Nexus Designs
Nexus Designs was a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary design studio offering interior, graphic, and product design services to Australian residential clients, building products manufacturers, architectural firms, and cultural institutions. The studio closed in December 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Nexus Designs does
Nexus Designs was a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary design studio offering interior design, graphic design, and product design services to Australian residential and commercial clients. The studio operated project-based commissions across three core service lines: full-service interior design (space planning, heritage property renovation, custom joinery, finishes and furniture curation), graphic design and visual identity (campaigns, exhibition identities, brand systems), and product design (material palettes, colour forecasting, product launches). It served high-net-worth residential clients, building product manufacturers (CSR Limited, Armstrong Flooring, Haymes Paint), architectural firms (Hirsch Corti Architecture, Wiesebrock Architecture, EMArchitects, Lovell Chen, Bones Studio), and cultural institutions (NGV Melbourne Design Week).
The studio was headquartered at 260 Park Street, South Melbourne, with a disclosed headcount band of 11-50 employees and no external funding. The go-to-market model was direct client engagement supplemented by referral partnerships with architectural firms and editorial-driven marketing through publications including Belle Magazine, Vogue Living, Australian Design Review, est Living, and The Local Project. Award recognition included Graphis Gold Awards (2024 Natralis launch, 2026 CSR Style Guide), AGDA finalist, Victorian Premier's Design Awards finalist, and multiple Australian Interior Design Awards wins across residential and international design categories.
Nexus Designs closed its operations in December 2025. Its creative principals, Sonia Simpfendorfer and Sally Evans, subsequently established studio x us, a Melbourne-based design collective continuing their practice. No revenue, funding, or ownership details were disclosed in any source, and there is no evidence of venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement.
Nexus Designs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nexus Designs
- Legal name
- Nexus Designs
- Website
- https://nexusdesigns.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nexus Designs was a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary design studio offering interior, graphic, and product design services to Australian residential clients, building products manufacturers, architectural firms, and cultural institutions. The studio closed in December 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nexus Designs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Interior Design Services
- NAICS
- Interior Design Services (541410), Industrial Design Services (541420), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)
Keywords
Where Nexus Designs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nexus Designs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Interior Design Services: Project-based interior design services for residential and commercial properties including space planning, finishes selection, custom joinery design, furniture selection, and artwork placement
- Graphic Design and Visual Identity: Visual identity, campaign creative, and graphic design services for product launches, exhibitions, and brand campaigns
- Creative Direction and Art Direction: Creative direction and art direction for photography, video, and multi-platform campaigns for manufacturing and building industry clients
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Nexus Designs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nexus Designs was a multidisciplinary design studio delivering interior design, graphic design, and product design services for residential and commercial clients. The studio provided full-service interior design including space planning, finishes and fittings selection, custom joinery design, furniture and artwork curation, and heritage property renovation, alongside graphic design services covering visual identity, campaign creative, and product launch campaigns for building products manufacturers. Projects were delivered on a project-based commission basis across Melbourne, other Australian cities, and internationally.
Product overview
Nexus Designs is a multidisciplinary design studio offering three core service areas: Interior Design & Space Planning, Graphic Design & Communication, and Product Design. The studio works across residential interior design (including heritage home refurbishments, apartment renovations, and custom joinery), commercial graphic design (visual identity, campaign creative, colour forecasting), and product design services (material palette design, product launches). Projects include the CSR Style Guide national campaign, Natralis™ product launch for Armstrong Flooring, Haymes Paint annual colour forecasts, and exhibition identities for Melbourne Design Week. The studio is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and closed operations in December 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Interior Design & Space Planning Full-service interior design including space planning, finishes and fittings selection, custom joinery design, furniture selection, and artwork selection for residential and commercial projects, including heritage property renovation.
- Graphic Design & Communication Design and communication services including visual identity, campaign creative, print and packaging design, and visual strategy for brands and organizations.
- Product Design Product design services including material palette design, product naming, product range colour review, and product launch campaigns.
- CSR Style Guide Campaign National product campaign for CSR building products including colour and trend forecasting, material palette design, campaign creative, and comprehensive style guide development for the Australian built environment. Awarded Graphis Gold 2026 in Graphic Design.
- Natralis Product Launch Campaign Product launch campaign for Armstrong Flooring's Natralis™ commercial vinyl flooring range, including market survey, campaign strategy, brand implementation, product naming, and launch creative. Awarded Graphis Design Awards 2024 Gold in Print Promotion and AGDA Awards 2022 Finalist.
- Haymes Paint Annual Colour Forecast Annual colour trend forecast collaboration with Haymes Paint, including colour consultancy, mood board preparation, video development, photography styling, and art direction for the Origin palette and Colour Library Vol.17.
- Material Matters 02 Visual Identity Visual identity and promotional campaign design for the Material Matters 02 exhibition at NGV's Melbourne Design Week, focusing on sustainable materials for retail spaces.
- NEWNEW Modular Pavilion Modular pavilion installation showcasing circular design values, created in collaboration with Cultivated for the Green Design Show Melbourne, focusing on sustainable material selection and re-use, furniture rescue, refurbishment, and responsible decision making.
- OmniDecor Photography & Art Direction Photography and art direction services for Italian glass manufacturer OmniDecor, creating ethereal still-life imagery to showcase products and brand reputation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple Graphis Awards including Gold Award 2026 for CSR Style Guide and Gold Award 2024 for Natralis product launch
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Nexus Designs
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Nexus Designs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Nexus Designs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and client.
- CultivatedcoreCollaboration with authentic designer furniture restorer Cultivated for NEWNEW modular pavilion project showcasing circular design values at Green Design Show in Melbourne. The project demonstrates sustainable material selection and re-use through furniture rescue, refurbishment, and responsible decision making.
- Design Futures LabcorePartnership with Design Futures Lab and students from Sacred Heart College to create a bio-based material from spent coffee grounds and natural binding agents as part of Material Matters 02 exhibition, aiming to disrupt the 'buy, produce, dispose' narrative.
- BETA by STH BNKcorePresented Material Matters 02 exhibition as part of NGV's Melbourne Design Week, Australia's largest annual design festival. BETA by STH BNK was the presenting partner for the exhibition exploring sustainable materials for retail spaces.
- AteliercoreCo-presenter of Material Matters 02 exhibition alongside BETA by STH BNK, contributing to the exhibition exploring sustainable materials for retail spaces.
- Armstrong FlooringclientClient for Natralis product launch campaign. Armstrong Flooring is Australia's only manufacturer of commercial vinyl sheet flooring, innovating and investing in local production since the 1960s.
- CSRclientClient for CSR Style Guide national product campaign. CSR is an industry-leading building products manufacturer across Australia and New Zealand, behind trusted and well-known brands for residential and commercial construction.
- Haymes PaintclientCollaboration with Haymes Paint on 2024 Colour Trend Forecast, creating Heritage Hues and Strong Haven colour palettes for their Colour Library Vol.17 – Origins.
- Hirsch Corti ArchitecturecoreCollaboration with NYC-based Hirsch Corti Architecture on Apple Eyed project - extensive redesign of a former wrapping paper factory in Manhattan, with Nexus Designs leading furnishing and finishes.
- Wiesebrock ArchitecturecoreCollaboration with Wiesebrock Architecture in association with Sally Draper Architects on Lumina project - family home transformation in South Yarra, Melbourne.
- EMArchitectscoreCollaboration with EMArchitects on Monogram project - interior design for modern extension to classic Victorian terrace, respecting historical form and detailing.
- Bones StudiocoreCollaboration with local architecture practice Bones Studio on High Tide project - beachfront apartment transformation in Surfers Paradise, with Nexus Designs handling finishes and furnishings.
- Lovell ChencoreArchitecture partnership on Jewel Box project - heritage Arts & Crafts home refurbishment in South Yarra, Melbourne, combining authentic William Morris designs with contemporary furniture.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Nexus Designs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Golden: Established Australian design and interiors brand with broader product and showroom portfolio. Provides adjacent comparison in the same Australian premium design market with overlapping client demographics.
Direct peers
- Foolscap Studio: Melbourne multidisciplinary design studio spanning interior, brand identity, and product/exhibition design. Most comparable peer in terms of integrated service model and Australian design context.
- Smart Design Studio: Sydney architecture and interior design firm with similar premium project focus across residential and commercial sectors. Comparable in delivering integrated architecture-plus-interiors projects.
- Decus Interiors: Sydney interior design studio with similar premium residential and apartment focus. Comparable boutique scale and luxury client segment targeting.
- Arent & Pyke: Sydney-based interior design studio serving high-end residential and boutique commercial clients. Comparable boutique scale, premium positioning, and project-based delivery model.
- The Stella Collective: Melbourne interior design studio with comparable boutique scale and similar focus on residential, hospitality, and creative commercial projects.
- Hecker Guthrie: Melbourne-based multidisciplinary interior design studio with a parallel premium positioning across residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors. Closely aligned to Nexus Designs' service model, scale, and Australian aesthetic sensibility.
- YSG: Sydney interior design studio led by Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem, comparable Australian luxury interior design positioning with multi-residential and hospitality focus.
- Tom Markham Design: Australian interior design firm with similar high-end residential and heritage refurbishment focus. Direct competitor in the premium residential segment.
Emerging players
- Studio Busoli: Australian multidisciplinary design studio with overlapping interior and product design services. Smaller emerging practice with similar creative positioning to Nexus.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nexus Designs social profiles
Digital presenceNexus Designs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nexus Designs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Nexus Designs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nexus Designs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nexus Designs
What does Nexus Designs do?
Nexus Designs was a multidisciplinary design studio delivering interior design, graphic design, and product design services for residential and commercial clients. The studio provided full-service interior design including space planning, finishes and fittings selection, custom joinery design, furniture and artwork curation, and heritage property renovation, alongside graphic design services covering visual identity, campaign creative, and product launch campaigns for building products manufacturers. Projects were delivered on a project-based commission basis across Melbourne, other Australian cities, and internationally.
Is Nexus Designs a public or private company?
Nexus Designs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Nexus Designs founded?
Nexus Designs was founded in 1967. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nexus Designs based?
Nexus Designs is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Nexus Designs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Interior Design Services are the primary driver. The others are graphic Design and Visual Identity and creative Direction and Art Direction.
Who are Nexus Designs's main competitors?
Golden is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Foolscap Studio, Smart Design Studio, Decus Interiors, Arent & Pyke, The Stella Collective, Hecker Guthrie, YSG and Tom Markham Design. Studio Busoli is listed as an emerging player.
Does Nexus Designs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nexus Designs.
What industry is Nexus Designs in?
Nexus Designs's product category is Interior Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its NAICS code is 541410 and its SIC code is 7330.