Extending Up And Out. When we think of home extensions, we usually think of floor space and horizontal features, but we often forget about vertical space. Your extension could have higher ceilings, transforming the way your new room feels. High ceilings and a blend of natural and artificial light will make your extension feel brighter, more spacious and more welcoming.
You can build down, as well as up - digging down into your property can lower the floor level.
Using Plenty Of Glass. Large glass windows, sliding doors with glass panels and even bright skylights introduce beautiful natural light into any space. Glass doors promote a great indoor-outdoor flow, which is especially desirable if your property has a lovely view, garden or outdoor areas meant for relaxation or gatherings.
Bringing natural light into a space through multiple windows or doors adds various layers of light and shadow.
Selecting Beautiful, Unique Colours. Neutral colour palettes and monochrome black, white and grey rooms have been very popular in the past. While these design styles are still well-loved in 2025, we’re now seeing more and more people dive into colour.
Colour is key when designing home extensions or interior design layouts. Colour palettes can affect our mood and perception of space, and there are countless colour combinations you could explore. Think about ways you could introduce colour into your space without overwhelming your house with too many hues - you could pair a beautiful bright blue with natural wood surfaces and neutral colours, or use soft pastels to include colour and keep the room nice and airy.
Increasing A Focus On Sustainability. Sustainability and eco-friendliness have become core principles for many Kiwis. We incorporate green practices in everything we do, including building house extensions.
You could improve the sustainability of your house extension project in a few ways. Consider sustainable building methods, renewable resources and energy-efficient elements that’ll reduce your carbon footprint and your monthly bills.
Think about materials like ethically-harvested timber and fast-growing resources like bamboo and cork. Additionally, consider recycled, repurposed and reclaimed materials and features, like reclaimed wood. Try to pick materials and fixtures that are made here in New Zealand, because this will reduce the emissions caused by transporting the products.
Aside from materials themselves, let’s also consider energy-efficient features, products, systems and design principles that we can use for your home. If you’re interested in investing in a solar power system in the future, we can make sure your house’s roof is suitable for solar panels. We will also ensure your home extension is well-insulated to reduce heat loss and improve your building’s thermal envelope. We can discuss passive solar design, which is where we will design your home extension to make use of the sun’s energy for heating and cooling.
Designing A Broken Plan Layout, Not An Open Plan Layout. Open plan layouts have been widely loved, but now we’re seeing a shift to broken plan layouts.
While open plan layouts minimise walls and enclosed spaces, broken plan layouts bridge the gap between open plan and individual rooms. While there’s still plenty of space, individual zones are highlighted through architectural features and furniture arrangements. You could use partial partitions, distinct lighting and even different flooring to denote different areas.
This keeps the spacious airiness of an open plan space while having the organisation of a traditional enclosed layout.
Building A Modern, Personalised Home Extension For Your NZ House
We welcome you to reach out to us at Rowberry Builders. We specialise in custom new build homes and renovations, and we always stay up to date with modern building methods, trends and more.
Do any of these ideas interest you? Do you have any other ideas you’d like to explore? Call 027 272 7685 or message us online today.
Perfect your home with Rowberry Builders.
