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Inspiration, tips and beautiful design
NZ House and Garden – Kitchen Feature Article March 2021
Winner Outstanding Renovation Kitchen Award
NEW YORK NEW YORK Though many would associate retirement with spending less time at the office, for this barrister it meant converting his Auckland CBD chambers into a New York-inspired loft apartment. [...]
Turning a House Into a Home – NZ Herald Article in Canvas
Texture, comfort and colour - interior designer Nicola Manning says soft furnishings can help create a sense of home. Photo / Dean Purcell Home is where the heart is - and also the dining [...]
Bright and BEAUTIFUL – NZ kitchens & bathrooms quarterly
The homeowner’s brief for this project was to improve the functionality and flow fo the 1920s home’s kitchen, while adding strong visual interest to the space. The kitchen flows directly into the family room [...]
Five Ideas on How to Use Mirrors to Add Light and Space
Five Ideas on How to Use Mirrors to Add Light and Space Mirror, mirror on the wall. Many of us would like to achieve more light and space in our homes. In today’s Blog [...]
7 Ways to Add Value to Your Property
7 Ways to Add Value to Your Property For many people, their property investments are their largest financial asset. How can you maximise the value of that asset through great interior design? [...]
Bold In Black – Special Kitchen Feature – House & Garden Magazine
March 2020
Going graphic With its strong retro aesthetic, this striking black and white galley kitchen designed by Nicola Manning melds with the character of the rest of the 1940s home, creating a highly functional space. [...]
Tips for Fabulous Front Doors
Tips for Fabulous Front Doors For some reason I have been obsessing about great front doors lately and pinning lots of pictures on Pinterest! I know, interior designers focus on strange things! First impressions [...]
Where Do You Start?
Where Do You Start? When I am working with my clients on renovation projects or building a new house, I am often asked where do we start? On my Blog this week we [...]
Why Nearly Every Bedroom Should Have An Upholstered Headboard
Why Nearly Every Bedroom Should Have An Upholstered Headboard I love upholstered headboards. I would even go as far as to say that every bedroom should have one. A bed without a headboard is [...]
Opposites Attract
The bathrooms in this Auckland home are a contrast of dark and light. The rooms dictated their looks says interior designer Nicola Manning of NM Design - the master ensuite was already a light [...]
Top Tips for Designing Your Laundry
Top Tips for Designing Your Laundry As any family knows, the Laundry is a very busy area of the house and one that you want to make as efficient as possible, to limit the [...]
Pink – Do you dare?
Colour Trend - Pink 15 September 2017 by Nicola Manning Pink, love it or hate it, we are seeing quite a bit of it at the moment in interiors. At the [...]
The Latest Trends in Accessories for 2017 – from New York
The Latest Interior Design Trends 2017 Blog Series Part Five - Accessories 30 June 2017 by Nicola Manning The 29th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) has just been held in New York City [...]
The Latest Trends in Finishes and Textures for 2017 – from New York
The Latest Interior Design Trends 2017 Blog Series Part Four - Finishes and Textures 23 June 2017 by Nicola Manning The 29th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) has just been held in New [...]
The Latest Colour Trends 2017 – from New York
The Latest Interior Design Trends 2017 Blog Series Part Three - Colour 15 June 2017 by Nicola Manning The 29th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) has just [...]
The Latest Lighting Trends 2017 – from New York
The Latest Interior Design Trends 2017 Blog Series Part Two - Lighting 6 June 2017 by Nicola Manning The 29th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) has just been held in [...]
The Latest Furniture Trends 2017 – from New York
The Latest Interior Design Trends 2017 Blog Series Part One - Furniture 5 June 2017 by Nicola Manning The 29th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) has just been held in New York City [...]
Battle of the Dining Room Part 2
Battle of the Dining Room Part 2 You may remember a Blog I wrote a couple of months ago about “The Battle of the Dining Room” where I was discussing the robust debate between the [...]
What is Luxury?
What is Luxury? Last weekend I had the wonderful privilege of staying at Huka Lodge, in Taupo. Whilst surrounded by the luxury and tranquillity of Huka Lodge, I started thinking about “what is luxury?” [...]
Inspired by Nature – How to Combine Two of the Hottest Colour Trends
Inspired by Nature - How to Combine Two of the Hottest Colour Trends You may have noticed two very strong trends in both interior design and fashion lately – bronze and inky blues. Both [...]
Before and After – Cupboard to Small Bathroom
Before and After - Cupboard to Small Bathroom My clients wanted to create a Guest Toilet/Powder Room at the end of their hallway. Mark and Wendy love colour and pattern and have a wonderful [...]
Objects of Desire – Tom Dixon’s Iridescence Collection
Objects of Desire - Tom Dixon's Iridescence CollectionWelcome to my first Blog of 2016, I have been a bit later starting up again than I had intended but it has been a wonderfully busy start [...]
Ceilings – The Often Forgotten Tool
Ceilings - The Often Forgotten Tool Generally, I am a strong advocate of light and fresh white (or a version of white) ceilings. Stud heights of the standard 2.4m, as a rule of thumb, [...]
Objects of Desire – Blackboards and Whiteboards
Objects of Desire - Blackboards and Whiteboards Not the subject you would expect for an Object of Desire blog! While black and white boards may not be a glamorous topic, they are brilliantly useful. [...]
KEY TIPS FOR MANAGING RENOVATION STRESS
OBJECT OF DESIRE: Designer Boys 2016 Collection
OBJECT OF DESIRE: Designer Boys 2016 Collection A new piece of art can transform the look and feel of a room. Whether it is a new painting or a framed print, selecting the [...]
Difference between Curtains and Drapes.
Difference between Curtains and Drapes. Many people use the terms curtains and drapers interchangeably. Even though they do have similarities and primarily they have the same purpose, they do have some distinct differences. Generally [...]
Paint Colour Trends for 2017
Paint Colour Trends for 2017 Both Dulux and Resene have recently released their colour palettes for 2017 (and beyond). It is always interesting to look at the colour directions, new paint colours and new [...]
Before and After Case Study – Dining Room
Before and After Case Study - Dining Room This is the Dining Room in a family home; the brief from my clients was to: Source a new dining table to replace the existing square [...]
Battle of the Dining Room
Battle of the Dining Room Do you ever have different ideas from your partner or other family members about decor in your home? I am currently having a battle with my very male dominated [...]
Five Interior Design Ideas on How to Warm Up Winter
Five Interior Design Ideas on How to Warm Up Winter Now that winter has really settled in, you may be looking for some interior design ideas to warm up your home. We tend to [...]
What do House Paint and Make Up have in common?
What do House Paint and Make Up have in common? Even those of you who have no first hand knowledge of applying make up will understand the objective – to enhance natural beauty and to [...]
New York, New York and Art Deco Interior Design
New York, New York and Art Deco Interior Design Unfortunately, I am not writing a blog on how I am about to travel to New York! I have always loved the thought of [...]
Before and After Case Study – Ensuite Bathroom
Before and After Case Study - Ensuite Bathroom This is the Master Bedroom Ensuite in a gorgeous 1930’s home. The brief from my clients was to: Provide more storage, as they had nowhere [...]
5 Tips for Buying a Quality Sofa Bed
5 Tips for Buying a Quality Sofa Bed In my Blog this week I am going to share with you my tips for buying a great sofa bed. Turn any [...]
The Interior Design Brief – How to Get it Right
The Interior Design Brief - How to Get it Right In my Blog this week I would like to share with you the importance of the Interior Design Brief. Why is it so [...]
Yellow Making a Comeback with a Difference
Yellow Making a Comeback with a Difference In my Blog this week I thought I would discuss a colour that historically hasn’t been one of my favourites at all. Yellow is making a [...]
Before and After Case Study – Kitchen
Before and After Case Study - Kitchen This Kitchen was crying out for help, it was a 1980’s Provencal Blue and Yellow scheme. The brief from my client was to: Add colour and [...]
Shutters
Shutters Do you struggle sometimes with awkward shaped windows and can’t find the right solution for window treatments? Shutters provide a versatile and elegant solution to many window treatment problems. INTERIOR SHUTTERS Interior [...]
The Design Process – What Does it Mean for You?
The Design Process - What Does it Mean for You? To ensure you get a great result from working with an Interior Designer, you need to check that they have a tried and [...]
Upholstery Fabric – How to Choose One that will Last
Upholstery Fabric - How to Choose One that will Last Quality upholstered furniture is an investment and it is important that the fabric that you use is up to the task. Will it [...]
Before and After Case Study – Entrance/Hallway
Before and After Case Study - Entrance/Hallway This is the Entrance and Hallway in a Villa in Auckland. The brief from my client was to: Add colour and personality into this space. Improve [...]
Outdoor Furniture – Adding So Much to Your Outdoor Spaces
Outdoor Furniture - Adding So Much to Your Outdoor Spaces I recently went to a presentation at David Shaw Furniture, featuring Daniele Pompa from Roda in Italy. Listening to Daniele made me think [...]
Carpet – Natural or Synthetic Which is Best for You?
Carpet - Natural or Synthetic Which is Best for You? There are so many types of carpets available, how do you know which is the best one for you? We will have a [...]
50 Shades of Grey in Interior Design
50 Shades of Grey in Interior Design There are many shades of Grey, how do you use them in your interior to best effect? Interesting fact before I go further: have you noticed [...]
The Insider’s Tips to Finding the Right Interior Designer for You
The Insider's Tips to Finding the Right Interior Designer for You Do you feel unsure about finding the right Interior Designer for you? Do you feel nervous about selecting an interior designer? Where do [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Ten Wall Cabinetry
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Ten Wall Cabinetry The variety and quality of wall cabinetry and shelving at Salone del Mobile this year was fantastic. I loved the large scale open shelving used [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Nine LIGHTING
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Nine LIGHTING We saw some stunning lighting in Milan during Design Week. The Tom Dixon light installations at the collaborative exhibition with Caesarstone were stunning, as you would [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part 8 WALLPAPER
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part 8 WALLPAPER One of the strong themes coming through Salone del Mobile in Milan this year was a light industrial design style - concrete and brick walls combined [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Seven Furniture
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Seven Furniture The sheer range of furniture on display at Salone del Mobile in April was inspiring. There were numerous exhibition halls full of wonderful furniture, [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Six ACCESSORIES
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Six ACCESSORIES It was so interesting at the Salone de Mobile 2016 to walk round the displays and see the range of accessories on display. The key trends [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Five BATHROOMS
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Five BATHROOMS There were so many beautiful bathrooms on display at the International Bathroom Exhibition, which was part of the Salone del Mobile Milano in April. The key [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Four TEXTURE
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Three TEXTURE Texture was king at Salone Del Mobile 2016 in Milan, in furniture, kitchens and bathrooms. There were very few gloss surfaces, either in cabinetry [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Three KITCHEN TRENDS
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Three KITCHEN TRENDS The four huge exhibition halls at the 2016 Eurocucina show in Milan were filled with the most overwhelming number of kitchens. Some were quite retro [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part Two COLOUR
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part Two COLOUR The predominant colour story at Salone Del Mobile and Eurocucina this year was the depth of colour on display. There were lots of moody charcoals, blacks [...]
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series – Part One
Milan Design Week 2016 Blog Series - Part One I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to visit Europe for 19 days on a journey that included Design Week in Milan, three [...]
Trend Alert – Patterned Tiles
Trend Alert - Patterned Tiles As I am out and about sourcing tiles for client projects, I am seeing far more patterned tiles available. Plain coloured tiles or textured tiles obviously still have their [...]
To Follow or Not to Follow the Latest Trends
To Follow or Not to Follow the Latest Trends After completing a series of six blogs on the Interior Design Trends for 2016 and beyond, I thought it a great time to explore [...]
Interior Design Trends 2016 Part VI – Fantastical Nature
Interior Design Trends 2016 - Part VI Fantastical Nature To continue on with our recent blog series, highlighting the significant trends expected for 2016 and beyond, I want to introduce you to another theme. Fantastical [...]
Interior Design Trends Part V – Privacy Key Components of this Trend
Privacy Key Components of this Trend This week’s Blog is a continuation in the series on the five key Interior Design Trend themes for 2016. The Privacy theme is based around the premise that [...]
Interior Design Trends Part IV – Modern Nomad Key Components of this Trend
Modern Nomad Key Components of this Trend This week’s Blog is a continuation in the series on the five key Interior Design Trend themes for 2016. The Modern Nomad theme is based around [...]
Interior Design Trends Part III – Belo Rio Key Components of this Trend
Belo Rio Key Components of this Trend This week’s Blog is a continuation in the series on the five key Interior Design Trend themes for 2016. The Belo Rio theme is predominantly based upon [...]
Interior Design Trends 2016 Part II – Nature Luxe, Key Components of this Trend
Nature Luxe - Key Components of this Trend In last week’s Blog I shared the five key Interior Design Trend themes for 2016. This week I am going to explore one of these [...]
Five Key Interior Design Trend Themes for 2016 Part I
Five Key Interior Design Trend Themes for 2016 Last week I travelled to Melbourne for the Decor and Design Trade Show, which featured both exhibitor stands and seminars. It is always so inspiring to [...]
March 2015 Auckland Gift Fair
March 2015 Auckland Gift Fair I had fun spending a couple of hours at the Gift Fair in Auckland looking for accessories and furniture for clients and to look at general trends. [...]