Du Bois Design Ltd

10/10/2026

Lazy Sunday vibes, Du Bois style 🤍

A bedroom made for slow mornings and staying a little longer beneath the covers. Soft, layered linens, warm timber overhead and pale oak underfoot create a calm, natural retreat, while expansive glazing draws the rolling Te Arai landscape and distant sea right into the room.

Part of The Next Chapter — part of my SBID International Design Awards finalist project - a home designed to feel connected to its beautiful setting, and wonderfully easy to unwind in.

Interior design: Du Bois Design
Photography: Jackie Meiring

10/10/2026

My Tea House interior has done it again — Du Bois Design managed to pick up a Silver Pin last night! 👏👏 👏

The Best Awards are known for being one of the toughest and most competitive design awards around, so I’m incredibly proud that Tea House received Silver in Residential Interior Architecture and Interior Design.

🥈 A Silver Pin is a real achievement, and one I honestly cherish.

What a fab evening, spending time with some of New Zealand’s best creatives. The awards bring together talent from across so many disciplines — not just architecture and interiors, but graphic and industrial design, digital design, animation and motion design. There was an unbelievable buzz in the room!

Natalie x

What a night. Thank you Best Design Awards
Professional photos by jackie meiring

24/09/2026

Feature to watch out for

19/09/2026

A Jewel Box fit for a Queen. 👑💎

Following on from my newly bestowed Queen of Kitchens title 😂, it seems only fitting to share Jewel Box — winner of Auckland Powder Room Design Recognition at the 2026 NKBA Excellence in Design Awards.

Small in footprint, but certainly not in personality.

The hydro-finished natural stone became the hero of this little room, with the AXOR Design rose-gold tapware appearing almost to emerge directly from the stone. Handcrafted finger tiles bring another layer of texture, while the Apparatus pendant with its jade stone detailing adds the jewel-like moment that inspired the name.

And tucked quietly into the design is concealed storage — because even a Jewel Box needs somewhere to hide the practical bits. 😉

I loved the judges’ words:

“Natural stone is the hero of this beautiful powder room, creating a bold textural experience within a compact space.”

They also highlighted the handcrafted finger tiles, warm metallic accents and cleverly integrated hidden storage — exactly the balance of texture, function and refinement I was hoping to achieve.

Small room. Big personality. One little Jewel Box. 💎

apaiser Robertson Bathware Aalto | Premium, NZ Made Paint Buster + Punch™

18/09/2026

I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m wearing a crown. 👑

Mike Hosking, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson were having a bit of fun on Newstalk ZB this morning about me being named Designer of the Year two years in a row — and, in fact, three times in the past five years. Although, to be fair, I spent one of those years on the judging panel, so I wasn’t exactly in the running every time. 😂

Somewhere along the way, Mike forgot my first name, promoted me to Miss Du Bois and crowned me Queen of Kitchens.

I’ll take it. 👑

The conversation then turned to my recently awarded Supreme Kitchen Design, No Stone Unturned, and the rather pressing question:

Why does anyone need FOUR ovens?

So, just to clear things up…

No private chef hiding in the scullery.
No secret catering kitchen out the back.
And no, they’re not four identical ovens. 😂

There are two conventional ovens, a steam oven and a microwave — all designed for a client who genuinely loves to cook and bake.

I don’t think I’ve ever visited their home without being offered something freshly baked. Being gluten-free, I spent my first few visits rather painfully declining some very impressive-looking treats… until my client discovered that I couldn’t eat gluten and began making sure there was always something for me too.

Most recently, that meant an invitation to Saturday lunch, finished off with a Bombe Alaska to die for. I’m still hoping she’ll share the recipe… 😂

So, in this home, four ovens really do make perfect sense.

And apparently, if you’re planning a kitchen with four ovens — or perhaps even more…

Miss Du Bois, Queen of Kitchens, may be your designer. 👑😂

Thank you, Mike Hosking Breakfast. I have to admit, I’m quite enjoying the new title. Mike Hosking Breakfast

You can listen to the very entertaining session.


https://www.iheart.com/podcast/211-the-mike-hosking-breakfast-24837692/episode/full-show-podcast-18-september-2026%E2%80%93345602224?cmp=ios_share&sc=ios_social_share&pr=false&autoplay=true&position=4084

17/09/2026

Latest article on my supreme winning kitchen design

It was a case of no expense spared for the top NKBA kitchen and bathroom in this year’s awards.

14/09/2026

Two more top awards from the 2026 NKBA Excellence in Design Awards… and these two feel particularly special. 🤍

🏆 DNKBA Elite Kitchen Design — Tea House Apartment Kitchen
🏆 DNKBA Elite Bathroom Design — Earth & Stone

Both of these spaces are from the same Parnell apartment project, so it was incredibly special to see both the kitchen and bathroom recognised at this level.

For Tea House, the judges described the kitchen as having:

“Confident, richly layered materiality… refined, sophisticated and full of character,” also noting the attention to detail, strong design ex*****on and excellent documentation.

For my Earth & Stone bathroom, the judges commented on the warm timber and dramatic stone, the depth and personality of the space, and how the site constraints were cleverly resolved through concealed services and additional storage.

Receiving recognition for both the kitchen and bathroom is something I’m particularly proud of. So much of my work is about looking at a home as a whole — considering the spatial planning, cabinetry, materials, lighting, functionality and finer details so that each room feels connected to the wider interior.

A little context around the Elite awards:
DNKBA Elite is the highest professional designer designation within NKBA, recognising designers with a high level of experience, expertise and professional standing.

To receive both the DNKBA Elite Kitchen Design and DNKBA Elite Bathroom Design awards in the same year therefore feels like a very special achievement, and wonderful recognition of my work across both kitchen and bathroom design.

A huge thank you again to the NKBA New Zealand judging panel for recognising the detail and thought behind these spaces, and of course to my wonderful clients, suppliers and trades who helped bring them to life.

And there are still more awards from the night to share… watch out for the next ones I’ll be showcasing. 🥂

24/04/2026

TIDA Finalist — Titirangi Kitchen

Thrilled to share our Titirangi kitchen has been named a finalist in this year’s TIDA Kitchen Awards.

This project was never going to be quiet.
Not afraid of colour, not afraid of form — and definitely not afraid to lean into the architecture we were given.

Set within its rainforest setting, the design responds directly to the home’s existing angles and lines. Rather than soften them, we enhanced them — allowing the geometry to become a feature, not a constraint.

The deep green palette anchors the space, creating a rich, immersive backdrop, while the sculptural fluted island introduces texture and rhythm. The veined stone from Infinity Benchtops was a key move — bringing a natural energy that ties beautifully back to the landscape.

Functionally, every detail has been considered. Even the freestanding fridge has been visually minimised by painting it into the joinery — allowing the kitchen to read as one cohesive form rather than a collection of parts.

What stands out is the balance between boldness and control. It’s expressive, but resolved.
Layered, but calm.

A kitchen that feels completely at home in its environment and completely unique to the people who live in it.

— Natalie Du Bois
Du Bois Design
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