Deadnettle Studio: Bringing Architectural Narratives to Life with Chaos
At Elmtec’s Uplift London event, we showcased some of the UK’s most inspiring artists, designers and visualisation professionals. Among them was Nikole, founder of Deadnettle Studio, an independent architectural visualisation practice using Chaos software to create atmospheric imagery that bridges the gap between technical accuracy and artistic storytelling.
With more than a decade of experience producing CGI for planning, marketing and design communication, Nikole has developed a distinctive visual language that moves beyond conventional architectural rendering. Her work combines photorealistic detail with a painterly sensibility, creating images that evoke emotion, spark curiosity and invite viewers to imagine the lives unfolding within a space.
The featured image, one of the first projects created under the Deadnettle Studio name, captures the studio’s creative philosophy: using visualisation not only to communicate architecture, but to tell stories about people, place and atmosphere.
Deadnettle Studio: Bringing Architectural Narratives to Life with Chaos
One of the biggest challenges in architecture is helping clients visualise a space that doesn’t yet exist.
Many clients arrive with only a broad idea of what they want. Some struggle to interpret technical drawings, while others find it difficult to imagine how materials, lighting, proportions and layouts will work together in the finished building.
For Dave Cregan, effective communication is essential.
“Every client sees things differently. The challenge isn’t just creating a good design—it’s helping people understand that design so they can make informed decisions and feel confident moving forward.”
Traditional plans and elevations remain important, but today’s clients increasingly expect a more immersive experience that allows them to explore and evaluate design options with confidence.
About Deadnettle Studio
Website: deadnettlestudio.co.uk
Instagram: @deadnettlestudio
Email: nikole@deadnettlestudio.co.uk
The Challenge: Capturing the In-Between Moments
Rather than depicting a perfectly staged interior, Nikole wanted to explore a more nuanced moment in time. The space is not fully occupied, yet subtle traces of life suggest an ongoing relationship between people and architecture.
This idea of inhabitation—of spaces that feel lived in without being fully populated—became the driving narrative behind the image.
“I’m interested in those in-between moments. There are enough traces of life for us to understand that people have been there and continue to use the space, but there’s still room for interpretation.”
The Process: Combining Observation, Narrative and Chaos Technology
Every project begins with observation. Inspiration can come from a painting, a landscape, a film frame or a fleeting quality of light at a particular time of day.
These references are gathered and refined before moving into 3D, where Chaos visualisation software becomes an essential part of the creative process.
Even when a lighting direction has already been established, Nikole performs multiple daylight studies to explore how natural light interacts with the architecture. For this project, those explorations revealed an unexpected opportunity.
“The way the light played across the floor brought out the texture of the materials and ultimately became a key part of the composition.”
The ability to quickly test and refine lighting conditions using Chaos tools allowed the image to evolve beyond its original concept, transforming light from a technical requirement into a storytelling device.
The Outcome: Visualisation with Emotional Impact
Once the composition and lighting were established, the focus shifted to layering narrative details throughout the scene. These subtle moments encourage viewers to spend longer with the image, discovering new details and building their own interpretations.
The result is a visualisation that balances technical precision with artistic expression—an approach that has become synonymous with Deadnettle Studio’s work.
As the studio continues to grow, Nikole aims to further develop a visual language that sits somewhere between architecture, art and narrative, rooted in craftsmanship, observation and human judgement.
By combining a thoughtful creative process with the power and flexibility of Chaos visualisation software, Deadnettle Studio demonstrates how architectural imagery can become far more than representation—it can become storytelling.
