| 1. Tap into the experts Often we’ll have filled our ideabooks with gorgeous photos of finished rooms – right down to the... |
| 2. Get them from hello An entry that expresses who you are is a great way to distinguish your house from a neighbourhood... |
| Switching out a sweep of standard concrete paths for more landscaped paving is a great way to extend a garden and add designer... |
| Some of her clients extend their decking to create steps and boardwalks, complemented by drifts of architectural planting... |
| 3. Add door drama Standard front-door handles are included in a new-build price, but consider adding to your budget to create... |
| 4. Bring the outdoors in A simple way of adding verve to your entrance is to continue the exterior material – brick, stone,... |
| 5. Create living pictures Well-placed windows and doors make a huge difference to the functionality of a house. Van Leeuwen... |
| 6. Work from the floor up One of architects’ favourite finishes is a polished concrete floor. But this may not be the most... |
| Instead, van Leeuwen suggests getting a similar look with some of the modern and low-cost concrete-style laminates, which... |
| 7. Expose and reveal An easy architectural fix is to specify exposed trusses – much more dramatic than a standard 2.4-metre... |
| Even in a tiny space exposing the trusses visually enlarges the room. They can be stained or painted to match the ceiling.... |
| 8. Play with wall finishes Many New Zealand architects love to play with plywood or more refined wood veneers to add dimension... |
| She suggests a cheaper way of standing out from the crowd is to use wallpaper: a roll or two of spectacular paper is not... |
| A more traditional pattern can add history to a new-build too. Here a modern-traditional paper is paired with a collection... |
| Indulge your love of pattern in the tiniest room of the house. Ingrid says clients love to play with a ‘jewel box’ for the... |
