About us
A story worth sharing
Established in 2016 in Wanaka, New Zealand, The Workroom traces its beginnings back to the sun-soaked veranda of an Italian vineyard. Admiring the story-steeped style adorning the villa around her, our Owner and Director Anna Baxter decided she needed to bring the best of what she’d discovered abroad, back to the wild beauty of her adopted hometown.
Assembling a team of design experts just as inspired, they got to work building a studio that would specialise in considered spaces, curated with care for each client. From the first in-store impression to interior designs that leave a lasting one, our space is an experience — designed to transform yours.
A space worth visiting
The 100-year-old cottage in the heart of Wanaka, and the new home of The Workroom.
With deep respect for its heritage and a fierce commitment to retaining the old cottage's character, renovations began in early 2023. Gently enhancing the structure with her now-signature style, by summer, the studio had become the design house it is today. Internationally influenced, locally inspired, a space specialising in curating ones as original as their owners — and as striking as their surroundings.
Retail space
Interior Design Sample lounge
Blooms
What we offer
Interior solutions designed for a more personal space — and style. We specialise in bespoke and beautiful arrangements, from bouquets to living room furniture. Working alongside you to form, and paint, the bigger picture, we also curate the finer details to frame it.
Assembling a community of skilled artisans and tradespeople, our network ensures each project is executed to perfection. Inspired by international trends and our clients' individual styles, we weave together personal narratives with an artful aesthetic.
Our Interior Design Sample Lounge
The Bloom Room
Artfully arranged each morning by our master florists, our blooms can be collected in-store, delivered locally on the same day, or custom-created for weddings and special occasions. Understanding that time is as precious as the moments we’re entrusted with, we offer personal consultations to deliver an bespoke experience in the studio — and on your special day.
The Hearth to Home Boutique
The pieces that make our projects; from books to bespoke furniture, to bedding, tableware, and pottery. From the heart of our space to yours, welcome to everything that makes home, home.
Our Team
Our team of interior experts oversee every aspect of the design process, from the initial concept to curation to the final polish. Piece-by-piece, from the bigger picture to the finer details, we specialise in spaces as original as their owners.
Anna Baxter
Director & Interior DesignerBehind the Design
Driven by a steady hand and a meticulous eye for detail, Anna Baxter is not just the Director of The Workroom— she’s the hands and heart too. Not only an award-winning creative, but a leader who takes pride in bringing a vision to fruition, she has been instrumental in building The Workroom since its inception in 2016.
The Art of Balance
Outside of the work(room), she embraces the local lifestyle, beginning her days with Pilates or a run with her dog, and always complemented by an almond flat white afterwards.
Her inspiration:
Wanaka’s countryside in the summer, ad travelling through Europe. Her favourite flowers are anemones.
Illy Sadowski-Synnott
Junior Florist + Interior DesignerBehind the Design
The perfect blend of creativity and practicality, Illy’s passion lies in her ability to breathe life into any space — seamlessly combining floristry and interior design. With a keen eye for colour, texture, and balance, Illy’s designs and arrangements are always thoughtfully curated. She adds the perfect finishing touch to any space.
The Art of Balance
Making time to stop and smell the roses, when she’s not arranging them, you can find Illy on the lake, soaking up the sun or spending quality time with the people around her.
Her inspiration:
Country-style, rustic, and muted colour palettes. Her favourite flowers are Hellebores.
Dayna Eldridge
Head FloristBehind the Arrangement
Floristry is the art by which nature and creativity intertwine and, in Dayna’s case, it paints an appreciation of how nature’s gifts can be tended to by her hands — to evoke joy long after leaving them. Her hand-crafted arrangements express the emotions and connections for which words cannot.
The Art of Balance
When she's not in the Blooms Room, Dayna is off hiking, trail running or camping, admiring the natural flora and fauna along the way.
Her inspiration:
Home grown gardens, and the natural way flowers stumble out of the ground. Her favourite flowers are sweet peas.
Maddison Halcrow
Retail ManagerBehind the Counter
In her element when in good company, Madison’s charismatic and empathetic nature grows meaningful connections — and cultivates lasting ones. When she isn’t delivering embracing welcomes or acting as a source of optimism for the team, she’s across every detail — and meeting them to a letter.
The Art of Balance
When the studio is left in someone else's capable hands, she has her hands full strolling along the river track with her dog, Fred, and a coffee in the other.
Her inspiration:
Wanaka’s dreamy, winter mornings and Old English country interior designs. Her favourite flowers are poppies.
Nicole Ruske
Interior DesignerBehind the Design
For Nicole, every day brings new inspiration and opportunities to bring homes and people
closer together. With an eye for transforming spaces, and another for how the environment
interacts with them, she curates each design to ensure a personalised fit — for purpose.
The Art of Balance
Whether you find Nicole playing basketball, or chefing up an elabroate meal in her spare time, she’s always finding joy in life’s simplest pleasures.
Her inspiration:
Biophilic and natural designs, mixing textures and colour to bring life to spaces, and how interior elements can be elevated by architectural ones. Her favourite flowers are chrysanthemums.
Allandra Richmond
Retail + Sales AssociateBehind the Counter
Allandra thrives in the company of others, where her warmth, friendliness, and approachable nature create genuine connections. Her positive energy lifts the spirits of those around her. She’s focused on the details — ensuring everything flows smoothly and effortlessly.
The Art of Balance
Allandra finds peace nuzzled in a good book, painting a picture, photographing her loved ones, or spending good ol' quality time with her family and friends.
Her Inspiration:
Cozy, comfy and lived-in spaces. Oceans, lakes, and the way the sun shines on them. She loves wildflowers and her favourite are snapdragons.
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