Home New Zealand

HOME covers the best New Zealand architecture, design and interiors. It features inspirational, ingenious and just plain breathtaking homes from all over the country – as well as new restaurants, exciting art and the latest furniture releases.

Editor's letter

Home New Zealand

Design, life, and culture • Art, books, events, people, and places of note.

Layers of life • Painting with sediment deposits collected from her ancestral stream a few hundred metres from her Piha home, Charlotte Graham finds inspiration and connection in the process of creation.

Wave maker • Wellington maker Dee Johnston's work is informed by many things, perhaps most notably elements of her Croatian heritage: the simple act of gathering around food, the conversations that unfold, the connections that are formed.

The return of Max Patté • Best known for his large, circular, light artworks that adorn walls all around New Zealand, and the iconic Wellington Harbour statue, Solace in the Wind (The Naked Man), Spain-based Max Patté is launching a new, solo show in the windy capital. The artist speaks about his migration, art, and the process of building a new home and studio in a UNESCO-protected site in the antipodes.

Smart charge • Every year, more and more New Zealanders are handing over the keys to their petrol or diesel-powered vehicles in favour of EVs, but what does this mean for our household power bills, and what do we need to consider when it comes to choosing the right charger?

At the bay • On the shores of a secluded, sandy cove in Northland, this holiday home was devised to slowly recess into its natural surroundings.

Retreat indoors • As we move into autumn and winter, we find ourselves yearning for a slower pace. In the home, that means inviting colour palettes that embrace a calm, quiet luxury.

State of play • When architect Matt Robinson and his wife Penny Thomson purchased their modest 75m2 state house — once dismissed as a ‘shabby shocker' — they saw beyond the catchphrase to the home's solid bones and prime location on an enviable Westmere section, transforming it into something undeniably special.

I could live here • As the summer holidays are coming to an end, many are likely repeating that oft-used phrase when visiting a new spot: "I could live here". After a quick look over the windows at a local real estate agent, daydreaming about the spectacular views, the fresh air flowing through our lungs, and native bush, beaches, or mountain tracks beckoning beyond the boundaries of the property … most of us return to our real lives and don't do too much about that permanent vacation. The houses on these pages may provide some inspiration to take the plunge or to keep the daydream alive. Whether designed as a holiday home that will morph into a forever home, a bach location made permanent for a young family, a well-used holiday home of one's own, a new pool that brings holiday vibes year round, or an empty nesters' relaxation pad with room for all the family, these houses show what can be possible when distant dreams are brought to fruition.

A home in the mountains • While paying respect to the juxtaposition of old and new and the wide-spanning views beyond, Karen Kelly Interior Design has added character and depth to this Queenstown holiday home through natural materials and restrained splashes of colour.

Dune gazer • It is not hard to understand why the owners of this property in the Northland settlement of Mangawhai decided to make their holiday bach a permanent situation.

Lighthouse • Given a compact platform on a narrow strip of land, Grant Harris of HB Architecture has created this modern yet honest Northland holiday house that responds to its beachfront site.

Tropical modern • When a family begins to outgrow a much-loved home...