| Even as apartments multiply in our biggest cities, New Zealanders still think of home as a place where kids can run barefoot... |
| 1. Your shoes can come off Sprawling mansions and ‘don’t touch’ decor just aren’t in the New Zealand DNA. Kiwi houses are... |
| Our younger architects are experimenting with a type of barefoot casual house design that harks back to the middle of last... |
| 2. Nature looks good indoors A house without a flow between indoors and out is puzzling to most Kiwis. When there are trees... |
| A dream outlook is of the bush, the beach, rolling countryside or even a mountain or two. Even though most of us live in... |
| 3. Timber should be celebrated New Zealand was the last place on Earth to be settled by humans, a land built by clearing... |
| Vintage homes are full of rare native timbers, while modern architects celebrate renewable, sustainably-grown timbers, and... |
| 4. The kitchen is the heart of a home New Zealanders don’t stand by ceremony. We’ll stubbornly ignore the front door of a... |
| From old farmhouse kitchens to today’s open-plan everything spaces, there’s always a spot for a casual dining table (or sometimes... |
| 5. Barbecue is our birthright The country may divide itself between fans of gas, of charcoal or – real aficionados – wood,... |
| Even the tiniest backyard or apartment balcony will make room for a barbecue. While portable machines from the hardware store... |
| Combined with landscaping, lighting, and an outdoor fireplace, a beaut barbecue area completes a home. |
| 6. Gardens are places to play There are parks and gardens in every suburb and small town, but New Zealanders still believe... |
| We love to see our kids running around. And in pretty much every New Zealand garden, where there are children there’s a trampoline.... |
| We love our native gardens, particularly when they blur with the natural habitat. Find more design inspiration from popular... |
| 7. Being active is good Sports loom large in Kiwis’ thoughts – whether playing or watching team games, running, swimming... |
| We love our black and white decor, possibly inspired by the silver fern on black our national sports teams wear proudly around... |
| 8. You can do it yourself We are still a nation of enthusiastic amateurs when it comes to home building (and an avid audience... |
