We design homes, hospitality venues, and retail spaces that feel considered, character-rich, and genuinely lived in. From new builds to heritage restorations, we’re led by our clients as people - how they live, work, or play - and by the stories that shape a space.

Our work is rooted in narrative-led design, weaving together people, place, and history. We lean into the quirks, honour the existing fabric, and layer texture, tone, and function to create interiors that go far beyond surface. For us, sustainability starts with using what’s already here - through adaptive reuse of spaces and sourcing vintage, antique, or salvaged materials wherever possible. We don’t believe in creating trend-forward spaces that will need updating - there is no room for fast fashion interiors within our practice.

Our work is also shaped by travel and the way it invites us into other lives. The light refraction on the façades of Paris at golden hour, the sun-faded Art Deco of Havana, the timeless restrained elegance of London’s Georgian squares, the brick-and-brownstone rhythm of Greenwich Village, the list goes on. We love to travel, and we really love hotels.

About Shanta

After completing my Bachelor and Master of Architecture (with honours) in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, I moved to New York City. Over nearly a decade, I worked across all five boroughs - on the restoration of The Park Avenue Armory, with Brooklyn’s Uhuru Design, then designing and managing projects for BD Hotels and Sean Macpherson (The Bowery, The Jane, The Ludlow, The Marlton, and The Hotel Chelsea).

The chapter that shaped everything was at The Hotel Chelsea, where I lived and worked for five years while leading its landmark renovation. Leading the design and construction team taught me how to hold the big picture - timelines, budgets, operations - while still obsessing over the smallest design details. This was truly my dream project; our office was Sid and Nancy’s former hotel room, complete with a secret tunnel to my apartment. The hotel reopened in 2024 and was awarded a Michelin Key in 2025.

That project laid the foundation for Studio Sio: design that’s thoughtful, heritage-aware, and quietly ambitious - with comfort, accessibility, and longevity built in.

After Chelsea, I moved home and launched Studio Sio internationally to keep designing across both hemispheres. With a small team around the world in Aotearoa New Zealand, NYC, and London, we take on projects that feel right; budgets big or small, near or far.

Recent work includes the transformation of Buffalo Lodge in Coromandel, homes across Auckland and New York, and consulting for major hospitality groups.

Contact: shanta@studiosio.co.nz