A kitchen your family actually loves living in.
Joinery-first kitchen and interior design for busy Hawke's Bay families and couples — with photo-real 3D visuals and build-ready documentation so you know exactly what you're getting before the build starts.
If any of this sounds familiar...
You love cooking but dread being in your kitchen
You've got quotes but no idea what's included.
Every time you look, the numbers seem to grow.
You want it done right, but you're terrified of making the wrong call.
You've saved a hundred Pinterest images and still feel no clearer.
You don't know where the joinery ends and the builder begins.
You're not sure if you need an architect, a designer, or just a really good builder.
Someone keeps saying "just get on with it" — the pressure is building, but not the confidence.
You're not indecisive.
You haven't had the right information, yet.
Welcome.
Your kitchen works.
It just doesn't work for your life
I hear this from almost everyone before we first speak. You know the space needs to change — but the cost, the decisions, and the fear of getting it wrong have kept you stuck.
I'm Nichole, a joinery-first interior designer based in Hawke's Bay.
My job is to take you from "I don't know where to start" to "I can see exactly what I'm getting." Every project includes photo-real 3D visuals, a calm process, and the confidence to say yes and move forward.
Over 500 kitchens designed in Hawke's Bay and New Zealand. Builder-ready documentation included with every project.
Not sure where to start?
Here's how most people do.
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 understand the process first?
This free guide walks you through the joinery-first process — what's included, what to ask your builder, and how to avoid the decisions that blow budgets.
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.
What Our Clients Are Saying
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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
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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
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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
Our Unique Process
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Idea to reality
This is what “you’ll see it before you build it” actually looks like.
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.
Projects designed together, for New Zealand homes.
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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.
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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, perfect design for entertaining, 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: 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.
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.
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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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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
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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
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.
The questions most people don't ask, but are thinking.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 design one that actually is.