Trends 40-09

Downsizing doesn't mean a crimped lifestyle – here a new low-upkeep home on a modest site achieves generous living spaces, a garden outlook and feeling of seclusion

Given relaxed housing laws, maximising the use of your land makes powerful fiscal sense – GJ's has a range of options, as this Multi-unit Manukau showhome reflects

This rammed earth/CLT-built home is all about escapism – every detail evoking a relaxing air, right down to the soft floors made of the equivalent of lunar soil

When the owners of Vistalite Otago – E13 Performance Windows built their own home, their own thermally efficient triple glazed window solutions were a stand out feature

This farmhouse-look home is set for its retired owners and generations to come – classic rural forms are underpinned by warm, versatile interiors and a focus on sustainability

A new G.J. Gardner app – GJNZ – now offers virtual walk throughs of its homes and lets you picture the home of your choice on your own site

This indoor-outdoor home reinterprets the character of its historically significant suburb while celebrating sustainability, aging in place and material connection

This coastal home for one makes the most of its views and existing build rights while welcoming extended family and not annoying neighbours

This central kitchen celebrates a classic, enduring aesthetic – complete with walnut cabinetry, marble countertops, and steel-framed doors & windows

Style dovetails functional in this easy-upkeep bathroom with a pleasing tactile palette – zones of use mean up to three children can use the space at once 

 A German-made AgeExplorer suit, offered at Blum showrooms, lets you simulate aging first hand – helping you choose kitchen and bathroom products that will work for you now and in the future

What to do when the owner wants to open up the roof space? Flowing storage into tricky spaces and adding skylights made sense in this serene master suite

 Leading property stylist and founder of Vault Interiors Justine Wilson shares her expert tips on transforming your home to create the illusion of more space

A swirling natural stone stands proudly at the heart of this kitchen, myriad other attractive elements deferring to the character centrepiece 

Here, a new ipe deck with planter-bench seating steps down to a flagstone patio from where a pathway meanders through mature trees to a play area

 This interior captures its Italian coastal setting through material and colour choices, with slatted wall joinery leading the way – for a fluid ambience

Sumptuous green tiles in this bathroom were inspired by the verdant tones outdoors – a walnut vanity and gunmetal touches complete the lush, natural allure

The brief was for a pet-friendly, eat-in kitchen with an expansive feel and great natural light – classic design details merge with a little modern and a little farmhouse style 

Once home to Britain’s military HQ under Churchill’s premiership, the building boasts an historic background – however, for this apartment, the interior designers favoured a quietly assured scheme

Various areas were covered in this landscaping project – not least the lush central courtyard which is on show to most areas of the home

This kitchen slots into a narrow available space – however, custom cabinetry, slender benchtops and a two-tone colour palette create a refined presence

For this ensuite, the light and skylights highlight the organic imperfections in the wall tiles selected – bouncing light and creating texture & movement 

Considering renovating? Here are 9 ways an adroit use of windows and glazed doors has optimised natural light, views, connections and a sense of space

This transformative renovation, by Buildology, introduces a light-filled, modern rear living space that dovetails with the classic detailing of the original home and flows to the outdoors