The Brief.
Woburn Apartments offers retirees boutique apartment living in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Completed in 2018 the development has 86 apartments of one-, two- and three-bedrooms. Shared spaces include reception, two bars, a lounge, library, hairdresser, theatre, art and craft room, conservatory, snooker room, bowls area and dining room.
Interior designers Honour Creative were involved from the start, devising three apartment schemes for wall, floor, kitchen and bathroom finishes that were distinct, yet collectively offered broad appeal.
The shared spaces are elegant with a sophisticated aesthetic, based on a contemporary take on Art Deco. This theme was executed through a family of varying colours, materials and forms across the different common areas. Stylistic features of contemporary Art Deco can be seen through the curved forms, geometric patterns, soft colours, rich timbers and metallic accents.
“A good design driver allows for visual consistency when working across multiple spaces that still require a sense of variety and diversity within themselves.” says Director of Honour Creative, Frances Fraser.
Scope for their involvement extended throughout, from material selections and feature lighting selection to concept and artist commissioning for large acoustic panels and all furniture selections, many items of which are custom designed.
Design Values
“At Honour Creative we value quality, integrity and deliver beautiful, timeless spaces”, says Frances. “We believe a well-designed space should work well and feel great. We want our clients to ‘love’ their new space every time they are in it, not just the first time they walk in… When things are done with heart, it shows.”
Materialised Products
- Custom acoustic art, WhisperArt
- Custom Florence Broadhurst Pagoda on Zircon Zem
- Crypton Aria Cloudburst
- Lawson Burgundy
- Grand Sierra Slate
- Village Mermaid
“The Materialised products provided us the scope to find the right colours and textures for our project with the assurance that they would perform at a high level. They have stood the test of time so well – we photographed this project a number of years after residents moved in and the furniture looks immaculate. Our furniture manufacturer said they loved working with the Materialised products also,” explains Frances.
“We were delighted with the quality of the acoustic panels and the care taken in their manufacture. The images we applied were very detailed so the alignment of each panel was imperative to the overall effect. The results are stunning and make the rooms feel very special as well as being a functional element in the double height, open plan spaces.”
The Team & Credits
Design: Honour Creative
Photography: Bonny Beattie
Materialised Team: NZ
