Fifty years,
one studio
Sharon Cross opened her interior design studio in 1975. She was working in Remuera then. She still is.
She's never had a look. Not deliberately. She's just as comfortable with a dark, wallpapered bedroom as she is with a marble-floored open plan. What stays consistent is the process: she spends a long time understanding how a client actually uses a room before she recommends anything for it. The portfolio is wide because the clients are.
Sharon holds the LDINZ credential and runs every job herself: space planning, sourcing, joinery, the lot. No handoffs. Projects range from a single bathroom in Remuera to full-home interiors well into seven figures, and each one gets the same attention.
"Taste moves around. What doesn't change is whether a room works for the person in it. That's what I'm always trying to get right."
— Sharon Cross
Sharon has completed the interiors of three of our homes since 1998 and is currently refitting the first one, twenty years on. She kept everything within budget and on time. But the best part is seeing all the materials, colours and fabrics come together. That's what makes her one step ahead of the rest.
We could never have done this complex heritage category 2 villa renovation without Sharon. I struggled to find someone with the talent and vision for a project like this until we found her. She assembled an excellent team of contractors and managed them very well. We had plenty of good discussions on the best way to approach the work too.
Sharon designed and project managed our kitchen and bathroom renovations in our 100-year-old villa. She took the time to really get us, and we loved virtually every idea she proposed. She knows materials, trends and fittings, and her network of suppliers and tradespeople saves hours of chasing. She is also a delightful person who gives you confidence to move outside your comfort zone.
I've used Sharon across four properties: a 250sqm office in Parnell, a large house we built in South Auckland, and more. Her advice to use top-quality fittings on the new build was spot on. Eleven years later and nothing major has been replaced. The house looks as good as new. I've referred her to others and will keep doing so.
Named Best of Houzz Design two years running. Voted by the people who use Houzz, which mostly means clients.
Best of Houzz
Design
2019Best of Houzz
Design
2020The Mark
The four-diamond mark comes from Sharon's own monogram. Four shapes that read as one. It's been on her business card since the beginning.