Richard Holman's new Riwaka home, all made possible with the help of Habitat for Humanity.

When and how these daffodil varieties will perform in New Zealand gardens.

From London to Nelson. Richard and Jenny Adams brought up three kids in an old building in Nelson above their hair salon.

The Millennial tiny house by Build Tiny has some novel space-saving ideas, including retractable stairs.

Absentee owners have listed stunning Ormlie Lodge near Napier for sale through Bayleys.

Make your own simple, sustainable bag for storing or carrying fruits and vegetables.

Interior designer and The Block NZ judge Jason Bonham’s home is a reflection of his sociable, generous lifestyle.

There's no shortage of houseplants in Hollie Procter's tiny home.

Ruth Upsom lives at the Queen St Holiday Park in Richmond. She also owns her home, but wants to stay at the holiday park because of the community it has.

Donna Fallon from Otahuna Lodge gives her top tips on how to light a fire.

Handmade since the 1950s, the Dualit is a design icon - and it makes lovely toast too. Images by Dualit.

A few home truths from real people who live tiny.

Tiny homes have a dark side - here are three things the marketing blurbs don't tell you about.

This man may not look like the gardening type, but that didn't stop the 45-year-old construction worker from transforming his backyard in Willaston, UK, into a personal paradise.

Modern technologies are applied to enable borer-infested wood to be sustainably repurposed for housing, as seen in this cabin prototype by the Hannah design firm in New York.

Canadian decor fan Kirsten Olson shows how simple it is to give your bed the perfect painted headboard. Check out @kirstenolsonhome on Instagram for more.

King George Diones is a surgical nurse who propagates and sells houseplants. He is currently giving all profits to colleagues in the Philippines to buy PPE.

Tips on how to organise your pantry

Although the world’s current environmental challenges may seem unbeatable.

A nondescript city neighbourhood has a secret in one of its apartment blocks: an alien-infested spaceship. Barcelona-based Sci-Fi fan Luis Nostromo loves the aliens films so much, he has built his own museum. Luis saw the original Ridley Scott fil...

This colourful, easy-to-make climbing frame is the perfect accessory for your vege beds. Jacob Leaf shows you how.

There's no shortage of houseplants in Hollie Proctor's tiny home.

Putting her Ngaio family home of 42 years on the market was not an easy decision to make for Margarett Domett.

The celebrity power-couple are moving on from their seven bedroom, Mid-century, resort-style palace.

Browsing for a new lamp, couch or chest of drawers? Here are a few tips to get the most out of your online auction sites.

Three identical three-bedroom terrace houses have been craned into Hobsonville Point. They are the first of many more Modul homes to come.

1. Inside your toaster. All those crumbs at the bottom are easy to miss and can attract bugs.

1. Peppers. Use a container that's about 14 to 16 inches deep and secure with twine to keep upright. 2. Scallions.

What a difference a year makes - Burton Silver's '50s bach in Seatoun, where he penned the Bogor cartoon strip, is now a quaint holiday rental.

Robin Allison gives a tour of West Auckland's sustainable community, Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood.

The home is on the market for the first time in 16 years.

Take your pick - red or blue. These two properties for sale are right on the waterfront at Houghton Bay, Wellington.

Let the elements guide your interior fabric choices.

Mid-century style comes in many forms, from understated to a more colourful Hollywood vibe.

The best way to light an open fire at home.

These Auckland boatsheds seldom come onto the market - and this one is a real gem.

A Northland resident's DIY solar heater warmed his living space by about 4 degrees.

Renters at Modal are encouraged to ditch cars in favour of bikes. Take a look inside to see why that might just change the way we rent.

Peter and Neryda Sullivan created this garden together over 26 years.

Sarandon's home is a chic, creative space filled with light.

Lighting not only influences the way we feel, it's essential to creating a space that's welcoming and inspiring.

Transform those cheap flowers into a beautiful bouquet.

These pictures show inside a 'time-capsule' cottage that has been left untouched for decades.The crumbling former home has been overtaken by nature and is barely visible from the public footpath it sits alongside.But inside it has been left exactl...

Peter Wolfkamp's Devonport home

This artist’s Opua house is full to the brim.

Long before the landscape was dotted with red wool sheds, Māori used Red Oxide paint in a variety of ways.

This antique jeweller has a sharp eye for eclectic pieces.

From the outside you would never guess what lies within this condo - an interior that reflects the green of the golf course beyond.

Tracey Geerin and Nicki Crouch of Christchurch have undertaken a major renovation of these twin townhouses in Merivale. Now, their own home, on the left, is for sale.

When the apocalypse comes, you may as well bunker down in style. Called 'Plan B', this new underground bunker concept has been created by Sergey Makhno Architects. They say their task was to “create a cosy and safe home in the depths of the earth”...

Is your room messy? Are your drawers disorganised? Can you not fit your life into a suitcase? Here are the garment folding hacks you need.

A house designed for entertaining, cooking and bringing people together

We went from Trad to Rad in the last 20 years, with authenticity, texture and cosiness becoming key elements of decor style.

Oakdale in Puhoi, north of Auckland, is a grand old homestead and farm that have been in the Straka family since 'Grandad' built the house in the late 1800s.

Mellonsfolly is an authentic Old West style town about an hour from Ohakune.

8 Tips for Taking Care of House Plants.

Starting a fruit and vegetable garden is easy for anyone with an outdoor area and a good amount of sunlight. Here are 5 veggies anyone can grow at home.

With a superb industrial vibe.

Miriam Lee loves rhodos, and she's got the garden to prove it.

Simple massed plantings of native species make for bird-friendly, relaxed beachside holiday home gardens.

This Tokyo house designed by Nendo is defined by a giant sculptural staircase that starts outside and leads right through the house, getting steeper as it rises.

Experts advise on the things you need to know before buying antiques.

Nicky and Josh Peauafi in their home. Nicky and Josh have amassed a large number of different pot plant species.

These kitchens are the epitome of stylish.

Rachel Clare and Jacob Leaf embrace the Modernist aesthetic of this simple chair, first created by iconic Dutch furniture designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld in 1934. Here's how they did it.

This Art Deco house for sale in Mairehau, Christchurch has been in the same family since 'Dad' built it nearly 70 years ago.

Tips on keeping your electricity bills down during the lockdown.

These golden and bronze perennials don't just tolerate drought, they thrive in the dry and bloom through late summer to autumn.

Light years from the hustle of nearby downtown is a quarter-acre oasis of order and calm.

Achieved over half a century by two generations.

The view of the outside is just as good as the inside.

Get into the Easter crafting spirit with these DIY bunny ears.

This Devonport villa has gone from great-great-aunt to great-grandparents, to great aunt, to mother, then son, who is now selling more than 108 years after the first family member moved in.

When Paul Mercer wanted to find the perfect hom away from home, he had to build it himself.

Designed to combat zombie viruses, chaos, devastation, riots and revolutions, the CyberHouse Life is a Russian architect's glimpse into our future.