With the start of a new year, you may find yourself itching for a new feeling at home as well, and a renovation can be a great way to achieve this. Your renovation ideas can be impacted by many things, from interior design to garden trends, personal tastes, culture, and values.
The main thing to remember is that your renovation should make living in your home more functional for the way your family lives – what suits someone else’s daily habits may not suit yours. You may even choose to actively introduce smart technology or take a more sustainable approach to your renovation.


For many, after several tumultuous years, having a calm, peaceful and restorative home is of high priority. You may want spaces which elevate your mental and physical wellbeing – dedicated rooms or spaces for exercise, meditation, and general downtime; or you may want a dedicated home office so you can work peacefully and productively from home, away from the chaos of family life.
Improving your work from home space could be as simple as better lighting, live plants, an ergonomic desk, and chair, along with good storage, or even a fresh colour on the walls to lift your mood while working. A good home office can also add value to your home, should you wish to sell in the future.
Your home should be an expression of your personal style – so your home renovation will be influenced by your taste in art or decor, and whether you prefer large open spaces with lots of light, or cosy wee nooks to curl up in with a book and a cup of tea.
If you’re a lover of big, open spaces, the easiest way to achieve that feeling in your home is to introduce more natural light. There are several ways to do this, but one of the easiest is by adding skylights, floor-to-ceiling windows (which don’t require consent if you are simply extending an existing window to the floor), or by increasing the size of your doors to increase your connection to and views of the environment beyond your home.


To create a warm and cosy style, we’re seeing lots of natural greens, terracotta’s and beiges in interiors, alongside raw textures, such as timber and bamboo. After years of sparse, white spaces, there’s also a shift back to more opulence, with deep colours, brass or gold accents, bold wallpapers and rich fabrics such as velvet, boucle or suede.
Outside, courtyards and decks are always popular. With private and secluded areas which are protected from the wind and rain this can be an extension to your year-round home living.
If you’re focused on making your home more sustainable, you can read our detailed tips on that here but adding in smart technology can also be a great way to do this. Faster charging ports, appliance-controlled heating, lighting, or sound systems which help minimise unnecessary power use, or technology which tracks your power and water use can make life easier and help you reduce your environmental footprint.
There are a million ways to give your home a spruce up and to start the year off fresh, so talk to your nearest NZCB builder to work out what will work best for your home and needs. They’re qualified experts who will happily help you out!
To find a nearby NZCB builder, use the Find A Builder search function on www.nzcb.nz
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