About Koto.
Feeling overwhelmed, out of your depth, and frustrated?
I will solve your interior design problems and help you realise the full potential of any space. Whether you’re looking to create a nice child-and-pet-friendly home for your family while keeping a level of beauty and sophistication for entertaining; or you want to rethink and revamp a certain space to better fit your lifestyle; or anything in between—
I’m here to help.
“Hi, I’m Emma.”
Where it all started.
I have always had an interest in art, architecture, and interior design — I remember in my final year of high school I tried to get industry work experience but was unable to get a placement.
I started studying art and acquired a Bachelor of Fine Arts. During this time I got my interior design fix via rearranging my home, looking at the floor plans in newspapers (and trying to improve the designs), and at the time my guilty pleasure was the TV show “The Block”.
I felt such a strong drive towards interior design that I just went all in when I had the opportunity and acquired my Diploma of Interior Design and started Koto Designs.
Creating Laid-Back Luxury.
No two clients are alike, and good interior designers are nimble enough to hop from urban pied-à-terre to rustic farmhouse to coastal getaway without missing a beat. Most designers do have a fundamental aesthetic that remains consistent throughout their work.
Koto Designs Aesthetic.
I tend to have a contemporary edge to my style of designing which can be characterised as laid-back luxury. With the use of clean lines, clean aesthetics, subtle sophistication, and a love for natural elements, I create designs that are high on function and simplicity.
Your Style.
I pride myself on listening to your needs and wants for your interior spaces, and helping you find your style is all part of that. Collecting a range of samples for things you like and don’t like is really helpful; this can help me understand the direction I need to take for your project. Fabric swatches, paint chips, furniture catalogs, Pinterest images, anything you feel is relevant – the more the better!
Koto Designs can make your interiors stand out.
At Koto Designs we understand that every home, every family, every project is unique and we pride ourselves on listening to your needs and wants to achieve your design vision, from concept through to completion.
I work in close consultation with you—the client—to create a space that works perfectly in both form and function while still offering laid-back luxury with an end result that looks effortless and well put together.
I believe that good interior design is not only for the very wealthy. Koto Designs offers design packages for any budget and I will help you make the right decisions to create a cohesive design that suits your specific needs.
Koto Designs Values.
Design for the future.
Mindful consideration for environmentally sustainable practices, materials, and product selections to each design we make.
Transparency.
We are transparent with our pricing structure ensuring our clients are never confronted with a surprise cost mid-way through a project.
Connection.
Creating a strong and genuine connection with our clients, trades, and suppliers to build trust, mutual understanding, and respect.
Integrity.
Dependable, accountable, and follow-through on commitments. Being open and honest when communicating with others.
Our design process.
Each designer has their own process, and even that can vary significantly from project to project depending on size and scope. Koto Designs can walk you through the process for your specific project, which will typically fall into three stages.Analysis, Research & Project Initiation
At this early stage we are gathering as much information as possible including site evaluation, talking budgets, and getting to know you: the client. This is how we start building the design brief, assessing problems, and understanding the scope of works.
Concept, Design & Presentation
Here we use the information gathered at our initial meeting to fully develop the design brief and find creative responses to any problems. We’ll then meet up with you and present our ideas. This may include a variety of visual design tools such as floor plans, elevations, mood boards, and many more. We’ll discuss sourcing goods and services, cost estimates, design concepts, etc.
Project Implementation
It’s now time to implement the design. This can look like: order placement, budget and progress review, outlining order of tasks, initiation of construction and renovation by builder/trades, furniture installation, styling, the client reveal, and everything in between.
Let’s get work together.
If you have a few questions, need help working out where to start or just want to chat.
A discovery call is the first point to get the ball rolling on your interior design project. This is also a great opportunity to connect with Emma and get the answers you need before booking in the on-site consultation.