Inera Studio is a Sydney interior design studio led by Nicola Bird, a Registered Design Practitioner, working across residential renovations, new builds, apartments, period homes, hospitality and commercial spaces.
We are a small studio, and that is deliberate. You deal with the person doing the work, from the first conversation to the last site visit.
We hold the Registered Design Practitioner status in NSW with Class 2 sign-off in-house. In practical terms, we can document and certify work in apartment buildings ourselves, without bringing in an external architect to approve it. That is why we take on Class 2 apartment projects that other designers may need to refer elsewhere, and why DA and CDC approvals are part of our design process from the start.
INTERIOR DESIGN FOR THE WAY YOU LIVE, SYDNEY AND NSW
OUR APPROACH
Every project starts with listening. We want to know how you live, what you love and what is not working, so the design fits your daily routines and your own sense of style. From there, our experience and our trusted trades help shape a space, new or existing, that feels like yours.
Full interior design service. We guide you from the first idea to the final furnishings, working closely with you and your chosen builder so every element feels intentional and the finished space stays true to your original concept.
Your bespoke design journey unfolds across the key phases below:
1 / DISCOVERY
2 / CONCEPT
3 / DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
4 / DOCUMENTATION
5 / CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT
6 / FURNITURE, ART & OBJECT CURATION
CONCEPT TO COMPLETION
WHAT WE DO
The work runs from planning approvals and construction documentation through to material selection, joinery detail, furniture and styling. One studio, one set of hands, from the DA drawings to the last piece placed.
Homes and apartments. From kitchens and bathrooms to custom joinery, lighting and colour, we design residential renovations, new builds and apartment interiors that work for daily life and look considered.
Heritage and period homes. We work with the existing building, keeping and reworking original features, and we handle heritage design and approvals as part of the project.
Apartments and strata. Apartment renovations come with their own rules. We guide you through strata requirements and the DA and CDC process, so approvals are planned from the start.
Hospitality and commercial spaces. We design hospitality and commercial fitouts, including branding, wayfinding and graphic design where a space needs it.
The finishing detail. Furniture, FF&E specification, artwork curation and object sourcing, so the finished space feels complete and personal.
Clear costs and documentation. Pricing and tender documentation, plus project management, so costs are understood and the project stays on track.
We don’t have a house style. The concept comes from the site, the building and the way you live in it. What carries across every project is the method: colour used with intent, the existing building worked with rather than erased, and beautiful materials.
THE PROCESS IN DETAIL
DISCOVERY
_This is where the ideas start to take shape. We begin with a conversation about how you live, what you want from the space, your budget and the building itself. We ask plenty of questions and agree a clear brief before any design starts.
CONCEPT
_We shape a concept that responds to the site, the building and the way you live in it. We bring together layouts, colour, materials and mood, and present them so you can see the direction before any detail is fixed. Then we listen. Your reactions guide the next round, and we keep refining the concept with you until it feels right and you can picture yourself living in it.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
_Layouts, joinery, materials, finishes, lighting and furniture are resolved room by room, so you can picture how each space will look and work before anything is built. We look closely at how each room is used, from where the light falls to where everything is stored. Every choice is made with the whole home in mind, so colours, textures and details work together and nothing feels like an afterthought.
DOCUMENTATION
_Clear, precise drawings and specifications, including DA and CDC documentation where needed, so your builder, joiners and consultants all work from the same information. The drawings set out every joinery detail, material, fixture and finish, so your builder can price the work clearly and trades know exactly what to build. Good documentation protects the design and saves time and questions on site.
CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT
_During construction we answer your builder’s questions, review details as they come up and help you make decisions, until the day you move in. Things change on site, and a design always meets surprises once the walls are open. We stay close to the project, work through problems with your builder and keep the intent of the design on track, so the finished space matches what you imagined.
FURNITURE, ART AND OBJECT CURATION
_The last layer: furniture, upholstery, window furnishings, art and objects, with new pieces alongside the ones you already own. We source and specify each piece for scale, comfort and character, and we arrange them so the space feels personal and finished. This is where a well-designed home starts to feel like yours, ready for you to move in and live in.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
_Kitchen and Bathroom Design _Design Review, one-off consultation _Space Planning and 3D Visualisation _Bespoke Joinery and Custom Furniture _Heritage Project Design and Approvals _Colour Consultancy _Branding Strategy and Wayfinding _Graphic Design _Project Management _Hospitality and Commercial Fitout Design _Artwork Curation and Object Sourcing
SERVICE AREA
_Working across Sydney and NSW. Key areas include the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Lower North Shore, Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire and the Blue Mountains.
