What led you to a career in interior design?

Annabel Berry (AB): My journey was a natural evolution of my creative and corporate career. After working in marketing and events, I pivoted to interior design to extend my creativity and love of interiors. This personal passion soon turned into a thriving business, with early residential projects growing into large-scale commercial work and, ultimately, my own design retail store. About three years ago, I started specialising in commercial interior design and I now offer a multifaceted, end-to-end service that goes beyond interiors. My work spans brand development, visual identity, marketing strategy, social media, launch campaigns and interior design. It’s a holistic approach, designed to help clients not only shape beautiful, intentional spaces but also successfully launch or relaunch their businesses with confidence and clarity.

Where do you draw your influence from?

AB: My design process is deeply influenced by historical reference — how the past informs our present in a new, modern way. I take a site-specific approach to every project, always curious about the original intention of the building and what the architect was expressing. I see my role as collaborating with the building itself, honouring its heritage while breathing new life — finding balance between preservation and progression. The natural world is also an ongoing source of inspiration. Living in a landscape framed by valleys, mountains, farmland and sea means I am constantly observing shifts in light, seasonal colour palettes and the interplay of textures found in nature. My design thinking is always in dialogue with the environment.

What role does colour play in your work?

AB: Colour is at the heart of everything I do and I embrace it wholeheartedly. For me, colour isn’t just decorative, it’s transformative: breathing life into a space, setting the tone, evoking emotion and creating a powerful sense of identity. White walls do not feature in my world; my palettes are bold, unexpected and deeply harmonious. Colour sparks curiosity, creates mood and influences behaviour. In today’s oversaturated market, originality is everything. Businesses that dare to be bold with colour stand out. I encourage my clients to be fearless, to create spaces that tell a story, invite connection and leave a lasting impression. I was honoured with two Resene Total Colour Awards this year for the Whitestone Cheese Diner & Deli project. The bold exterior palette acts as a vibrant beacon using Resene Lynchpin, Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Awaken, drawing customers in, while the interior captivates with a striking modern interpretation of art deco, using hues like Resene Sorrento and Resene Kalgoorie Sands, which deliver unforgettable visual impact.

How did you arrive at the design of this collab?

AB: This collaboration was deeply personal — rooted in childhood memories of my mother Adi’s home-based dried flower business during the droughts of the late 1980s. I vividly remember the textures and tonal shifts of the flowers as they dried, hanging in installations around the ceiling of our pool room. I remember the way their colours softened into muted hues that were just as captivating as were their fresh beginnings. That early exposure sparked a lifelong love of colour and nature, and also taught me about resilience, reinvention and the creative magic that can emerge in challenging times.

Tell us about your colour choices.

AB: The colours are taken directly from the flowers drying in my design studio, which were picked three months ago and have now taken on beautiful dusky tones that all work together — Resene Salted Caramel, Resene Half Mischka and Resene Matakana.

See more from the Resene Colour Collab series here.

ArchitectureNow works with a range of partners in the A&D supply sector to source appropriate content for the site. This article has been supported by Resene.