Tantalus Estate Vineyard

Tantalus Estate Vineyard is a stunning winery, brewery and restaurant that opened on Waiheke Island in September 2016.  Cheshire Architects redesigned the original building to create beautifully textured spaces that vary from the expansive, light-filled restaurant to the secretive Alibi Brewer’s Lounge, reminiscent of a speakeasy from the Prohibition era. Cheshire engaged us to bring to life concepts for two types of stools for each of these spaces.

The brewer’s lounge is located in the cellar next to the brewery, in a crypt-like room with vaulted brick ceilings. It's seriously sexy. The brief for the lounge stools was to be elegant, finely sculpted and beautifully finished. Made from American black walnut, they feature cigar-turned legs and foot-rails, and a dished seat with a convex underside. The legs are fixed through the seat with visible tenon and wedge detailing, a detail which is duplicated on the legs and rails.

Conversely, the restaurant stools required a more rudimentary, hand-hewn feel to reflect the juxtaposing textures of roughly-hewn timber and polished brass. The oak stools have a hand-shaped feel complete with tool marks, and a dished seat. They are finished with a dark stain and oil that richly contrasts with the brass rod foot-rails. 

After only 10 months of opening, Tantalus Restaurant was named in Metro’s Top 50 and named in Cuisine’s Top 100 restaurants in New Zealand. It is a beautiful space and a definite must-visit if you’re heading over to the island this summer.

Photography: Emma Boyd