Home, Garden & DIY

Featured topic
Spring cleaning : removing the clutter
House of havoc : how to make, and keep, a beautiful home despite cheap spouses, messy kids, and other difficult roommates - By Marni Jameson. (2010)
- "In this laugh-out-loud home improvement guide, you'll recognize your problems on every page, then learn how you can create a home that's simpler, prettier, cleaner, and greener. You'll find a lifeline of sanity-saving tips from dozens of renowned home design experts. House of Havoc is for anyone looking to create calm out of chaos, and beauty on a budget. (drawn from the book jacket)
Clutter busting : letting go of what's holding you back- By Brooks Palmer. (2009)
- According to professional "clutter buster" and stand-up comedian Palmer, when people get rid of stuff they don't need, they also remove impediments to a happy life. Hanging onto things is a way to avoid change, says Palmer, and he trains readers to clean out work and home spaces, as well as their heads. Indeed, Palmer's discussion of the psychological aspects of clutter (it's both an addiction and a punishment) makes the book unique. Highly recommended. (drawn from Library Journal, courtersy of Syndetics)
Throw out fifty things : clear the clutter, find your life- By Gail Blanke. (2009)
- Real Simple" columnist Blanke wants to start a movement of people across America to throw out 50 things that will help liberate them from the stuff--both physical and mental--that clutters their lives. Blanke takes the reader through each room in the house to help her figure out what to throw out that will help her move forward. (description courtesy of Syndetics)
The cleaning bible : Kim and Aggie's complete guide to modern household management- By Kim Woodburn, Aggie MacKenzie ; with Jerry Foulkes. (2006)
- Every tip and trick from their combined cleaning experience of about half a century is included, and they always use natural products where possible so even your conscience will be clean. Example - sort by the The Traffic Light Method : start with one room only and sort EVERYTHING into stay, 'wait a minute' or go piles. Empty every surface or cupboard you declutter into these three categories. don't be discouraged if your largest pile is "wait". Once everything is clear, vacuum it and wipe it clean. Ditch or recycle the "green", put the "red" back, and apply a realistic deadline to the "let me look at that again" pile ....
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Stop throwing money away : turn clutter into cash, trash into treasure--and save the planet while you're at it! - By Jamie Novak. (2010)
- Everyone knows clutter can be unsightly and overwheiming, but what you may not know is that it can cost you money. Stop Throwing Money Away is the first guide that shows you how to get organized and save or make money at the same time, Expert organizer Jamie Novak has been there-she too has had a treadmill that turned into a clothes rack -and with her friendly and eye-opening guidance, you'll see the value of what you own in a whole new way. Step by step room by room, you'll find out how to reduce reuse, recycle, swap, sell, share, and more as you streamline your possessions and your life. (Drawn from the book jacket, courtesy of Syndetics.)
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Speed cleaning : a spotless house in just 15 minutes a day - by Shannon Lush & Jennifer Fleming.
- The last thing you want to do after a long day at work is clean the house. But Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming show that all you need is fifteen minutes a day and the sure-fire systems and cunning methods. Filled with practical advice, cleaning methods and some good old-fashioned commonsense, Speedcleaning will show you how to clean your house, top to bottom, room by room as well as some organisational Dos and Don'ts. (drawn from the publisher)
Removing stains : a clean, green A-Z guide.- (2008)
- Removing Stains is a one-stop shop for effective and economical cleaning tips for just about every situation. There's also advice on how to 'clean green', including recipes for simple, eco-friendly cleaners, and a Super Six of everyday household ingredients that are great alternatives to harsh chemicals. And there are lots of suggestions for cleaning shortcuts to suit busy people who'd really rather be doing something else. And who wouldn't? (drawn from the publisher's description)
Recent items
MyLibrary:
Have a look at the libraries' Home and Garden Recent Picks and Cooking Recent Picks for more new books.
MyLibrary is a free service which allows you to set up your own portal page to collect lists of new books, CDs and DVDs in the library. Our librarians compile these lists on a monthly basis across the different subject areas in the library's collection, and for many subjects these monthly lists are available going back a number of years.
Magazines in print
Where do I find the magazines?
The Central and branch libraries hold a range of magazines on home, gardening, DIY and related topics. In the Central Library the magazines can be found in the magazines section on the first floor, and in the branches on the magazine stands.
Popular titles:
Here are links into the catalogue for just a few of our most popular home, gardening and DIY magazines (ordered by subject and with an option to find all magazines in a particular subject). Enjoy!
Architecture
Food & Wine
Gardening
- The Garden
- Gardens Illustrated
- Kitchen Garden
- New Zealand Gardener
- Organic NZ
- Search for all Gardening magazines
Homes & Interior design
- Country Living
- Good Housekeeping
- Ideal Home
- NZ House & Garden
- Your Home & Garden
- Search for all Homes & Interior design magazines
Sewing & Craft
- Australian Quilters Companion
- Burda
- Creative Knitting
- Scrapbooking Memories
- Sew News
- Sew Stylish
- Threads : for people who love to sew
- Search for all Sewing & Craft magazines
Sustainable living
Woodwork & DIY
- Home Handyman
- Popular Mechanics
- Practical Woodworking
- The Shed
- ShopNotes
- Woodworker
- Search for all Woodwork & DIY magazines
Online databases & articles
The library has several online subscriptions. Remember you will need to enter your library card to access these links. In mygateway.info, read the addictive The Oxford Companion to the Garden.
Full-text versions of several magazines are available through the EBSCO database, including:
(If you are accessing this page from a non-library computer you will need to login with your library card details before these links will work for you.)
Shelf Help
Home & DIY:
| Subject: | Dewey number: |
|---|---|
| Architecture | 720 |
| Architecture, NZ Domestic History | 728.3709931 |
| Bathrooms | 643.52 |
| Bathrooms design | 747.78 |
| Brick, paver, tile laying | 693 |
| Colour in interior decoration | 747.94 |
| Construction | 694 |
| Cooking | 641 |
| Cost & Standard of Living | 332.024 |
| Curtains and Blinds | 646.21 |
| Decks & Patios | 721.84, 690.184 & 690.89 |
| Do-it-yourself work | 643.7 |
| Fences & Gates | 717 |
| Garden Design & Landscaping | 712.6 |
| Home economics | 640 |
| Home maintenance | 643.7 |
| Home organisation & decluttering | 648.8 |
| House buying & selling NZ | 643.12 |
| Home insulation | 693.832 |
| Kitchens | 747.797 & 643.3 |
| Mosaics (technique) | 738.52 |
| Plumbing | 696.1 |
| Renewable energy in homes | 621.042 |
| Sustainable architecture | 728.047 |
| Sustainable living | 333.72, 363.7, 640 (Or try this Sustainable Living Catalgoue Search) |
| Tiles in interior decoration | 698.9 |
Gardening:
The majority of Gardening books are located 635 but some books are found in other areas.
| Subject: | Dewey number: |
|---|---|
| Flowers | 635.9 |
| Orchards & fruits | 634 |
| Organic gardening | 635.0484 |
| Perennials | 635.932 |
| Pests & diseases | 632 & 635.049 |
| Shrubs | 635.976 |
| Soil | 631.4 |
| Trees | 635.977 & 582.16 |
| Vegetables | 635 |
Gardening Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
The library holds a number of gardening encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Useful Websites
- Building Plan search
- WCC building Services overview
The Council's Building Services team can help you with a range of building needs and requirements. Have a look here for an overview.
- Building Research Association of New Zealand
BRANZ is an independent and impartial research, testing, consulting and information company providing resources for the building industry.
- New Zealand Legislation
This site contains New Zealand Acts, Bills, and Regulations. You can read and download any of these free of charge.
- Resource Consents
Any development, subdivision or other proposed use of a site must be assessed against the Council's District Plan. The District Plan contains rules about different types of activities in different parts of the city. Anything not permitted by the Plan requires a resource consent, which will be for either a land-use consent or a subdivision consent. Find out more information here.
- Sustainable Building Guidelines
Wellington City Council has developed sustainable building guidelines to help homeowners, tenants, commercial property owners, architects, developers and builders make Wellington's buildings more sustainable.
- WCC archives overview, including family history, rates books, publications, rating and valuation records
- Updates recent changes to the Building Act 2004.
Contact us
This page is written and maintained by Maria. My aim is to keep you informed about the home and garden collection at the library and to highlight parts of the collection which may interest you. I'd be pleased to hear from you about this page - you can email me with any feedback.
