Renowned home designer Helena Nikola has reimagined the design industry to bring forever homes to everyone
Approachable and attainable interior design advice — without the six-figure price tag
Sure, the six-figure design investments on the eight-figure homes were incredibly fun, but…
The real magic comes from making a difference in the lives of those who don’t have millions to spend (nor would they need it to create genuine love and joy in their lives)
the homes where deciding where to save versus invest improves how you experience life
homes where you balance design priorities with lifestyle
how you blend bold choices with clever use of space
how you pair impressive aesthetic elements with a beautiful personal touch
The feeling, the togetherness, the experience: that’s where I’ve found my true calling in design.
I’m shifting gears to bring professional design advice to everyone, so you can create your forever home strategically from the start.
With more than two decades spanning the design and creation of high-profile big-budget dream homes, I couldn’t help but realise: the ‘everyday’ person misses out on hiring a full-service home designer, even when investing their whole hearts and budgets into creating a forever home for their families to enjoy.
With ‘helping people’ as my love language, I set out to solve this. The courses, programs and live support offered through Home Done Differently bring concepts of beautiful, functional design to everyone, everywhere, without the out-of-budget price tag.
I’m Helena: Interior Architect, professional designer behind hundreds of incredible dream homes, and founder of design studio HNIS.
This is the space where I guide and advise more people using methods previously shared with full-service clients — bringing you the same personalised touch that fuses your personality and preferences with my design expertise.
Because design is the backdrop to our lives;
I want you to feel nurtured in the space that your family lives.
My Approach
Sharing my heartfelt approach to forever home design
There are no prescribed methods for designing the ‘perfect’ home; only what's perfect for you. Instead of scrolling your feed to find copy-and-paste inspiration, or feeling like you can barely keep your head above water as you navigate this whole building and renovating thing, I’m here to help you create a one-of-a-kind sanctuary that truly wows you every time you walk through the door — because it was conceptualised from your vision and designed to match how your family lives.
Your forever home is a space that should fit — not for now, not for five years before trends pass, and not for a temporary life stage — but forever.
As a mum to a sassy eight-year-old and partner to a pedantic husband, who has managed three home renovations — along with my unparalleled experience gained through a 23+ year interior design career — I know what it takes to design a home that works for your family. I also know you deserve to create your forever home without months of stress, second-guessing, costly decisions and design choices you grow out of. That’s what I’m committed to sharing with beautiful families everywhere.
With a down-to-earth ‘tell it like it is’ approach, I’ll be the expert in your pocket that helps you stop relying on friends, family and builders for conflicting advice that dials your stress levels up to ten.
Instead of horror stories and daunting decisions, you’ll receive supportive and actionable advice on building and designing a home that fits you like a glove (while showing you how to implement those little details to love, like his-and-hers sinks, so there’s no more beard hair floating in your skincare).
