Elevating

everyday living

Design Philosophy

Creating a beautiful house is my commitment to you. It’s a journey of discovery we take together to design spaces that reflect your personality and lifestyle. 

Whether building, renovating or furnishing, I bring my life long passion for design to meet the individual needs of each client from concept to completion.

Karen Smith – Casabella

With 35 years of industry experience, I provide personalised guidance at every stage of your project. From sourcing and coordinating all interior elements, finishes and fittings to curating beautiful furnishings and designing bespoke joinery and furniture - every detail is carefully considered. Whether it’s planning a new home alongside you and your architect or liaising on-site with builders and trades, I ensure a seamless process, avoiding costly delays while ensuring no detail is overlooked.

Casabella Services

Casabella provides a comprehensive range of personalised services working with clients, architects and building professionals to create interior spaces that reflect a client’s personal style.

Services include:

  • New Builds, Renovation and Repair

  • Fit-outs, Furniture, Furnishings and Placements

  • Commercial

  • Project management

Featured Projects

What people say

  • “We engaged Karen from Casabella Interiors to advise us regarding our new building plan details and, interior furnishings. We had firm ideas which we wished to include, and she related well to these aspirations and design concepts. She was excellent in discussing the various styles that would suit our home, the sourcing of quality materials, and supervising the making of the drapes and cushions. Karen has made a significant contribution to the very pleasing appearance of our interior décor. We highly recommend Karen, as she has a pleasant manner which compliments her expertise, skill and patience.”

    J&P Rangiora

  • “I have worked with Karen on several projects in recent years and have found her to be a very thorough, detail-focused person with a clear ability to visualise solutions combined with a good understanding of how to achieve them. Karen has the knack of quickly building rapport with people, and she possesses a comprehensive knowledge of different design periods, materials, fixtures and fittings. Her many years of experience ensure that even the smallest details get attended to with passion and commitment. I would not hesitate to recommend Karen to anyone looking for a quality outcome for their project.”

    Stephen Crooks, Architect

  • “Karen delivered results that we loved. I had complete confidence in Karen’s skills and project management - I was able to walk out and leave her in total control of our character home renovation and repair. Her dedication to our house project allowed me to relax, and her support removed our stress and allowed us to get on with our lives. Karen is a delight to work with - completely focused on producing satisfying and unique results, so it was an easy decision to invite Karen to manage a second project. She updated our holiday home with the WOW factor, achieving fantastic results quickly and within budget.”

    Lynne

  • "We have commissioned Karen of Casabella to design; coordinate and project manage four projects over the last 24 years. One of the projects entailed the complete renovation of our commercial offices whilst the other three were renovations of three different residential properties. We have been entirely satisfied with Casabella throughout these projects. We have always found Karen to be very enthusiastic and fully professional from the original concept through to the completion of the works. Karen has the ability to listen to her client’s needs and requirements and that together with her artistic ability and practical knowledge enables Karen’s clients to be reassured of a high level of professional service and commitment from her. "

    R & P Christchurch

Combining experience and professional training, Karen has created the interiors of countless homes throughout Canterbury. She works alongside some of Christchurch’s well-known architects and has been inspired to deliver refined and contemporary designs.

Meet Karen