News
Gartshore has won the Colour Excellence Award and the Best Region Award for Waikato-Bay of Plenty in the Annual Master Joiners Awards 2021 for Naumi Hotel Wellington.
Company owner Rob Gartshore says that the project was not without its challenges and the team worked tirelessly for weeks to create an outstanding final product which fit the client’s brief.
“These awards recognise the quality of our workmanship. Without the hard work and dedication of all our staff these awards would simply not have been achieved and it is some-thing we are all immensely proud of,” he says.
Housed in an iconic heritage-listed building, the hotel lobby bar and restaurant went through an extensive renovation, transforming it into a visual feast for the senses, with eclectic spaces inspired by seafaring, the literary world and enduring love. The client’s brief was brought to life by the bespoke joinery supply and install.
The whimsical vibe starts in the lobby, where guests are greeted by three aged patina brass counters with foot rails and kick plates. The large scale painted floral backdrop is covered in gold leaf and features 3D origami bespoke flower lights.
The sensory overload continues to the grand bar, made from an LED Illuminated Corian stone bar top, aged patina brass fi ns, foot rail and kick plates, which truly show-cases exceptional joinery craftsmanship. The whole bar was encircled in tiles, individually cut to match the contours of the bar. One of the most eye-catching features is the stunning light fixture that hangs overhead, requiring hidden structural steel work within a suspended ceiling.
Another good example of the hard work the Gartshore team put in can be seen in the sumptuous lounge where a purple mosaic tiled fluted breakfast table took over 200 hours to create. “Each glass tile (20mmx20mm) was cut individually to ensure a seamless transition through the arches to the underside of the tabletop – a true feat of skill and perseverance,” say Rob.
The designers Material Creative have man-aged to incorporate a seemingly endless array of materials and finishes including wallpapers, 17 different types of tiles, several different glass finishes, fabrics, leathers, solid timber, brass, metals, stone, and veneers. Seamlessly integrating so many different types and sizes of materials was a huge accomplishment for the joinery and installation team.
Gartshore boasts a long history. The company was started by Rob’s grandfather Bill Senior and for 65 years has continually reinvested profits back into the business to offer the most up-to-date technology, plant and staff training. Rob says that this policy of investment for more than half a century, along with accommodating as many of the trade functions in-house, has ensured Gartshore is continually well placed to meet the needs of the construction industry.
“While most other companies rely on out-side organisations, suppliers and contractors, thereby losing a crucial element of control, Gartshore instead invested in its own resources,” says Rob.
Projects currently underway include 308 apartments in Remuera, Auckland and a Gartshore design and build development of luxury apartments in Tauranga’s CBD called Luxridge. Launched in December 2020, Rob says this boutique luxurious development overlooking the harbour already has a number of the high-end apartments under contract.