I draw from a diverse canvas;

from a long standing career in fashion, to working in operations and project management for tech.

"I draw from a diverse canvas and relish the combination of creativity and practical problem solving."

I started my design journey in the world of fashion.  My ten years fully immersed in the global fashion industry in New York, Tokyo, Italy, London, and Sydney provided me with a huge depth of inspiration to draw on which continues to flow directly into my true passion - interior design.  

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Following my time in fashion, I studied at The University of the Arts London (Central Saint Martins). While studying, I took a role in operations and project management for a tech company in London. This provided me with the skillset to effectively manage large scale projects within schedule and budget. With the inspiration, passion and skillset I founded an interior design studio in London in 2018, working on a range of residential and commercial projects. In 2019 I relocated my family and business back to Wellington.

Through the residential and commercial projects I’ve completed to date in Wellington, I have been privileged to make connections with quality contractors who are able to meet my incredibly high expectations and allow me to excute projects to the highest standard.  

For me, design can often be taking too seriously and I am drawn to things that are a little more playful - be that through colour, finishes or furniture. Why not have a bit of fun? I want my interiors to be a celebration of a home and a place that is designed with living and enjoyment at its core - hence House Party.   

"I draw from a diverse canvas and relish the combination of creativity and practical problem solving."

Karla Devine
Design can often be taken too seriously and I am drawn to things that are a little more playful - be that through colour, finishes or furniture. Why not have a bit of fun? I want my interiors to be a celebration of a home and a place that is designed with living and enjoyment at its core.
My path to interior design has been anything but conventional — a decade in the global fashion industry, living and working across New York, Tokyo, Italy, London, and Sydney, gave me a depth of visual and cultural inspiration that continues to pour directly into my work. Returning to Wellington in 2019 with my husband and two daughters, I launched House Party with a clear vision, a lot of determination, and a healthy dose of naivety about what running a business actually takes. I recently completed a Diploma in Interior Design at Sydney Design School — juggled alongside live projects — marking a proud milestone in the ongoing evolution of House Party, and opening the door to larger commercial and multi-residential work.

My design philosophy is simple: a home should be lived in, celebrated, and utterly yours. I'm not a minimalist. I'm drawn to spaces that are bold, considered, and a little bit playful — spaces that reflect the personality of the people who actually live there. That conviction was shaped in part by years in London, where I watched people turn identical terraced houses into something completely singular. Back in New Zealand, I want to challenge the 'when in doubt, white it out' approach and replace it with something far more interesting. Sustainability and natural materials matter deeply to me — but I refuse to accept that designing responsibly means designing without joy.

House Party projects have been featured on the cover and pages of Homestyle magazine, and online at The Modern House and The Design Files.