Play Stuff

Rather than build a collection of detergent and antibacterial sprays in the cupboard under your kitchen sink you may be surprised to find that there are some great natural solutions already sitting in your fridge or pantry.

Make this pretty harvest basket out of chicken wire.

How to use mason jars to decorate your home? Tint and wrap it with a fishnet.

Make this easy wall-mounted propagation stand with these step-by-step instruction from Jacob Leaf.

What would it take to build your dream home? One Swiss architect spent 40 years building his cathedral-like mansion. And an English architect built a 100% natural house entirely out of cork.

Break-ins are one of the most common crimes committed, so when it comes to protecting your belongings and your own safety, you can’t be too careful. We take a look at some of the best ways to prevent intrusion.

Thinking of buying a new house? You might want to double-check your finances before making that big decision.

After 23 years, this Northland couple's garden allows them self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables.

Coveted seaside Tauranga garden finally came this couple's way.

It may be rented but this Auckland heritage apartment never looked so good.

These Auckland homeowners get their mid-century groove on.

Redmond Builders won a major Master Builders award for this large home in a semi-rural setting in Hastings.

They love us, entertain us and keep us from going stir crazy... they're our furry Lockdown pals.

With their lovely contours and glossy skin in shades of purple, white, green and black, eggplants are one of the most alluring summer crops.

At home with Verity Johnson, Stuff columnist and burlesque club boss.

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

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

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

From tossed out cutting board scraps to forgotten refrigerator leftovers, we all waste more food than we realize.

Help your climbing vines reach new heights with this easy-to-make chevron trellis.

Most people think of fall as the end of gardening season, but there are actually plenty of opportunities to continue harvesting

This minuscule Auckland garden has a surprisingly lush outlook.

Two firms stood out in this year's Auckland-Coromandel-Northland Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition.

This couple’s quick decision to buy an old villa at Waihī Beach has led to a happy retirement.

Ripe for renovation after 100 years in the same family, this Grey Lynn villa is now on the market.

In the 1990s, this was Bill Calvert's dream home, but it has become a leaky home over the decades, and the former Radio Hauraki "pirate" is selling up.

Palm Springs is a perfect fit for this expat Kiwi’s lifestyle

Swim City! Party underwater in this $50M California mansion

Jo Collins is constantly putting her personal touch on this memorable garden.

This contemporary house, built by Blue Summit Construction, has won the firm a Canterbury Master Builders Outdoor Living Excellence Award and a Gold Award.

The stunning Mediterranean villa created by Irish-born designer Eileen Gray in the 1920s is open to the public.

Alyce Read is the 2021 winner of NZ Gardener magazine's Houseplant Hero competition.

The corner section spans Ponsonby and Grey Lynn.

Gardening guru Lynda Hallinan sowed these onions from seed.

Margaret and Brian Herd have revamped and refreshed this romantic country garden and vineyard.

Award-winning landscape designer Lyndell Shannon's own garden in Waiheke proved to be one of her biggest challenges.

House built into Texas mountain lists for $13 million

About one-third of all homebuyers were purchasing a house for the first time ever

Pruning bush and hybrid tea roses is easier than you think.

A knot for training trees

How to prune a fruit tree to a modified central leader form.

Kate Marshall offers some tips and tricks on how to prune apple, pear and cherry trees.

Creating a cordon espalier

Kate Marshall demonstrates how to prune a vase shape.

Apartment Therapy asked experts how to keep plants alive when moving.

It's taken its owners 40 years, but this rural garden near Ōtorohanga is a show-stopper.

TikTokers say this cleaning hack is a "useful" must-try. We tried it out, and not so much.

Salter Builders constructed the Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Supreme Home of the Year 2021. The house is in Tasman.

The latest tenant of this one-bedroom apartment in Taranaki has never been happier.

There's a lot to like about this new cedar-clad house built by Hofman Builders, the Supreme winner in the 2021 Master Builders Taranaki awards.

The late Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser inspired this stone house that has just come onto the market.

Master Builders Supreme House of the Year and Supreme Renovation in Bay of Plenty/Central Plateau 2021.

Apartment Therapy took a look at 6 different ways mint comes in handy at home.

Make your own hanging terrarium using these handy techniques.

Snorkel at home in this $6M mansion with in-house coral reef

An extensive garden flourishes in a secluded corner of the Far North.

This grand old Wellington home is ready for the next stage in its eventful life.

Think you don't need an air fryer in your life? Look at these and think again.

This soaring Central Otago home makes the most of its elevated site.

Taranaki family gets hands-on with this Edwardian villa renovation.

This historic villa, built in 1911, was cut into six huge pieces to make the long trip from Palmerston North to Clarks Beach, Auckland.

The future of this new Dunedin home was written in the stars.

A little Ponsonby cottage is carefully curated to make the most of every inch of space.

This stunning aloe vera organiser will keep your rings nice and tidy.

Cleaning up after making a home-cooked meal usually involves tossing food scraps or unwanted leftovers.

Celebrated food writer, drum player and whiskey fan Sarah Tuck talks about her Ponsonby home.

This incense and candle holder is also made out of clay and is the hottest DIY on TikTok!

White, light and truly beautiful, this expat’s UK home is testament to her design skill.

Landmark Wellington home now shines with glamour and grace.

A designer house in Arrowtown is just the latest project for a busy retired couple

Make these easy changes to household habits and you'll shave about 10 per cent off your annual carbon emissions.

Meet the Singaporean designer creating rooms worldwide from her Wellington rental.

Is it too windy in your garden? Grow these flowers and plants.

Claire Lawn's beautiful garden reflects her playfulness, colour skill and sense of wonder

This garden on the outskirts of Hokitika has it all, including a pair of bath tubs with a view.

This lush country garden spectacularly overlooks the dramatic Rangitīkei River, which is rated as one of the best white water rivers in the world.

Follow these 4 tips to have a safer, more professional kitchen at home.

Here are 5 tips on how to make your rental space feel more like you

These 5 plants may be just what that shady corner of your home is missing

Opinion: Your bank account and credit cards could be putting lenders off when you apply for a mortgage. William Tieu has some tips for first home buyers.

1. Give your plants a good soak

Don't throw away your glass or plastic jars! Transform them into beautiful ceramic vases and planters with just one secret ingredient.

Sourcing your garage must-haves from thrift shops estate sales, yard sales, recycling facilities and other secondhand stores offers a great way to save money

The 'house in the sky' will be the largest and most expensive apartment on the Auckland city fringes.

A century-old mansion has been bought by a Rangitīkei couple with close ties to its history.

Now abandoned, this derelict property for sale in Northland, Wellington has been deemed too dangerous to view.

Ria Akuhata lives in a van to pay off her mortgage faster

There's an architectural treasure down a right-of-way in Cliff Road, St Heliers - a Claude Megson house that has been put on the market reluctantly.

Amazing Spaces "all-time favourite" home for sale

These projects won housing awards in this year's NZIA Canterbury Architecture Awards.

Hey bestie, if your flat has three or more of these things — your decor might be cheugy.

This residence is a testament to one French woman’s poetic vision and eight years of painstaking, hands-on crafting.

Looking for creative ideas for your pots this summer? Here you go!

There's an art to stacking firewood, and it starts with this amazingly easy-to-make cinder block stacker.

Jacob Leaf turns a humble basket into this stylish pot holder for indoor plants.

Christy Ralphs grows flowers on picturesque Waiheke - does she have the best job in the world?

Yannick Fourbet brings his old world skills and creativity to his new home.

The bathroom is actually a great place for certain houseplants

The eclectic London home of a Kiwi-born interiors blogger reflects her love of the unexpected

The Oneroa "treehouse" build on Waiheke Island was one of the more strenuous projects to feature on Grand Designs NZ. But the view made it all worth while.