Interior of a modern coffee shop with black walls, wooden tables, and stools. A woman with glasses and a striped shirt sits at a table. A man is seated near a large arched window, drinking coffee.

Built on good judgment. Made to last.

Two women sitting at a wooden table in a cozy café with exposed brick walls, one reading a book and the other looking at her phone. There are a laptop, books, a cup, and condiments on the table. A yellow ladder with flowers is in the background, and hanging basket-style lamps provide warm lighting.

I design residential and commercial interiors built to live well and age properly.
Not just to look good on install day.

Layout, joinery, materials and flow are resolved early — before the build gets noisy, rushed and expensive.

I work with makers, fabricators and trades who understand that good spaces come from judgement, not fast consumption. 

Materials are chosen for longevity, repairability and character.
Brick. Steel. Timber. Stone. 

Things with weight, history and the ability to improve with use.

The best interiors are the ones people become emotionally attached to.
The ones they keep, look after and don’t want to leave behind.

Commercial spaces should work hard without feeling generic.
Homes should feel personal, grounded and properly lived in.

Nothing trend-led.
Nothing disposable.

Built to last - and to feel like yours alone. 




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Based in Ōtepoti, working across Central Otago

I work with

Clients who value substance over surface.
People who are decisive, curious, and willing to invest in getting it right.

Residential

For people building or reworking their homes properly.
Materials, proportion and longevity come first.
No rushed decisions.

Commercial

Hospitality, accommodation and workplace interiors built to last.
Interior design is treated as a long term investment in elevating your business, keeping it current and making it memorable.

The right interior becomes a big part of why people remember a business- and why they come back.

Owning successful hospitality businesses for over a decade, gives me a practical understanding of what makes people stay, return and remember a space.

Procurement

Where things either come together, or quietly fall apart.

I source pieces that are well made, considered, and right for the space — custom, vintage, or built properly.

A mix of old and new, with a focus on longevity and provenance.

Good interiors don’t need everything to be new- quite the opposite.

Consideration will always be given to the things you love that are already woven into your life.


Interior of a coffee shop with hanging light fixtures, a barista working behind the counter, and shelves with cups and supplies.
Interior of a modern restaurant or cafe with hanging pendant lights, a staircase on the left, tables, and chairs near the entrance, with a large window and an illuminated exit sign.
A cozy restaurant interior with pendant lighting, a wooden table, a black tufted leather booth, a vase with pink flowers, and a blurred person sitting by large windows.

Riah McLean Design - Ōtepoti

Photography - Isabella Harrex