The Weekly Edit

What a week it's been! We've welcomed some exciting new clients to the studio - including a gorgeous central city new build with a tight site that's calling for clever layout, smart materials, and thoughtful finishes. The kind of project that gets us thinking creatively.

On Thursday we went to Design Day to scope the latest fabric and wallpaper launches for the season. There's something special about seeing new collections come to life - discovering colours, textures, and palettes that set your imagination running ahead to current and future projects.

And in between it all, we’ve had that first real hint of autumn—settled warmth, cooler evenings, and the leaves just beginning to turn red and gold.

And if you’re new here—or you’ve been here a long time—welcome. If home is on your mind this autumn, I’m always happy to help you think it through.

1. A Little Re-Introduction

I trained in Business Management straight out of school, then followed the pull I’d always felt toward beautiful spaces (and fashion) and studied Interior Design at the Design & Arts College in Christchurch. I loved it there—because it wasn’t just interiors. It was architecture, fashion, marketing and communication all in one place, and it shaped the way I think about homes: not as “rooms”, but as lived-in, layered spaces.

After moving around with Edward’s work and raising our four children, I knew I wanted to build something that combined design with business—and in 2016 we took the leap. Feather & Oak Interiors opened 9½ years ago on High Street in Rangiora as a multi-discipline studio: interior design, window furnishings, styling and a retail homeware store.

Over time, the business has evolved (as good businesses do). In 2023, with the economy tightening, we made the call to close the retail store and focus on what we do best: bespoke window furnishings, interior design, and styling—still supported by our trusted supplier network, so we can source and purchase furniture and homeware directly for clients when it’s needed.

Today we’re a smaller, more focused team. Lynda runs our in-house workroom creating custom curtains and soft furnishings, and I work with clients from plans right through to the finishing touches—at home, on site, and from my office. We work predominantly with residential clients, and alongside architects, high-end builders and contract home suppliers too.



Whether it’s one curtain or a whole house, a single room refresh or a full build, we’re here to make the process feel clearer, calmer—and to help you land on an end result that feels beautifully “you”.

2. All About Windows

Window furnishings are one of those details that change everything. Not just how a room looks—but how it feels to live in.

At Feather & Oak, window furnishings are a big part of what we do (and what we love). Our curtains and soft furnishings are bespoke and handcrafted in our own workroom by the wonderfully talented Lynda. Between the two of us, we bring 30 years of experience, which means you’re getting both sides of the equation: design expertise and exceptional construction.

Because truthfully, the finished result isn’t only about choosing a beautiful fabric. Even an expensive fabric can look “cheap” if it isn’t manufactured well or hung correctly. And on the flip side, a more cost-effective fabric can look absolutely stunning when the proportions, lining, pleats and finish are done properly.

We’ll guide you through the options—curtains, blinds, shutters, and even automation—and help you choose what suits your home, your lifestyle, and the end result you’re working towards. Sometimes bespoke and personal really does beat mass-manufactured… especially when you’re living with it every day.

If window furnishings are on your list this year (even just in the “thinking about it” stage), let’s start with a quick chat.

 3. Beautiful, Functional, Personal

Interior design should feel exciting—not intimidating. And if you’ve ever worried you’ll be judged for what you like (or don’t like), or felt like professionals have talked at you instead of really listening… you’re not alone.

At Feather & Oak, my first job is to make sure you feel heard. I want to understand how you live, what matters to you, what you’re drawn to—and what’s not working right now. From there, I’ll guide you through the decisions with clarity and care, so you don’t feel overwhelmed or pulled in a direction that doesn’t feel like you.

You can work with us from the very beginning—new builds, renovations, and everything in between—or you can bring us in for individual spaces and one-off projects when you just need a confident eye and a clear plan. Think: from plans right through to the finishing touches.

If you’re after something lighter-touch, our styling consultations are a beautiful place to start. They’re designed to give you direction (and momentum) without the overwhelm—whether you’re refreshing a room, pulling a colour palette together, or figuring out what to keep, what to change, and what to add.

And when it comes to the final layer, we can help there too. We still source furniture, lighting, rugs and décor through our trusted supplier network, so we can help you pull the whole look together and add that polish that makes a home feel calm, cohesive, and truly yours.

If you’re in the dreaming stage (or the decision-fatigue stage), I’d love to hear what you’re planning. And if you’re simply here for ideas, you’re in the right place—I’ll be sharing more each week.

4. Katy's Mini Edit

Loving This Week...

The autumn colour palette right now—mulberry, cranberry, plum, chocolate, olive greens. These tones are having a moment in fashion and they translate beautifully into interiors.

Design Tip

 If you're going to lean into colour, think about colour drenching - putting colour on walls, ceilings, doors and trims to really commit to the tone. Consider: you can often go a shade lighter than you think, because the intensity will be greater when all the surfaces are coloured. It removes the overwhelm and gives you permission to be bold.

Excited About...

We’re in the final stages of our home exterior painting project and it’s so satisfying to see it all coming together. We’ve gone with Gull Grey on the roof, Double Haast on the walls, white fascia, and an aged-copper finish on the guttering and downpipes (a much more budget-friendly alternative to the real thing, but it still gives that lovely patina look). It’s exciting to see how much difference a few considered colour and material choices can make once they’re all in place.