About

Founded in 2003 by Auckland based Interior Designer, Helen Wilcock, Design Spec is a full-service Interior Design company with an exceptional reputation for creating beautiful, enduring interiors.  

Our work has been recognised in both NZ and Australia, receiving multiple industry commendations, including finalist nominations from several prestigious design competitions, and featuring in leading industry publications and consumer magazines.

We understand that designing a home is an intimate and personal experience that transforms our clients' homes and, ultimately, their lives. That is why our clients' desires, needs and goals sit at the heart of our design process. Given the scale, size and scope of the project we collaborate to achieve a stunning result that's true to brief and within budgetary and style frameworks.

We know that good quality design is timeless and this is the standard we bring to every project we undertake. We draw on our extensive experience, industry knowledge and network to provide you with a home that is tailored to your vision, with comfort and elegance.

  • 2016 – Commended, Australasian Dulux Colour Awards - Residential
  • 2015 -  Highly Commended, NZ House & Garden - Room of the Year (Kitchen)
  • 2014 – Finalist, NZ House & Garden - Room of the Year (Living Room)
  • 2012 – Commended, Australasian Dulux Colour Awards - Residential
  • 2012 - Finalist, Australasian Dulux Colour Awards - Commercial
  • 2010 – Finalist, Australasian Dulux Colour Awards - Residential

Meet the team

Helen Wilcock
Helen Wilcock

Testimonials

Helen managed and delivered an incredible home renovation for us whilst we were based overseas. Helen's flair, vision and enthusiasm helped me push outside my own boundaries to create the most amazing home that's modern, edgy, warm and homely all at the same time. Not only did Helen complete the entire interior and exterior design and furniture supply, she also managed the subcontractors effectively on our behalf and made sure they worked within scope, budget & schedule. The results speak for themselves. Helen was a delight to work with. Her communication skills were awesome, giving us the confidence from overseas that she was on the ball. I would strongly recommend Helen's design skills and project management skills. She created a wonderful space we now call home.
Samantha Ingham & David Byrne
We enlisted the help of Helen at the planning stage of a kitchen renovation. We also wanted her help with refreshing our living areas and entrance. Working with Helen was, without a doubt, one of the best decision we made. We asked her to add some wow factor to our home and she has done it with such style and finesse and made it look so effortless. She carefully listened to what we wanted, made suggestions, gave options,  but never forced her ideas upon us. She has helped us choose everything, from curtains, couches, side tables to cushions, lamps, throws, paint colours. Whilst our renovation is complete, we still find ourself enlisting her help in other small projects because she is such a delight to work with and the utmost professional. We couldn't recommend her more highly. 
Samantha Nel
We established contact with Helen after seeing her website.  We have built an off-the -grid rustic industrial barn home, in rural south Auckland.  With a bit of glamour....
Helens brief involved choosing colours for both the exterior and interior of the building, developing the lighting plan, establishing the kitchen design, including choosing the materials for the cabinetry and stone benchtops. And  fitting out the bathrooms and guest loo.  We are just now in the process of working with Helen to do the fit out of soft furnishings.
Helen has been wonderful to work with  and I couldn’t recommend her more highly.  She understood my taste and slightly eclectic nature perfectly.  Nothing was ever too much trouble, everything was delivered ahead of time and her attention to detail was always spot on.   I absolutely love the solutions she has recommended.  
I am looking forward to working with Helen again in the future.
Miranda Marsh
I have worked with Helen since 2014 with projects ranging from residential developments to high end holiday homes.
Helen has indeed become not only my company's "Chief Designer" but also my "Personal Design Adviser". She was engaged for all of our high end residential developments and all of my holiday homes in Auckland, Rotorua and Queenstown. 
Helen was able to help me as a single point of responsibility with initial concept designs, material and colour selections, right through to implementation and build; all within a set budget and timescale. 
I gained two fundamental benefits from employing Helen: 
One is the design itself. Helen was able to take a few basic and rather uncertain ideas of mine and show how they could be realised to their best effect. She put forward the most incredible ideas for wall papers, colours, light fittings, furniture, and kitchens. She was particularly amazing at coming up with solutions, and improvising, for the areas I hadn't considered. Sourcing everything would have taken me weeks, (or never at all). I have to say that Helen has a wonderful & trendy taste of design ideas. She always gives you choice, and adds in some interesting things that you just wouldn't have thought of, but that work beautifully. 
Second is the commercial benefit. Our clients were all extremely happy with the design solution in our developments, and they believe our end result is different from those by other developers, and I believe Helen's design had an influence here. 
Speaking of my own holiday houses, while I've only got to enjoy for some days in a year; most other times they have been rented out short term and the return has been amazing. The stylish houses that Helen created has generated huge interest and made my houses especially popular.
Helen, great to have you for the past many years!
Frank Li
Helen’s guidance has helped transform our tired bungalow into a stylish, gorgeous home. With her extraordinary design sensibility, Helen has translated the vaguest of briefs - ‘I like colour’ - into a soft, modern blend of beautiful wall coverings, drapes, tiles and fittings. We love what Helen has done for our house, and cannot recommend her highly enough.
Ramari Young