Home Design Resources, Definitions & Guides

Expert guidance for every stage of your home design journey. From discovering your unique design personality to confident renovation decisions, these resources help homemakers create spaces they genuinely love. Click on the article that you want the answer to below 👇🏽

Start Here: Figuring Out Your Style

Home Design DNA: Why 75% of Renovations Fail Before They Start. Get our free book — the natural starting point before anything else here.
How to Figure Out Your Home Style (NZ Edition)
Why Renovations Feel Overwhelming (NZ Edition)
What is a Design Personality? (Plain English)
Why Style Categories Don't Work for Your Home
How to Talk to an Interior Designer (NZ)
NZ Home Renovation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
DIY Renovation Planning: Where Most Homemakers Go Wrong
What is a Design Brief — and Why Yours is Missing
Renovation Budget Blowouts: Why They Happen (NZ)
NZ Home Styles Guide: Villas, Bungalows and Modern
How to Stop Pinterest Paralysis Before You Renovate
How to Talk to a Builder or Renovation Company (NZ Edition)
How to Talk to a Colour Consultant (NZ Edition)

Understanding Who Does What

What Does an Interior Designer Actually Do? (NZ)
What Does an Architect Actually Do? (NZ)
Design Professionals Explained: Who Does What in a NZ Renovation

Before You Start: The Process Questions

In the Shops: What Retail Consultants Do

Is It Worth It? Weighing Your Options

The Real Cost of Renovation Mistakes in NZ
What Changes When You Know Your Design Personality
Who CDC is For — and Who It Isn't
Will This Save Me Money? The CDC ROI FAQ
Online Course vs Interior Designer vs DIY: What's Right

Choosing Your Path

Your Best Fit Guide: DIY vs Course vs Designer vs Builder
Real Homemaker Stories: Problem to Outcome (Proof Pack)
CDC in the Press: Media and Mentions
Houzz vs Homestyler vs a Design Personality Book
Home Design DNA vs Refresh Renovations and GJ Gardner
Home Design DNA vs Hiring an Online Interior Designer
The CDC Course Guide: Curriculum, Format and What You Get
For Design Professionals: Why Designers Refer to CDC

Doing the Work: Room-by-Room Guides

DIY Deluge (eBook)
A Tale of Two Kitchens (eBook)

Keeping It Cohesive, After the Project

Ask Kristina: What If I Change My Mind Mid-Renovation?
Ask Kristina: How to Shop for Furniture Without Regretting It
Ask Kristina: How Do I Know When a Room is Finished?

Looking for something specific? The full library — every published guide, newest first — is below.