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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 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 [...]

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 will discuss the design process [...]

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 [...]

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 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, love it or hate it, we are seeing quite a bit of it at the moment in interiors.  At the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York (May 2017), we saw  a range [...]

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 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 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 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 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 [...]

"Auckland interior designer Nicola Manning visited the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) trade show in New York this month, and reports on a lot of key trends that we can expect to see downunder [...]

"From a family-focused living area to a jaw-dropping beachside kitchen, these are the rooms that New Zealand's top interior designers are most proud of having helped create: Read more here ...

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? 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 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 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 Welcome 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 [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 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 Now that winter has really settled in, you may be looking for some interior design ideas to warm up your home. We tend to [...]

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 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 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 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 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 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 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? 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 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 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 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? 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 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 Do you feel unsure about finding the right Interior Designer for you? Do you feel nervous about selecting an interior designer? Where do [...]

Iwas honoured to be asked to give my opinion on the 2017 colour of the year.  Read below to hear what the top designers round the world have to say about the colour of [...]

Auckland designer Nicola Manning encourages homeowners to be brave with colour if they have a square-shaped entrance. Read more here ...

"Accessories are a big one," said interior designer Nicola Manning. "If you're having a beautiful outdoor meal then update cushions and throws to add colour to an outdoor area. Outdoor rugs can make a patio [...]

We are thrilled to have just been awarded the Best of Houzz Service Award 2017.  “We’re so pleased to award Best of Houzz 2017 to this incredible group of talented and customer-focused professionals, including [...]

We’ve heard it enough times: first impressions count. In an era when so many houses are dominated by garages and carparks, sometimes it’s not easy for first-time visitors to figure out where to go when they [...]

Translate the showroom lessons from Milan's Salone Del Mobile and EuroCucina to create winning grey-brown combinations for your home Read more here ...

Designer Nicola Manning says layering, texture and accessories are important factors. "New outdoor rugs, all-weather fabrics, durable finishes, blinds and exterior shutters make this an achievable goal. These things will all add considerable comfort [...]

Spring is here and the weather is warming up, so it’s time to bust outside and enjoy the fresh air again. If your deck, verandah or patio is looking shabby and sad, with sagging [...]

Auckland interior designer Nicola Manning says what's important when embarking on using gold is to ask how much you like the colour and where where you are using it. Read more here ... [...]

Are you sick of playing it safe with colour? Have you seen the beautiful deep blues being used recently and wondered how to use them in your home? Over the past few years we have [...]

Interior designer Nicola Manning says it's important to take the time to consider these three things before purchasing a new sofa. Read more here ...

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 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 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 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 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 [...]

Manning highlights the importance of investing in key pieces that are timeless and have the comfort factor. "You want to spend money on comfort and quality, especially for beds and couches as they are [...]

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 [...]

Auckland interior designer Nicola Manning of Nicola Manning Design agrees. She's recently returned from the prestigious kitchen design fair held in Milan, EuroCucina, where she saw lots of line-crossing between what is practical and [...]

Most kitchens today have to function as more than just a place to cook. Incorporating a scullery means the main kitchen can remain functional and easy to cook in, but the messiest bits can [...]

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 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 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 [...]

Auckland interior designer Nicola Manning spent six action-packed days in the world's fashion capital Milan where she got to see what's hot for future European kitchens at the famous fair EuroCucina. Black is the new white; you'll rarely [...]

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 [...]

Aesthetics are another important element to consider early on. Auckland designer Nicola Manning suggests writing a wishlist that will form the basis of a plan. Manning says it's essential to select an anchor point [...]

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 [...]

We are thrilled to have just been awarded the Best of Houzz Service Award 2016.  “We’re so pleased to award Best of Houzz 2016 to this incredible group of talented and customer-focused professionals, including [...]

Auckland interior designer Nicola Manning of Nicola Manning Design says wallpaper is increasingly used for a whole room, not just a feature wall, where it can set the mood and provide texture, pattern and [...]

This small but perfectly formed guest powder room started out as a cupboard but cleverly fitted fixtures and flamboyant flourishes transformed it into a winning bathroom. Owners Mark Thomas and Wendy Lai were thrilled [...]