About

I'm passionate about assisting clients express themselves within their home and workplace, by helping them find items and colours that mean they are surrounded by objects that make rooms feel joyful and welcoming to be in. 

We love what we do, and work collaboratively with clients and suppliers, to achieve dreams and goals, whilst never loosing sight that the journey should be an enjoyable one. 

Our approach is down to earth; we communicate openly, respect your time, try to delight you with a selection of options to choose from, document agreed decisions to make sure no one is relying on memory and follow up on deliveries to keep projects moving forward. We are also able to be your point of contact for trades to clarify details during site works.

We are based in the Central North Island which makes it easy for us to travel around the North Island to your site location. That's not to say we rule out working on projects in the South Island when the opportunity comes along. 

KITCHEN DESIGN - BATHROOM DESIGN - COLOUR ADVICE - FURNITURE AND CURTAINS - FULL DESIGN SERVICE

Marlene Hudson Design
Marlene Hudson Design
Marlene Hudson Design

Testimonials

Our renovation project was a very positive experience, from our first meeting with Marlene when we discussed the brief, and this continued right the way through until completion. Marlene has not only a wonderful eye for design but she is an excellent listener and she has exceptional communication skills. The design, which she developed, is not only aesthetically pleasing but it is also absolutely functional. She showed us a range of options and provided material samples, which made it relatively straightforward to obtain the look that we wished to achieve. Marlene has access to an experienced and skilled team of tradesmen and to a wide range of crafts people and a variety of suppliers. Marlene project managed the work and this made the whole process straightforward and stress free. She kept a daily watch on progress and she was always available to respond to and answer queries as they arose. We absolutely love the finished look, which dovetails seamlessly with the remainder of our home and makes it a more pleasant and comfortable place to live. Marlene was able to remove any anxiety and make everything flow smoothly from start to finish and for this we are exceptionally grateful.

Reg Quinn

We engaged Marlene to create a sophisticated and timeless master suite. Given the age of our property (circa 1900) we were desperately lacking in storage. Marlene delivered on all accounts and the outcome was a beautifully and cleverly designed bedroom and stunning ensuite. Marlene ran the project and coordinated all the various professionals involved. She also provided me options on product selection without confusing me. Her knowledge of products is outstanding, and her eye for detail is impeccable. The end result was very happy and stress free clients.

Kate Hudson

Marlene was great to work with. Despite my procrastination and constant indecision, Marlene stuck with the programme with a never ending array of choices, straight opinions and advice producing a fantastic outcome. Very pleased with the final result.

Phil Todd

It is with the greatest of pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Marlene Hudson. 

Being the operators of a prominent hotel that has great historical significance to the area in which it is located and having been built in the very typical style of the era that it represents it is crucial to be accurate and correct in determining any décor changes to ensure that the integrity of the building is both enhanced and honored by the depth and detail of the work intended. Having had the privilege of working in some very fine period hotels in the United Kingdom I have developed a true love and fascination with period interior design and furnishings and in particular that of the Victorian era which was undoubtedly shaped and influenced by the luxurious tastes of Queen Victoria which absolutely changed the world of interior design and architecture.

When embarking on any interior design project, whether it be large or small, it is essential to understand and to outline the key factors that are to be the main considerations that underpin the purpose of the undertaking and that ensure that the outcomes are in line with the objectives set.

In 2019 we proposed to make some significant changes to the presentation, décor and functionality of two very key and public areas of the hotel and we had a reasonably good idea of what we wanted to achieve. But these ideas and plans needed to be shaped and formulated and brought together into a tangible working scheme that outlined in detail the sequence for carrying out all the various works. That is where Marlene Hudson comes into the equation as our Interior Design consultant providing invaluable guidance regarding colour schemes, furniture selection, flooring and tiling, painting, wallpapers, lighting and accessories. This renovation involved a complete redesign of the colour scheme, the look, the style the feel and the personality of the space. We are truly ecstatic about the results Marlene has achieved and It is a true testament to her talent that visitors and guests who visit the hotel are completely enamored by the transformation. 

Marlene is very creative, and It is always a great pleasure for me to work with her. While she has definite opinions regarding all decor related issues, I feel that she LISTENS to the client and works hard to understand what the needs and expectations for the project are. She has a great personality, is warm and passionate about what she does, and I feel very comfortable working with her.

We would characterize our recent projects as being of high importance to our business but with a period building such as this we are constantly faced with ongoing maintenance and repair works, so we must pay very strict attention to costs and budgets.

I felt that Marlene always looked for good value when making product recommendations and I see her as a very practical interior decorator who can deliver good value for both modest and high-end projects. The desire to provide good value to her clients was also apparent in her time management and record keeping on the project. She was very professional, and we always felt that we were getting good value for her consulting fees.

In summary I would strongly recommend Marlene to handle any interior decor project, and should you wish to discuss this recommendation in more detail please feel free to contact the undersigned at any time.

David R. French - Carnmore Holdings Limited

We sought help from Marlene to design a concept for reception / meeting room areas when moving to a new building, after thinking about what we wanted and really having no idea where to start.

When discussing our design brief / goals we found that Marlene was on to it immediately. She got what we were trying to express, asked the right questions and made us really think about what we wanted.

The experience of developing our design concept was easy! Although we are completely different people with different likes and dislikes, Marlene was able to work through all of that to come up with a concept we both loved.

The knowledge that Marlene has about products and also her industry connections when sourcing items for our concept was spot on. We have some beautiful features in our areas that only came about because of Marlene’s knowledge of who to go to!

We chose to retain Marlene’s services during our project while construction was in progress and found this to be the perfect time as she was able to make suggestions about construction aspects that ultimately worked well.

Communication with us during work was always prompt. We emailed a lot, and always got responses in a good timeframe.

Marlene’s focus on a quality finish and her attention to detail means that we are VERY happy with the finished project. It has held up well since the work was done and we still love it.

Do you feel that involving Marlene with the design has given us a stylish, cohesive result with some special features. 

We would describe Marlene’s personality and professionalism as delightful! Working with Marlene is always lovely as she is a great person.

I would definitely use Marlene again. I have watched people try to do this all themselves and it takes FOREVER as there are so many choices. 

Paula Yakas - The LawShop

We sought help from Marlene to find a suitable curtain fabric to use in our living and dining areas after bringing home different samples over many weeks and getting completely confused. It was then we realised that we needed guidance. I am sure that had I not involved Marlene with my fabric selection, I would have simply chosen something out of mere desperation, rather than because I loved it!

When discussing our design brief / goals we found that Marlene listened and understood our needs, style and taste.

The experience of developing our design concept was streamlined and made so simple. Marlene removed the pressure of having so many different fabrics, designs and colours to wade through. She knew what we wanted.

The knowledge that Marlene has about products and also her industry connections when sourcing items for our concept was thorough. The options for the roman blind mechanisms and the choice in tie backs for the drapes and her knowledge of these products was evident.

We chose to retain Marlene’s services during manufacturing and installation and found this to be a great way to keep up-to-date with the project.

Communication with us during work was excellent. Marlene kept us informed about the project the whole way through. We always knew what stage it was at.

Marlene’s focus on a quality finish and her attention to detail means that we are delighted with the finished project.

We would describe Marlene’s personality and professionalism as knowledgeable, bubbly, outstanding provider in customer service. Marlene made the process fun and enjoyable.

Marlene would be my first point of call for any future work.

Richard Marshall

We enjoyed working with Marlene. She didn't have a very long time frame or much of a brief to work with but the colours she came up with are fantastic. We would never have thought to powder coat the garage door the same colour as the wall - looking forward to getting that done to complete the overall look. Have no hesitation in recommending her.

Jeanette Hale

A great experience from start to finish. Marlene has great concepts and can overlay the dreams of her client so that you feel immersed in the finished product. We found her knowledge in the building industry and the trades A1 which made her plans easy to bring to life. Totally satisfied client

Shane Hooker

Marlene assisted us with the colour choices and interior design decisions throughout the building process of our home.

We found her friendly and very approachable. She asked what we liked from colours to surfaces and from this she presented us with many samples of products and always showed patience as we struggled to visualise, but with her help we gained the confidence with our choices of products.

We were fascinated at Marlene's wide knowledge of products and loved the way she would find information for us on certain products we were interested in. 

We feel Marlene takes her job seriously and goes the step further to help her clients. Her knowledge made it a lot more relaxing for us, knowing we were in good hands.

M and B Webby

We built a new home and worked with Marlene, she assisted us through the whole build, and helped us with buying new furniture in the living room.

Our home is an absolute pleasure to live in with the beautiful colours, ideas. Very comfortable home.

My husband and I are thrilled with end result.

T Shapley