the studio
I'm Emma, and I run Studio Fernandes from the Gold Coast. I work with clients across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Northern NSW who are renovating or building homes and don't want to do it alone.
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My job is pretty straightforward: prevent expensive mistakes, make decisive recommendations, reflect your personal style, and create spaces that work for how you live. Not how they photograph, not what's trending on Pinterest this month, but what makes sense for your life.
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I've seen what happens when people try to DIY their renovations without help. They spend months agonising over decisions, buy the wrong materials, realise halfway through that the layout doesn't work, and end up spending way more fixing mistakes than they would've paid a designer upfront.
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My clients don't want that stress. They want someone who can take the lead, give them clear direction, and deliver a home they'll still love in 10 years.
Who I Work With
My clients are usually time-poor professionals who are building or renovating their long-term home. They're smart, busy people who realise they don't have the time or expertise to manage this alone.
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They want someone they can trust to take the lead without needing constant approval on every micro-decision. They're happy to be involved in the big choices (layout, overall aesthetic, key materials), but they want me to handle the rest.
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Most importantly, they value their time and understand that paying for good design upfront is cheaper than fixing mistakes later.
My Backgorund
I came to interior design the way a lot of people do - by renovating my own home and realising how hard it is to get right. I have spent the last 2.5 years studying for my Diploma of Interior Design and Project Management while working through my own renovation, making mistakes, learning what works, and understanding firsthand why people get so overwhelmed.
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​Studio Fernandes exists because I got sick of seeing interior design positioned as something exclusive; only for million-dollar builds or homes that end up in magazines. Everyone should love living in their home, regardless of budget, and people shouldn't have to stress through renovations thinking they can just copy Pinterest and hope it works out (spoiler: it won't).
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What I love most is seeing clients walk through their finished space and light up. When they're so proud of their home they want to show everyone who'll look. When every detail works and nothing feels like they had to compromise. That's the goal every single time.