Hawke’s Bay has a deeper design scene than a region its size usually supports, and the best interior designers in Hastings range from award winning studios to a showroom you can walk into with a fabric swatch. These five cover full home renovations and new builds, kitchen and bathroom design, colour and material selection, soft furnishings and boutique commercial work. Bibby + Brady and Chrissie Moore Interiors are two of the most established names locally.
1Bibby + Brady
Bibby + Brady is a full service interior design studio founded in 2013 and run by Vic Bibby and Dael Brady from Ossian Street in Napier, working across Hawke’s Bay and nationally. The studio takes residential projects and boutique commercial interiors from concept through to fit out, with 3D visuals and elevation drawings produced in house. They work with custom New Zealand made furniture alongside fabrics and wallpapers from local and international houses.
Services
- Renovations and new builds
- Kitchen, bathroom and laundry design
- Spatial planning and walk in wardrobe design
- Colour schemes and window treatments
- Boutique commercial design and interior fit out
Highlights
- Founded in 2013, a two director studio
- In house 3D visuals and elevation drawings offered as a listed service
- Commercial portfolio including the Sai restaurant interior
- Custom New Zealand made furniture and cushions produced for clients
- Project management offered alongside the design work
Location & Contact
Name: Bibby + Brady
Address: 50 Ossian Street, Napier 4110
Phone: 021 207 9903
Website: bibbyandbrady.co.nz
2Chrissie Moore Interiors
Chrissie Moore Interiors runs a walk in showroom studio on Havelock Road in Havelock North and has been designing in Hawke’s Bay for fifteen years. The work covers both residential and commercial, from redesigning floor plans through to full renovations, with schemes built on layered natural colours and moody undertones so art and rugs carry the room. The showroom stocks over 10,000 textiles, which makes it the practical choice if you want to see and feel fabric rather than choose from a screen.
Services
- Interior design and floor plan redesign
- Colour consultations
- Fabric, textiles and soft furnishings
- Furniture upholstery and sourcing
- Commercial interiors
Highlights
- Fifteen years designing in Hawke’s Bay
- Walk in showroom stocking more than 10,000 textiles
- Carries Sanderson, James Dunlop, Mokum, Romo, Warwick and Hemptech ranges
- Free measure and quote on all soft furnishings
- Open weekdays, with Saturdays and after hours by appointment
Location & Contact
Name: Chrissie Moore Interiors
Address: 26 Havelock Road, Havelock North
Phone: 06 877 6020
Website: chrissiemoore.co.nz
3Studio AG D.
Studio AG D. is a Havelock North interior design practice led by Amy Gillespie, working on residential and commercial projects nationwide both in person and remotely. The work is grounded in natural materials with a mid century and contemporary influence, built on a considered approach to volume, texture and light. It is the most decorated studio on this list, with two 2024 NZIA regional awards and national recognition.
Services
- Full home interior design for renovations and new builds
- Kitchen and bathroom design with bespoke joinery and CAD drawings
- Furnishings, furniture layout and specification
- Single Room Design Intensive at a fixed price
Highlights
- NZIA Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay 2024 Interior Architecture Award winner for Joll Commons
- NZIA Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay 2024 Housing winner for Haumoana House
- Here Awards 2024 New House winner and Best House Aotearoa runner up
- Published in Home Magazine and Homestyle
- Commercial work includes Joll Commons and Black Barn at Havelock North
Location & Contact
Name: Studio AG D.
Address: Havelock North
Website: ag-d.co.nz
4Maho Interiors
Maho Interiors is an interior and spatial design studio in Havelock North led by creative director Suzy Martin, who has more than twenty years in the field. The approach is strongly architectural, which is unsurprising given she trained at Victoria University’s School of Architecture and spent her career at Athfield Architects and Jasmax before setting up on her own. The studio takes new builds, renovations and styling from concept through to construction.
Services
- New build and renovation interior design
- Kitchen and bathroom design
- Space planning and floor plans
- 3D renders, detailed drawings and contractor schedules
- Furniture and homeware styling
Highlights
- Bachelor of Design majoring in Interiors from Victoria University’s School of Architecture and Design
- Career spent at New Zealand architectural firms Athfield Architects and Jasmax
- Designed interiors for the new Craggy Range Lodge
- Founded her own textile brand, Fringe Society Design, while based in Dubai
- Complimentary twenty minute project consultation
Location & Contact
Name: Maho Interiors
Address: Havelock North
Phone: 021 085 87357
Website: mahointeriors.co.nz
5FBD Interiors
FBD Interiors is a kitchen, bathroom and interior design studio led by Nichole Davis, serving Napier, Hastings, Havelock North and Central Hawke’s Bay. She has eleven years designing kitchens, bathrooms and built ins, including time working inside a joinery company learning pricing and construction sequencing, which shows in how the studio works. Design runs to a set method: finalise the floor plan, lock in the services, then overlay the finishes.
Services
- Kitchen design
- Bathroom design
- Custom storage and wardrobe design
- Laundry and living room joinery design
- One off consultation
Highlights
- Four national awards for completed spaces
- Eleven years in kitchen, bathroom and built in design, including in house joinery company experience
- Unlimited photo real 3D renders and builder ready technical documentation included in every package
- Fixed price ranges published openly on the website
Location & Contact
Name: FBD Interiors
Address: Central Hawke’s Bay
Website: fbdinteriors.co.nz
How to Choose the Right Interior Designer in Hastings
- Work out whether you need full design or just a colour and material scheme, because the fee difference between the two is substantial and many people need less than they assume.
- Ask whether documentation is included, since builder ready drawings and joinery schedules are what stop a design falling apart on site.
- Look at whether the studio does commercial work if your project is a shop, office or hospitality fit out, as it is a different discipline from residential.
- Ask how fees are structured, whether hourly, fixed by room, or a percentage, and get the scope in writing before starting.
- If you want to touch fabric before choosing it, use a designer with a showroom, because 10,000 textiles in person beats any number of samples posted out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hastings Interior Designers
What does an interior designer actually do?
They plan how a space works before deciding how it looks: layout, circulation, light, storage and joinery, then finishes, colour and furniture. On a renovation or new build they also produce drawings a builder and joiner can work from. A decorator, by contrast, deals mainly with the surface layer of colour, fabric and furnishing.
What does it cost?
It varies by scope and by studio. Some Hawke’s Bay designers publish fixed price packages, one lists a single room intensive at a set fee, and others quote hourly or as a percentage of project value. Ask for the fee basis and the deliverables list in writing, because the deliverables are what actually differ.
Do I need one for a kitchen or bathroom?
Not always, but it is where the money goes wrong fastest. Getting the services located before the finishes are chosen is what prevents expensive changes later, and at least one local studio works to exactly that sequence. For a straightforward replacement a joinery company may be enough.
Is an interior designer the same as an interior architect?
No, though the work overlaps. Interior architecture deals with the structure of the space itself and sits closer to architectural practice, which is why some interiors work is recognised in the New Zealand Institute of Architects awards. Interior design covers layout, joinery and finishes without altering the building’s structure.
Can they work remotely?
Yes. At least one Havelock North studio takes projects nationwide both in person and remotely, and remote work is now common for colour schemes and single rooms. For a full renovation, site visits still matter, so ask how many are included.
How far ahead should I book?
Good local studios are often booked several months out, particularly heading into spring and summer when renovation work peaks. If your project has a fixed completion date, approach designers early, because the design phase runs well ahead of any building work.
Do they design commercial spaces too?
Several do. Local commercial work includes restaurant interiors, a co-working space and hospitality venues at Havelock North. If your project is commercial, ask specifically, since accessibility, fire egress and building compliance apply in ways they do not to a home.
What should I bring to the first meeting?
Plans if you have them, a realistic budget, and images of interiors you like and dislike, because the dislikes are often more useful. Photographs of the existing rooms and rough measurements help. Being honest about the budget at the outset saves designing something that then has to be cut back.