Kitchen and joinery design for Hawke’s Bay families + couples who want a calm home without costly guesswork.
Your home either adds to you or takes from you. There is no in-between.
The stuck drawer, the bench that never clears, the morning that starts three frustrations deep , it costs us more than time.
It costs us regulation. Feeling collected and confident. Calm. And we feel it every single day, even if we never quite named it.
A well-designed home isn't a luxury. It's the container for your whole life.
Find out exactly where your space is letting you down and take the 2-minute kitchen audit quiz →
What you can expect
Scope Fit Call
The build will go smoothly. Builder-ready drawings and schedules your trades can actually work from — fewer surprises on site.
Fixed design fee and scope
The process won't add to your load. Two options, one recommendation, plain-English guidance. No decision fatigue, no chasing.
Design begins
You'll see it before you commit.
Photo-real renders of your actual space — before a single decision becomes irreversible.
idea to reality,
Without adding to the Mental load
No decision fatigue. No 2am what‑ifs.
That’s the Fresh By Design Interiors difference.
⸻ WHAT WE DO
Design services for
busy Homes and families
Whether you're reshaping a kitchen, planning a renovation or trying to make everyday life at home feel calmer — the goal is the same: spaces that work beautifully, look like you, and reduce the mental load.
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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
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Two strong layout directions, one clear recommendation. Test options on paper so you can move walls, open spaces or re-zone rooms with confidence instead of guessing.
BEST FOR HOMEOWNERS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF BUILDING OR RENOVATING
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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
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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
FBDinteriors design packages pay for themselves
Your build or reno is the big spend. Design is the small slice that protects it.
Most costly mistakes happen before anyone realises they’ve been made — in layout, storage, lighting, services and documentation. Bringing those decisions together early means fewer gaps, fewer assumptions on site, and a far smoother path into build.
Feeling stuck with
your Kitchen layout?
⸻ Spot the 7 common layout mistakes
⸻ Understand the working zones
⸻ Start planning with more clarity
Real Homes, for Real new zealand families
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Family kitchen — morning friction resolved
NAPIER HILL
Before: bottlenecks around the island, cluttered benches, nowhere for school bags.
After: a calmer two-cook workflow, a concealed drop zone, and storage that keeps the bench clear without constant effort.
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Renovation layout — clarity before the build
NAPIER HILL
Before: a planned extension with unclear circulation and unresolved decisions.
After: a tighter layout, better zoning, and a clear brief for the builder before any work began.
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Whole-home storage — everything has a place
HERALD ISLAND
Before: ad-hoc storage, visual noise and no real home for "all the things."
After: wardrobes, pantry and built-in joinery that make the whole home feel calmer and easier to keep tidy.
⸻ HOW IT WORKS
A calm project starts with a clear process
Here's what working together looks like — from first conversation to a buildable plan, without decision overload.
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01 Discovery call
A 30-minute conversation to understand what isn't working, your timeline, and whether we're the right fit. No pressure, no sales script — just clarity.
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02 Concept and layout
We explore strong options, test flows and storage logic, then recommend the direction that best fits your home and family — with reasoning, not just visuals.
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03 Photo-real visuals
See the design in detailed 3D before anything is built. Fine-tune finishes together so you can say yes with confidence — not crossed fingers.
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04 Builder-ready documentation
Drawings, schedules and specifications your builder needs to price and construct accurately. Fewer questions on site, fewer surprises for you.
DESIGNER & SELF DIAGNOSED HOMEBODY
I’m probably exactly where you are, living in my ‘before’, so I truly do get it.
My husband and I are mid-renovation. Small kitchen, no storage, stuff on every surface — while I'm hiring staff, opening a studio, and answering builder calls between client sessions.
The irony is not lost on me.
This is exactly why I design joinery-first, practical spaces that lower the mental load and make home life feel calmer.
You'll see your new kitchen in photo-real detail before you commit, then move forward with builder-ready documentation and clear, kind guidance at every step.
That's what I'm here to give you.
Nichole Davis
⸻ WHAT CLIENTS SAY
Renovations are a big decision. Hearing from others helps.
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“She listened so carefully to how our mornings and evenings actually run, then designed a kitchen that supports that.
The renders looked exactly like the finished space — which made it so much easier to say yes.“
SARAH, HAVELOCK NORTH
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“The documentation was incredibly clear for our builder. There were no mystery decisions or surprise costs halfway through and everything felt transparent and well thought out.“
MARK, WELLINGTON
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“I was worried I'd feel overwhelmed by decisions, but Nichole kept everything calm and step-by-step. It felt like having a very capable friend walking beside us the whole way through.“
KELLY, CENTRAL HAWKES BAY
⸻ BEFORE YOU ENQUIRE
Questions people ask before they get in touch
These are the questions that come up in almost every first conversation.
If something isn't answered here, just ask — I'm always happy to talk through where your project sits.
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If you're moving structural walls or changing your home's footprint, you'll usually need an architect too; I have a great one I work in with I can line up for you
If you're focused on making the inside work better — layout, joinery, storage, finishes and fittings — an interior and joinery designer is the best place to start.
I'm always happy to talk through where your project sits.
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Most kitchen/living area design projects start from around $3,500 with full-home or multi-space projects quoted individually once we understand the scope.
You'll always see a clear proposal with inclusions and exclusions before you decide — no vague numbers, no surprises.
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I'm based in Hawke's Bay and love working locally in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North and surrounds.
I also work with clients elsewhere in New Zealand by project, using a mix of online meetings and detailed documentation.
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Yes with builders, but not always with cabinet makers.
Sometimes clients already have a builder they trust. My role is to give them clear, buildable documentation so they can price and construct accurately — fewer questions on site, fewer surprises for you.
I prefer to work with my cabinet maker as I know his quality, level of workmanship, and the relation is established giving you, the client, infinitely better results.
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The goal is always render to reality. We work with realistic materials, lighting and detailing, then document everything so your builder or cabinetmaker can follow through.
As long as the agreed design and selections are followed, the finished space should feel very close to what you've seen.
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Most kitchen design projects take 6-10 weeks from discovery call to final documentation, depending on complexity and decision speed.
We'll map out a realistic timeline at the start so you always know where things sit.