Journal

Sailing on the Hauraki Gulf

Over the past 18 months, I (George) have been lucky enough to go sailing a number of times with my mate David on the Hauraki Gulf. Dave has got right into his sailing over the past few years and purchased a yacht to learn the ropes and explore the Hauraki Gulf. According to David, this is one of the best sailing grounds in the world. I haven't really sailed anywhere else but I would have to say it is pretty good.

South Island Club Fields

Last August Will, Jarred, Sam Baker, John Blair and I (George) went on a week-long trip of the South Island club fields. This was the fourth South Island trip that we have done and the first one in winter. The Southern Alps of New Zealand is one of my favourite places in the world and getting right up into them on the club fields was one of the best ways to experience them.

Will's favourite Instagram accounts

More and more often we find ourselves hunched over our screens, inhaling content and exhaling time.

Of course you don't want to be the person who is 'always on their phone' but it can be a nice way to switch off and unwind at the end of the day, it's no different to watching TV only it's curated by you.

Making the Smith Roller

When we first made the Studio Roller, we were in the workshop and wanted somewhere to write our shopping list or draw up plans, we made the bracket from a bent piece of steel and welded it up with one main focus, to hold the paper on the wall, the most functional way possible. We just wanted it to be strong and simple.

Kassi Gray / Bright Night Design

As co-director of Bright Night Design, a PR and events agency, Kassi has worked with the likes of the Ace Hotel, Nike, Kinfolk Magazine, Krug Champagne and the Portland Art Museum. She's a dab hand at throwing a party and we caught up with her...

Textile Lofts - Co-Working Space Design Inspiration

Textile Lofts is a boutique co-working office located in Parnell’s industrial precinct. Gone are the days of sterile workspaces. It seems we have only just realised this is where we spend most of our weeks, so let's make it count. That's exactly what the boys from Textile Lofts have done.

Cam Neate / NeateStudios

Meet Cam Neate, photographer and creative director extraordinaire. When not surfing or hanging with his total babe girlfriend, he can be found taking photos of only the coolest things and working with some stellar New Zealand creatives. His Instagram plays out as a series of jealousy-inducing snapshots. Cam recently shot our products and is a close friend of the George and Willy studio.

Meet the team, George Wilkins

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I love making things and would happily do anything creating all day every day,
from building a business to a boat, a house or anything in between. I have learnt
that I enjoy the process of creating things and not just the finished product.
I grew up one of four siblings and out of the four of us I am the only one not
involved in Forestry, however I really enjoy getting outdoors.

Mt Earnslaw

A bit of a throw back, but I love the photos from our Mt Earnslaw trip so thought I would share them. It must of been about two years ago now when Will, Tom Gaddum, our guide Al and myself went on a week long Mountaineering trip up Mt Earnslaw which is an hour or so out of Queenstown. We had a great week, learnt a lot and got to be in amongst the Southern Alps, a trip I now look fondly back on.

8 Ways to Have a Better Working Day

We all spend a fair few hours in the office, yet it is not uncommon for us to focus solely on the work itself and completely disregard the environment that we physically work in. Here are just a few ideas we adopted which make us feel good on the daily and overall, contribute to a productive & pretty damn positive workplace.

My Four Favourite Podcasts at the Moment

Recently I’ve found myself driving a lot, usually solo. After exhausting my Spotify playlists I decided to give podcasts a go. I’ve been enjoying them so much. It’s a relaxing yet productive way to commute and I seem to learn something new each time. I thought I would share my current favourites with you.

Cabin on Clyde

About two years ago George & Willy purchased a little house here in Mount Maunganui.

The last two years since have involved extensive renovations, which has been a bit of a hobby on the side of work. It is something that we all enjoy doing and seeing the changes that have taken place has been very rewarding.

Blog