Design enthusiast Celeste Benefield and her husband Isaac, a chartered accountant, recently purchased Wanaka Interiors and QT Magazine asked Celeste about the inspiration behind their new venture.

What attracted you to investing in the interior design business?

Wanaka Interiors showed an impressive track record with a quality team of people. Wānaka’ has  increasing regional development so we saw this as an opportunity for a change of lifestyle in a beautiful, scenic location. My creative background in the fashion industry as a wedding dress seamstress combined with Issacs’s accountancy expertise has been invaluable to making this move. I have always had a passion for interiors, colours, fabrics and design and am currently studying in interior design.

What type of services does Wanaka Interiors offer?

We have a wide variety of design services for new and existing builds, commercial developments and home renovations. Our team provide expertise from kitchen and bathroom design to furniture layout, upholstery and procurement of homewares. Window treatments are a significant part of the business including beautiful traditional shutters, roller blinds to double tracked sheer or block out drapery and every option in between. 

What are some of the brands available at Wanaka Interiors?

The business has long standing relationships with over 100 suppliers offering an extensive range of high-quality furniture and furnishings. Some of our favourites include Kovacs, David Shaw & Woodwrights for exceptional New Zealand made furniture. The Hawthorne Group’s originals collection comprises of handcrafted and hand finished furniture using traditional techniques from India. We work closely with Modern Chair of Auckland who design bespoke pieces like sofas, headboards and chairs in a choice of fabric.

Can customers buy furniture and interior pieces direct from the Wanaka Interiors showroom? 

We have an extensive retail store connected to our design studio that is full of beautiful, handpicked furniture and homewares. If visitors who are travelling find something they love we will securely package and ship directly to their home address.

We have three consultants with a diverse range of skills offering specialist interior support. We encourage clients to contact us when they have received their house plans so that our designers can assist in achieving the best outcomes through specification of building components and finishes from the outset. We work with clients throughout Central Otago including Cromwell, Queenstown, Wanaka, Tarras and Gore.