At a time when navigating the building of a new home has never been harder, we feel many Channel Mag readers will be pleased to learn about Mark Wilson and MDS Design. The North Shore based business has been around for over 25 years and has been responsible for designing a good number of the best coastal North Shore homes.

MDS is very much a family business. Owners Mark and Linda Wilson are well-known Shore identities who also own The Grange Bar & Bistro at Smales Farm.
We visited Mark on a lovely May morning at the new ‘Soho-style’ office in Porana Road. They’ve recently relocated, their previous location having been a victim of the January floods. The office certainly suits the MDS vibe. It should do as Mark and his team designed the renovation and fit-out for the building that is shared with graphic design business ‘Toast’. The MDS design flair is certainly on display. The building has been stripped back, beams and trusses exposed, strip lighting added to give it a real New York loft feel – complete with open plan workspaces, a massive hospitality area and kitchen along with function area that look like fun!
Mark Wilson was originally a builder by trade. He went back to school in the 90s to study architecture. Since starting out in design architecture in 1998, he’s become a highly respected designer of high-end homes, with a bent towards concrete and working with related new products that have evolved with modern technologies.
Now, 25 years on, MDS has designed hundreds of homes, with 30-40 (sometimes up to 70!) projects on the go at any one time. They have a team of seven, led by Mark and senior staffer Matt Ebett who has been with MDS for over 20 years. They are supported by a team of both technical and admin staff. Mark refers to Linda as the ‘Minister of Finance’ for her key role within the business.
Mark says that when designing a client’s dream home, respecting their wants and needs is the number one priority.
“We believe it is essential to have a collaborative effort from all involved in order to create the best outcome for any building project,” he says. “We take on board each individual customer’s ideas and come up with a design that encompasses everything they are wanting to achieve, whilst maintaining a great design aesthetic.”
“It is our job to design a home that fulfils dreams and aspirations and will be a home that is enjoyed by families for generations. We are very proud that much of our work comes from the referral of happy clients, returning customers who want to do it all over again.”
When asked what sets MDS apart, Mark says it is that they’re a boutique business that has a very hands-on, flexible approach. They maintain a very close involvement in each project, working closely with builders, engineers, landscapers and interior fit-out specialists. He says that many of the homes they design also include interior design, with MDS also helping clients source interior solutions. They can discuss how the spaces are to be furnished and share ideas around design style.
“We now have customers who we designed homes for in our first 10 years coming back again to create their next dream home for their next stage in life,” says Mark.
An example of a Shore home that was created by MDS is a multi-award-winning home in Huntly Road on the beach at Campbells Bay. The Hamptons style home won the National Supreme Award in the Master Builders House of the Year Awards in 2016. It’s a beautiful home that has received many more awards and accolades.
“We have created many of these homes over the years and every one of them provides a great deal of satisfaction,” adds Mark. “We have completed lots on the Shore and many others around the country, including places such as Coromandel, Greytown in the Wairarapa, the Marlborough Sounds, North Canterbury, Christchurch and the Queenstown Lakes area. We have three on the go there at the moment, including a multi-unit development at Jacks Point.”
Need help creating your dream home? Having a coffee with Mark Wilson at MDS Design at their new Porana Road base would be a good idea.

MDS Design, 15 Porana Road, North Shore.
Visit: mds.co.nz or phone 09 448 1101.

MDS Clients have their say…

I think Mark is very unique as he is as equally creative with architectural, and interior design. His taste is amazing and we trust him completely with the vision and execution of our project. He very quickly connected with what we wanted to achieve and constantly brings new ideas to make it exceed our expectations. I feel pretty confident that we could not be involved at all at this stage and I would still love the end result. We have developed a great working relationship and while there are many decisions to make, and at times it feels like it will go on forever, our time on the project is always enjoyable. Mark is very down to earth, easy to talk to and a fun person to work with.
    – Petrina Walker (New Client)

We are currently working on our third project with Mark and MDS. The reason we keep coming back is because of Mark’s professionalism, attention to detail and client centred approach. From the time of conception until completion, Mark ensures that the client is listened to, the design is functional and in line with the client’s lifestyle and that quality componentry is used. He is creative in his thinking and always offers multiple options so that the client retains ownership. The team put in the ground work to ensure the project runs smoothly from day one and are always available to troubleshoot throughout. The homes we have built with Mark and MDS have exceeded our expectations and we have loved living in them.
    – Quintin Proctor (Returning Client)