Kella Design Co.

Some showhomes are simply staged to be admired. The Palliser Downs Showhome was designed to feel fully resolved – layered, lived-in and considered from room to room. Set across 3.29 elevated acres, Katherine Anderson of Kella Design Co. furnished the home in its entirety, bringing together four bedrooms, two living areas and a custom bar through a cohesive mix of furniture, material and tone.

01 · The Studio How Kella Design Co. came to be

Director and award-winning designer Katherine Anderson founded Kella Design Co. from a deep appreciation for the design industry and a clear understanding that it was her true calling. With a distinct creative vision and an intuitive ability to translate ideas into meaningful spaces, she established the studio to bring her qualifications, experience, and natural design instinct into the service of her clients.

Kella Design Co. is an interior, kitchen, and bathroom design studio based in Auckland, working with clients throughout New Zealand – specialising in full concept-to-completion interior, kitchen, and bathroom design.

02 · The Approach Integrity, creativity, and a seamless journey

Every project is shaped by each client's individual vision, personal style, and property, so each is approached with integrity, creativity, focus, and genuine commitment. The goal is to create spaces clients are proud of, while making the journey to the final outcome as seamless and stress-free as possible.

Vivacious and warm by nature, Katherine works closely with each client to understand who they are, how they live, and what they truly need from their space. This collaborative approach lets her create thoughtfully tailored environments that balance form and function – and, with a strong appreciation for refined, enduring design, deliver outcomes that are both visually compelling and built to stand the test of time.

"Create spaces our clients are proud of, while making the journey there as seamless and stress-free as possible."

Katherine Anderson · Founder, Kella Design Co.

03 · Where It Begins The mood board and the search for ideas

Each project starts with a mood board built specifically for the client, to capture the vision. After taking a detailed brief, Katherine pulls together inspiration that reflects where she sees the project going – imagery drawn from many sources, suppliers, and brands, sometimes refining ideas and wish lists from the clients themselves.

She is heavily inspired by the places she has visited – international countries, restaurants, stores, supplier showrooms, and hotels – along with the many avenues of social media.

04 · The Brief Memorable, yet a home anyone could picture

The main consideration was to create enough interest that the home would be memorable for prospective clients building with Signature Homes North Shore & Rodney – while, at the same time, appealing to a wide range of people. Working with styles, colours, textures, and patterns that would let people feel warm, welcomed, and able to picture themselves living there guided the overall look and feel of the home.

05 · Room for Everyone Designing for a home, not a single client

Appealing to a wide range of clients made this showhome less tailored than a project usually would be with one specific client in mind. With such a broad audience to consider when furnishing and styling the rooms – and a large home to fill – the priority was making sure it still functioned, and felt, like a family home.

06 · Where to Invest Working creatively within a budget

Budget was a constraint, which simply meant being creative about where to invest and where to save – putting money into key items that lifted the whole look of a space, while pulling back in other areas.

"A great way to use a budget is a mix of higher- and lower-end pieces – it keeps the spend down while keeping the look elevated."

Katherine Anderson · On budget

07 · Building the Scheme Floor plan first, then layer

The process starts with the floor plan – how each space will be used, and which pieces fit best within it. After detailing everything required room by room, the search begins, layering together items that fit the mood board and brief. Key pieces usually come in first, and the scheme builds up from there.

There are times, too, when a piece of art or a cushion is the first thing found, and the room is built out from that instead – whatever it takes to reach the right vision at the end.

08 · The Anchor The piece everything was built around

With warmth the goal for this home, the main art piece in the living and kitchen space was key. Katherine pulled many of the home's colours and textures out of it – making every selection in the space feel intentional.

09 · Beyond the Look Why quality has to be felt

Beyond aesthetics, quality matters enormously – the way a piece of furniture feels can make or break a space. Good quality is easy to spot, and poor quality even easier; it can bring down a whole room if pieces aren't chosen well.

Because this is a showhome, not everything is used quite as it appears to be – so the pieces Katherine knew would actually be sat in were the ones she made sure were of real quality. It means the home will still look great years from now.

10 · Layer on Layer Building depth through texture

Layering is extremely important – the feel and texture of materials create depth, and stop a space from reading flat and one-dimensional. Katherine takes it into account with every selection: not being afraid of pattern on pattern, mixing metals, heavy contrast, or opposing colours you wouldn't expect to work. Often the beauty is in the unexpected pairing, or something you haven't quite seen before.

Styling and soft furnishings are the finishing touch that makes everything shine – never to be overlooked, or brought in as an afterthought.

11 · On Hawthorne A first call for key pieces

Katherine always turns to Hawthorne when specifying for showhomes or clients. For key pieces, she knows she can trust the quality, the fabrics, and the materials – and the range is amazing, backed by incredible service and delivery.

"For key pieces, I know I can always trust the quality, the fabrics, and the materials."

Katherine Anderson · On Hawthorne

12 · A Question of Colour Room to play with finishes

Because so many pieces come in multiple colours, it was easy to play with how they could be incorporated and which finish worked best within each overall look. With so many classic yet on-trend items to choose from, Katherine was able to select multiple pieces that slotted perfectly into the look she was building through the home.

13 · In Person What you can only know by sitting in it

Key items – especially the ones you'll be sitting in – are worth viewing and testing in person, and a showhome makes that easy. Trying how comfortable a piece is, and seeing and feeling the fabric and detail with your own eye, is something you can't do any other way.

14 · Staying Power Design for the feeling, not the moment

It comes down to the feeling – creating one in the space, and not getting too caught up in trends, which mattered enormously for this project in particular. As long as a client loves each piece, each piece has a purpose, and it all makes the space feel like home, that is the key – and it's different for every single client.

It's about longevity and quality in the products and materials, and making sure they suit the client's lifestyle and needs. If a client wants to follow trends, that's completely fine – it may just mean working in some more classic pieces that will last, then bringing the trends through smaller items like side tables, accessories, cushions, or wallpaper. It's a balancing act, and it depends on the client and their home; if they want a new lounge suite every few years, then absolutely, let's go for the trends.

"Trends will always come and go – but if you still love it ten years later, who cares?"

Katherine Anderson · On longevity

15 · The One Thing Texture, above all

Texture. No matter the budget, style, property, or room, texture is always key, and it can be brought in so many ways – cushions, benchtop materials, the way light falls across a particular surface, a rug under a dining table, layered cushions, or mixed materials. Knowing how to layer those textures, rather than keeping everything flat on flat to play it safe, is what takes a space from basic to designer.

16 · Honest Advice You don't have to do this alone

There are so many questions and unknowns when renovating and building – even in simply refreshing an interior. Working with a designer helps guide you to the best outcome, keeps the momentum in your project, lets you make informed decisions, and gives you a sounding board – saving you time, headaches, and money along the way.

"You do not have to do this alone."

Katherine Anderson · On working with a designer

On the Palliser Downs Floor Plan Pieces Specified

Twenty Hawthorne pieces run through the home – a palette of fog, khaki, oatmeal, cream and beige, grounded by black and marble accents, layered across the living and media spaces, bedrooms, and hallway.