Best Interior Designers in Nelson: Colour, Kitchen and Whole Home Specialists

Choosing the best interior designers in Nelson comes down to the shape of the job in front of you, from a single colour and wallpaper scheme through to a full renovation with new kitchen joinery, window coverings and furniture. The interior designers in Nelson below cover space planning, colour and materials consultations, kitchen and bathroom design, curtains and blinds, and furniture selection across the city and the wider Tasman region. Studios such as PK Design and Frank Design work from Richmond and Nelson itself, with others based in Stoke and Annesbrook.

1PK Design

PK Design is a Richmond based studio run by interior designer Phill Krammer, offering a full design service that covers interior, architectural and landscaping work for clients across Nelson, Richmond and the wider Tasman region. The studio handles kitchen and bathroom arrangements, finishing and furnishing options, and coordinates the trades a project needs. It suits homeowners who would rather have one point of contact for both the design and the subcontractors.

Services

• Residential interior design and consultation
• Kitchen and bathroom design and layout
• Living space and outdoor design
• Upholstery and drapery, with furniture, flooring and lighting selection
• Architectural and landscaping design

Highlights

• Winner of Best Interior Design, Golden Edge, at the Nelson Marlborough Master Joiners 2019 Joinery and Design Awards
• Coordinates subcontracting including tilers, builders, electricians and plumbers
• Aligned with national and international textile suppliers for upholstery and drapery
• Consultations offered across the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough regions

Location & Contact

Name: PK Design
Address: 34 Eton Street, Richmond, Nelson
Phone: 021 467177
Website: pkdesign.co.nz

2Frank Design

Frank Design is a residential interior design practice in Nelson created by Emma Gale, working from concept through to completion on homes throughout the Tasman region. Emma holds an ANZCID, the advanced New Zealand certificate in interior design, and had 16 years in the industry before setting up the practice, most recently with a Christchurch interior design studio. Fixed fees are published for the colour and interior consultations, which suits homeowners who want the cost settled before they commit.

Services

• Interior colour consultation covering paint colours, wall finishes and wallpaper
• Exterior cladding and paint colour consultation
• Kitchen, bathroom and laundry finishes, including benchtops, cabinetry and splashbacks
• Curtain, blind and shutter consultation, then measure, make and install
• Comprehensive interior design, including bathroom layouts drawn in ArchiCAD and custom joinery design

Highlights

• Emma Gale holds an ANZCID, the advanced New Zealand certificate in interior design
• Set fees listed for each consultation type, from colour only through to a full interior
• Supplies window coverings, wallpaper and furniture, so a project can be managed through to installation
• Works alongside architects, builders, joiners and kitchen designers on new builds and renovations

Location & Contact

Name: Frank Design
Address: Nelson
Phone: 021 084 72907
Website: frankdesign.nz

3The Sellers Room

The Sellers Room is a design and joinery business at Echodale Place in Stoke, with an in-house team of designers, joiners and installers handling both residential and commercial spaces. It was set up in 2000 by Margarette Sellers and her late husband Myles, and Margarette still heads the design team. The work runs from kitchens, wardrobes and bathrooms in homes through to offices, retail spaces and hospitality fit outs.

Services

• Kitchen design and joinery
• Bathroom and laundry design
• Wardrobes, shelving and storage
• Living space and workspace design
• Commercial design for offices, retail spaces and hospitality venues

Highlights

• Registered Master Joiner through the New Zealand Joinery Manufacturers Federation
• Member of the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NZ) Inc
• Established in 2000 and still led by founder Margarette Sellers
• Designers, joiners and installers all in house, with a Nelson workshop clients can visit
• Work guaranteed under the Consumer Guarantees Act

Location & Contact

Name: The Sellers Room
Address: 9 Echodale Place, Stoke, Nelson
Phone: 03 547 7144
Website: thesellersroom.nz

4Q Design Services

Q Design Services is an interior design consultancy run by Janet Cowper, offering residential design help to clients across Nelson and Tasman. Janet holds a Diploma in Interior Design with further study in colour design and manipulation, and takes on anything from a single room to a whole house. The service suits homeowners who want practical guidance and a second opinion rather than full project management, including people getting a house ready to sell.

Services

• Residential interior design for a single room or a whole house
• Home styling and colour inspiration
• Space planning and furniture options
• Advice on setting up a house before selling
• One off consultations or ongoing design support and guidance

Highlights

• Janet Cowper holds a Diploma in Interior Design plus further study in colour design
• Free initial phone or email consultation to talk through plans before anything is booked
• The Ask me Anything in home consultation runs 90 minutes at $300 plus GST, with follow up suggestions if wanted
• Consultation packages available as gift certificates

Location & Contact

Name: Q Design Services
Address: Nelson
Phone: 027 281 9167
Website: qdesignservices.nz

5MOORE

MOORE is a design, build and engineering firm on Pascoe Street in Annesbrook with an in house interior designer working out of its MOORE Studio space. Interior design here sits alongside the firm’s residential and commercial building work, covering external materials and colours right through to internal fixtures, fittings and finishes. The studio is set up so clients can sit down with samples and work through colours, products and finishes for a build or renovation.

Services

• New build interior design and selections
• Renovation and extension interior design
• Colour and materials consultations
• Kitchen, bathroom and joinery design guidance
• Furniture, textiles and styling advice

Highlights

• MOORE Studio is a dedicated Nelson design space for client selection meetings
• Interior design led by in house designer Natasha, alongside the firm’s architectural and engineering teams
• Residential building, commercial fit outs and structural engineering handled by the one company

Location & Contact

Name: MOORE
Address: 93 Pascoe Street, Annesbrook, Nelson
Website: moore.co.nz
Phone: 03 538 0777

Interior Designers in Nelson at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Interior Designer in Nelson

• Match the designer to the scope. A colour and finishes consultation is a different job from a whole house renovation run alongside builders and joiners, and not every studio does both.
• Check how fees are structured. Some publish a flat price per consultation, others quote a design fee on scope or charge an hourly rate for follow up work.
• Ask who supplies the products. A designer who can also supply window coverings, wallpaper and furniture can carry a project through to installation, while a consultant hands you a specification to buy from.
• Look at the portfolio for work like yours. A studio strong on kitchens and joinery is not automatically the right fit for a villa restoration or a commercial fit out.
• Confirm the travel area and any mileage charge before booking, particularly for properties outside Nelson city, Richmond and Stoke.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nelson Interior Designers

What does an interior designer in Nelson actually do?

The work usually starts with an in home visit to look at the space and talk through how you use it, your style and your budget. From there a designer draws up space plans and selects the finishes, which can mean paint colours and wallpaper, benchtops, cabinetry and splashbacks, flooring and tiles, window coverings, lighting, furniture and accessories. Some designers also specify custom joinery and coordinate the trades on site.

How much does interior design cost in Nelson?

Local studios price in different ways, so it pays to ask up front. Some publish a set fee for a defined consultation, for example a colour consultation or a 90 minute in home visit, while larger projects are quoted as a design fee based on scope or charged hourly for drawings, sourcing and site visits. Products such as window coverings and furniture are usually quoted separately for approval.

Do I need an interior designer or an architect?

An interior designer plans how a space works and selects everything you see and touch in it. If the project involves moving load bearing walls or adding floor area, you will also need an architect or engineer for the drawings and structural calculations, and the work will need to meet the New Zealand Building Code. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment sets out when consented work is required at building.govt.nz.

Which parts of Nelson and Tasman do these designers cover?

Between them the studios on this page work from Richmond, Stoke, Annesbrook and Nelson city, and most travel out across the Tasman district, with some also taking on work in Marlborough and down the West Coast. If your property is out at Mapua, Motueka or Ruby Bay, ask whether a mileage charge applies to visits outside the suburban Nelson and Richmond areas, since at least one consultancy states that it can.

Can an interior designer help with just one room?

Yes, and several of the Nelson studios are set up for exactly that. A single room refresh, a kitchen, a bathroom or a one off consultation on colour and furniture placement are all standard requests, and a short in home visit is often the cheapest way to get a professional opinion before you commit to anything larger.

What should I have ready for a first consultation?

Collect images of interiors you like, whether that is a Pinterest board or magazine clippings, and think about how the room needs to work rather than only how it should look. A rough budget figure and a rough timeframe help a great deal, even if both are approximate, because they shape which products and which scope of work are realistic.

Do Nelson interior designers supply furniture and window coverings themselves?

Some do and some do not. A designer who supplies can quote and order curtains, blinds, wallpaper and furniture, then coordinate delivery and installation, which keeps the project under one roof. A consultancy that only specifies gives you a schedule to buy from yourself, which can suit people happy to do their own ordering.

Does an interior fit out need council approval?

Cosmetic work such as paint, wallpaper, flooring and new furniture does not. Building consent is generally required once you alter structure, move plumbing or drainage, or change how a building is used, and some plumbing and drainage work must be done by a licensed person. Nelson City Council publishes its consent requirements and application process at nelson.govt.nz, and it is worth checking before a renovation is designed rather than after.