Choosing among the best interior designers in Whangarei usually comes down to matching the designer to the size of the job, whether that is a full new build scheme, a kitchen and bathroom refit, or one room that has never quite worked. The designers below cover colour consulting, space planning, furniture and window treatments, lighting selections and property styling, working alongside homeowners, builders and architects across Northland. Anna Grace Design runs a studio on Cameron Street, while Sarah Burrows Design has been shaping Northland kitchens and interiors for more than a decade.
1Anna Grace Design
Anna Grace Design is a full service interior design studio on Cameron Street in Whangarei, working on private homes across Northland. Anna manages the visual direction of a project alongside your architect, builder or kitchen designer, covering colour, finishes, furniture and styling from concept through to completion. It suits homeowners who want one person holding the whole interior brief together on a renovation, new build or multi room project.
Services
- Signature Interior Design for renovations, new builds and multi room projects
- Interior styling and furnishings for homes that are built but not yet finished
- Concept Consultation, a two hour on site session covering style, colour and layout
- Colour palettes, paint, wallpaper, flooring and finish selections
- Furniture, curtains, blinds, lighting and accessory sourcing
Highlights
- Studio at 74 Cameron Street, open by appointment
- Sources through trade only suppliers including David Shaw, Kovacs, James Dunlop and Warwick
- Coordinates builders, plumbers and electricians through the design process
- Concept Consultation is $600 plus GST, with travel included within 50 kilometres
- Focused on timeless, personal interiors rather than following trends
Location & Contact
Name: Anna Grace Design
Address: 74 Cameron Street, Whangarei
Phone: 022 157 1964
Website: interiordesignwhangarei.nz
2Sarah Burrows Design
Sarah Burrows Design specialises in kitchens, bathrooms and whole home interiors, and is based in Whangarei while taking work further afield. Founder Sarah Burrows has partnered with homeowners, suppliers and trades for more than ten years, and the studio carries a project from the first consultation through design to installation. It suits people renovating who would rather hand the detail, the ordering and the trade coordination to someone else.
Services
- Kitchen design
- Bathroom design, from concept through to installation
- Whole home interior design
- Photo realistic renders of the redesigned space
- Installation managed with their own suppliers and trades
Highlights
- Founded by Sarah Burrows, who has worked with clients for more than ten years
- Free 30 minute Clarity Consult for homeowners about to renovate
- Published case studies covering a coastal new build at Waipu and full home renovations
- Based in Whangarei and available nationwide
Location & Contact
Name: Sarah Burrows Design
Address: Whangarei
Phone: 027 335 7124
Website: sarahburrowsdesign.co.nz
3Studio Y Interior Design
Studio Y Interior Design is Yvette Parker’s residential design and colour consulting practice, serving Whangarei and the wider Northland region. The work ranges from a single in home consultation through to full new build colour schemes, floor plans and showhome staging. It suits homeowners building or renovating who want clear guidance on selections without committing to a full design package.
Services
- Essential Consult, a two hour in home design session
- New build colour consulting across interior and exterior selections
- Floor plans and room layouts
- Fabric, furnishing, lighting and window treatment selections
- Showhome staging and styling
Highlights
- Yvette Parker gained her Diploma in Interior Design in 2009
- Studio Y launched in 2014, focused on residential design and colour consulting
- Resene Colour Home Award finalist in 2023
- More than 800 colour consults completed
- Created the interior and exterior palettes for two Heart Foundation Lottery Homes
Location & Contact
Name: Studio Y Interior Design
Address: Whangarei
Phone: 021 151 3121
Website: studioy.co.nz
4Covet and Crave Interior Design
Covet and Crave Interior Design is a small studio in Kamo run by qualified interior designer Katrina Gysberts. The work covers new builds, renovations, single room refreshes and commercial properties, with advice on layout, cabinetry, colour palettes, fixtures, fittings and both hard and soft furnishings. It suits homeowners who want new pieces blended with the furniture, heirlooms and travel finds they already own.
Services
- New build interior design
- Renovation design
- Room refreshes
- Commercial property interiors
- Colour palettes, cabinetry, fixtures, fittings and furnishing selections
Highlights
- Run by Katrina Gysberts, who holds a Diploma in Interior Design
- Studio at 1 Grant Street in Kamo, open weekdays by appointment
- Designer discounts from wholesale suppliers passed on to clients
- Initial consultation of up to two hours at $300 including GST
Location & Contact
Name: Covet and Crave Interior Design
Address: 1 Grant Street, Kamo, Whangarei
Phone: 021 678 727
Website: covetandcrave.co.nz
5Whangarei Homestagers and Interior Design
Whangarei Homestagers and Interior Design pairs property staging with a residential interior design service delivered by a qualified design team. The design side covers floor plans, styling, colour schemes and furniture sourcing for homes, beach houses and investment properties. It suits owners preparing a property for sale or fitting out a holiday home or rental, as well as anyone after a straightforward room refresh.
Services
- Interior design consultations and room plans
- Floor plans and space planning
- Styling, colour schemes and decor selection
- Furniture selection and sourcing
- Home staging, developer fitouts and Airbnb fitouts
Highlights
- Trade discounts on furniture and decor passed on to clients
- Covers Whangarei, Whangarei Heads, Ruakaka, Waipu, Mangawhai and north to the Karikari Peninsula
- Decluttering and organising offered alongside the design work
- Lists Bupa’s Totara Gardens village and Echo Homes among its clients and partners
Location & Contact
Name: Whangarei Homestagers and Interior Design
Address: Whangarei
Phone: 027 782 4377
Website: whangareihomestagers.co.nz
Interior Designers in Whangarei at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Grace Design | Whangarei | Studio at 74 Cameron Street, open by appointment |
| Sarah Burrows Design | Whangarei | Founded by Sarah Burrows |
| Studio Y Interior Design | Whangarei | Yvette Parker gained her Diploma in Interior Design in 2009 |
| Covet and Crave Interior Design | Kamo | Run by Katrina Gysberts, who holds a Diploma in Interior Design |
| Whangarei Homestagers and Interior Design | Whangarei | Trade discounts on furniture and decor passed on to clients |
How to Choose the Right Interior Designer in Whangarei
- Match the service to the job. A two hour consultation is enough to settle a colour scheme, while a whole home renovation needs a full service designer who will run the brief from concept to installation.
- Check who handles the trades. Some designers coordinate builders, plumbers and electricians for you, while others hand you a scheme and recommendations to implement yourself.
- Ask what falls outside the scope. Kitchen and bathroom joinery design, technical lighting plans and consent applications are handled by some studios and deliberately not by others.
- Look at how they buy. Designers with trade accounts can pass on wholesale pricing on furniture, fabric and window treatments, which often offsets a good part of the design fee.
- Read the portfolio rather than the adjectives. Coastal new builds, character villas and rental fitouts each call for different experience, so look for projects that resemble yours.
Frequently Asked Questions About Whangarei Interior Designers
What does an interior designer in Whangarei actually do?
Most residential work covers space planning and room layouts, colour and finish selections, flooring, lighting, window treatments, furniture and styling. Full service designers also coordinate the trades and suppliers so the selections are ordered, delivered and installed in the right order.
How much does an interior design consultation cost?
Published rates in Whangarei sit around $200 to $300 plus GST for an in home session of roughly two hours, with Studio Y at $200 plus GST, Covet and Crave at $300 including GST, and Anna Grace Design’s Concept Consultation at $600 plus GST for two hours on site with follow up notes. Larger projects are quoted individually.
What is the difference between an interior designer and a colour consultant?
A colour consultant focuses on paint, stain and finish selections, usually for a new build or a repaint. An interior designer takes in layout, joinery, lighting, furniture and soft furnishings as well. Several Whangarei studios offer both, so it is worth saying up front how far you want the brief to go.
Do I need a designer if I already have an architect or a builder?
They cover different ground. An architect resolves the structure, consents and the shape of the building, while the interior designer resolves how the inside looks and functions once it is standing. Designers in Whangarei routinely work alongside architects, builders and kitchen designers rather than instead of them.
Will my project need a building consent?
Redecorating, new furniture, curtains and painting do not. Moving plumbing, altering structure or changing the use of a space usually does. The national guidance on what needs consent is set out at building.govt.nz, and applications in this district go through Whangarei District Council.
How far ahead should I book an interior designer?
For a new build, bring a designer in before the interior linings and joinery are ordered, which usually means several months ahead. For a room refresh or a styling job, a few weeks is often enough, though most Whangarei studios run by appointment and fill up faster over spring and summer.
Do Whangarei designers work outside the city?
Yes. Northland practices commonly travel to Whangarei Heads, Ruakaka, Waipu, Mangawhai and the Tutukaka coast, and some take work as far north as the Bay of Islands. Travel is sometimes included within a set radius and charged beyond it, so ask when you book.
Can an interior designer help me sell my house?
Property styling and home staging are a distinct service, aimed at presentation for photography and open homes rather than long term living. Whangarei Homestagers and Interior Design and Studio Y both stage properties, and staging is usually hired for the marketing period rather than purchased outright.
How We Chose the Best Interior Designers in Whangarei
Every business in this guide was found by searching for interior designers in Whangarei, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Whangarei, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.