Kitchen and interior design for busy Hawke's Bay families and couples who are done working around a home that doesn’t work.
Photo-real 3D visuals not just 2D plans. Build-ready documentation.
You see exactly what you're getting before anything is ordered.
Your home isn't chaotic
because you're disorganised…
It was designed for a different life, not yours.
The drawer that jams at 7am.
The bench that's covered before 8.
The layout that turns a simple dinner into a full-body obstacle course.
You've saved the Pinterest pins. You've got the rough idea. But the cost, the decisions, and the fear of getting it wrong have kept you exactly where you are.
That's not indecision.
That's not having the right information, yet.
Welcome.
Hi, I'm Nichole — and I've designed over 500 kitchens for New Zealand families who felt exactly like you do right now.
I started FBD Interiors because I kept seeing the same thing: people spending serious money on kitchens they weren't sure about, working with trades who assumed they'd figure it out on site, and ending up with a result that looked fine but still didn't quite work.
My job is to make sure that doesn't happen to you. Every project starts with understanding how your household actually lives — not just how you want it to look. Every decision gets made before the build starts, not during it.
You should feel excited about this. Not scared.
What every FBD project includes — and why it matters.
-
Photo-real 3D renders
See every surface, fitting, and finish before anything is ordered. Changes happen in design — not on site where they cost real money.
-
Builder-ready documentation
Complete specifications for every trade. No gaps, no assumptions, no sorting it out on the day. Your builder works from a brief that's already solved.
-
Fixed scope, no surprises
Everything written down before you sign anything — what's included, what it costs, what happens next. You decide with full information.
Design is about 10% of your spend, but it protects the other 90%
The decisions made at this stage are what keep the build on time and on budget.
What Our Clients Are Saying
-
I put this off for two years because I was convinced something would go wrong and we'd be left with a half-finished kitchen and a bill we couldn't explain. Nichole walked us through every decision before anything was ordered. When we saw the 3D render, it was genuinely emotional. that was our kitchen, exactly how I'd imagined it. The build was smooth because the brief was so clear. We're in it every day now and it still feels like the right call.
— Sarah, Havelock North
-
My husband wanted to just get a builder in and get it done. I wanted to know what we were actually getting before we spent that kind of money. FBD was the middle ground we saw every finish, every fitting, every detail in the renders before a single thing was ordered. No surprises on site. The builder said it was the most complete brief he'd worked from. We made one change during the design phase that I know would have been a disaster to fix mid-build.
— Kate, Napier
-
Our kitchen was the room we worked around, not in. Low benches, no storage, layout that made no sense for how we actually cook. I didn't want a new kitchen. I wanted our kitchen to stop being the worst part of the house. The process felt nothing like what I expected. No overwhelm, no pressure. Nichole managed every decision in the right order. Now the kids do homework at the island while I cook. Mornings are a different kind of morning.
— Mel, Havelock North
A process designed to feel nothing like what you're dreading.
-
The Fit Call
Free, 20 minutes. You'll leave knowing your options, what's realistic for your budget, and whether it's a good fit. No obligation either way.
-
Proposal and Scope
Sent to you within a week. Everything is written down — what's included, what it costs, what happens next. You decide with full information.
-
Design and Renders
Photo-real 3D renders of your finished space. You see every surface, every fitting, every detail before a single thing is ordered or quoted.
-
Builder-Ready Documentation
Complete specifications for every trade. No sorting it out on site. Your builder works from a clear brief, keeping your project on time and on budget.
No overwhelm.
No decisions before you're ready.
No chasing trades for updates.
Just a clear path, managed in the right order, by someone who's done this hundreds of times.
Idea to reality
This is what “you’ll see it before
you build it” actually looks like.
Real kitchens.
Real Kiwi homes.
Before and after.
-
Family kitchen — morning friction resolved
NAPIER HILL
Before: bottlenecks, all cupboards, cluttered benches, nowhere for school bags or room to cook.
After: a calmer two-cook workflow, a concealed drop zone, and storage that keeps the bench clear without constant effort.
-
Renovation layout — clarity before the build
NAPIER HILL
Before: a planned extension with unclear circulation and unresolved decisions.
After: a tighter layout, perfect design for entertaining, better zoning, and a clear brief for the builder before any work began.
-
Whole-home storage — everything has a place
HERALD ISLAND
Before: starting the new build process for their dream home but worried about storage, design direction, and how to make it a forever home.
After: kitchens, wardrobes, pantry and built-in joinery that make the whole home feel calmer and easier to keep tidy.
The questions most people don't ask, but are thinking.
-
That's exactly what the renders are for. You'll see your kitchen in photo-real detail before anything is ordered. Changes happen in the design stage, not on site where they cost real money.
-
Builder-ready documentation means every trade knows exactly what they're doing before they start. No figuring it out on the day — which is usually where budgets unravel.
-
Most clients haven't either. Decisions are managed in the right order, at the right time, so you're never asked to choose something before you're ready. Many clients say it was the part they actually enjoyed.
-
Not at all. The call is designed for exactly this moment — you know something needs to change, you're just not sure where to start. Come as you are.
Your home should be the
best part of your day. Let's make sure it is.
Most clients come to that first call not quite sure they're ready.
By the end of 20 minutes, they have a clear picture of what's possible, what it costs, and what happens next.
That's all it takes to go from stuck to moving.
FBD Interiors is a good fit if...
Your budget sits somewhere between $30,000 and $100,000+.
You want to see exactly what you're getting before anything is ordered.
You care as much about how your kitchen works as how it looks.
-
Practical, future-focused kitchens designed around how your household actually moves. Smarter layouts, storage that makes sense, and a clear visual of the end result before any joinery is ordered.
BEST FOR FAMILIES OR COUPLES RENOVATING EXTENDING, OR STARTING FROM SCRATCH
-
Calm, cohesive rooms that feel resolved rather than overdesigned. Make the key choices once — tiles, fittings, colours, joinery — so the whole space works together.
BEST FOR HOMEOWNERS UPDATING BATHROOMS AND MULTIPLE ROOMS
-
Pantries, laundries, wardrobes and built-ins designed to quietly organise the background of your life. Everything has a place; surfaces can finally stay clear.
BEST FOR BUSY HOUSEHOLDS WHO HAVE STUFF OVERFLOW
Not the right fit?
If you need a builder starting next month, you're looking for the cheapest option, or you don’t care about functionality and only want the space to look good, this probably isn't the right fit.
An interior decorator/designer will be able to help you.
Not sure where to start?
Ready to talk it through?
You've got a rough idea of what you want. You're not sure what a designer actually does, or what it costs. This call is 20 minutes and answers all your burning questions.
20 minutes. No obligation.
Want to self-diagnose?
This free guide walks you through the key working zones I work to with all my designs, and the 7 common mistakes I see in the planning stage (and how to avoid them).
An in-depth self led diagnosis.
Not sure you need a designer?
Answer 8 questions and get a personalised breakdown of what zone is letting your kitchen down and costing you your sanity. And it only takes 2 minutes.
Get you-specific answers.