Kitchen and interior design studio in Hawke’s Bay, working across New Zealand.
Practical, joinery‑led design that fixes the layout, storage and flow problems organising can’t touch.
For the woman holding everything together at home, who needs her spaces to make every day easier – and wants the core problems fixed properly with a beautiful home that feels like her.
This is where you come when you’re done rearranging baskets and Pinterest boards and are ready to fix the design problems for good – no Band‑Aid tweaks, no mood‑board makeovers, just good design that works.
KITCHEN DESIGN —
BATHROOM DESIGN —
WARDROBE DESIGN —
LIVING ROOM JOINERY DESIGN —
LAUNDRY DESIGN —
SPATIAL PLANNING —
KITCHEN DESIGN — BATHROOM DESIGN — WARDROBE DESIGN — LIVING ROOM JOINERY DESIGN — LAUNDRY DESIGN — SPATIAL PLANNING —
Joinery-led
We design from the inside out – joinery, storage and flow – so your home feels calm instead of chaotic. If your bench explodes by 6pm no matter how much you tidy, the plan is the problem. Joinery‑led design fixes layout and storage around how you actually live, so everyday tasks feel easier and more enjoyable.
WORK WITH FBDinteriors
THE GAP
Most home advice focuses on buying more storage, organising better and changing how things look. The internet tells you to get jars, baskets and containers, add cupboards, and build the perfect mood board. But if the floor plan, storage placement and zones are wrong, none of that changes how the room behaves.
THE RESULT
The bench is covered again by 6pm. You’re still the only one who knows where anything goes, and every “upgrade” feels like another Band‑Aid.
OUR DISTINCT SOLUTION
At Fresh by Design, we don’t start with finishes. We start with how you move, cook, store and live, then design the joinery, layout and storage around that – so decisions feel clear and the room finally works for you.
PLANNING, JOINERY, FLOW, AND CALM
We design the plan behind your home, so cooking, getting ready and resetting the space finally feels simple instead of draining.
Meet Your Designer
I’m Nichole Davis, the joinery‑led designer behind FBD Interiors.
I’ve designed over 500 kitchens and interiors for New Zealand families, from one room to whole-home renovations and new builds, with a calm, functional home as the goal.
Along the way, my work has picked up national awards and been featured in design media — but but my focus is simple: find what’s not working, design the joinery‑first plan to fix it, and give your builder clear documentation so everyday life feels easier and more enjoyable.
The FBD Framework
Diagnose, Design, Document
The FBD Framework finds what’s not working, designs the joinery‑first plan to fix it,
and gives your builder clear documentation so the build feels calmer, not riskier.
What every FBD Interiors
project includes so you can relax during the build.
-
3D Visuals
See your space before anything’s ordered, so you’re not guessing from samples.
-
Documentation
ALL your tradesmen gets clear, detailed plans — no on‑site improvising.
-
Fixed scope
You know what’s included and what it costs before you sign.
Design is about 10% of your spend, but it protects the other 90%.
The decisions made at this stage are what keep your build on time, on budget, and feeling calm instead of chaotic.
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
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.
You’ll see it before you build it
Real homes.
Real families.
Real changes to everyday life.
-
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, 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.
FBD Interiors is a good fit if...
Your budget sits 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.
-
Kitchens planned from the floor up so they work as hard as you do.
We diagnose what’s not working (or what could go wrong), refine the layout and joinery, and document every decision before anything is ordered.
-
Bathrooms that feel resolved instead of pieced together.
We lock in layout, storage, and key finishes — tiles, fittings, colours, joinery — and document everything clearly so your builder and trades know exactly what to do.
-
Pantries, laundries, wardrobes and built‑ins designed to solve specific storage problems.
We map what needs to be stored, plan the joinery to contain it, and provide clear drawings and specs so it’s built right the first time.
Start where you are
Ready to talk it through?
You’ve got a rough idea of what you want, but you’re not sure what a designer actually does or what it costs. This free 20‑minute call walks through your options and whether we’re a good fit.
Learn our zoning framework for free.
This free guide walks you through the key working zones I use in every kitchen, and the 7 common planning mistakes I see (and how to avoid them).
Want to
self-diagnose?
Answer 8 questions and get a personalised breakdown of which zone is letting your kitchen down and costing you your sanity. It only takes 2 minutes.