Welcome to where we're from. Whangarei, New Zealand. We're proud locals and when Christine visited us in our showroom looking for an outdoor sun umbrella we were delighted to provide insight and support.
Ideal for Hospitality, Perfect for Home
Situated along the rugged, picturesque Tutukaka coastline, Christine and her husband's new home is quintessential, with clever design, open-plan living and coastal charm, the location is perfect for friends and family. In need of shade for the exposed patio, a sun umbrella was the perfect option.
Christine's shade story began in Whangarei's Town Basin. World-renowned, the bustling harbourside space has excellent cafes, shops and the iconic Hundertwasser Art Museum.
Whilst dining at the Museum's café, Aqua, Christine discovered the Shadowspec Unity™ outdoor umbrellas that were providing shade and protection. This was the catalyst to embarking on their shade journey.
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"Well, we were sitting at the Hundertwasser Cafe in Whangarei at Aqua, and we were outside and it was raining and I suddenly said, gosh, these umbrellas are not dripping.
And when we looked more closely, we realised we'd seen the style of the outdoor umbrella before with a friend and thought, Well, we'll go in and see where they come from. And surprise, surprise, they were from Whangarei."
After uncovering the Shadowspec Unity at the Hundertwasser, and her neighbour's installation of a Shadowspec Serenity™ Christine explored the Shadowspec showroom in Whangarei and purchased the Shadowspec Unity Duo configuration.
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Modular Outdoor Umbrellas
Once installed, the space transformed into a usable and dynamic patio to accommodate large gatherings of friends and family in the heat of the day. Christine was delighted with the style of the sun umbrella, blending into their ideal design aesthetic.
"Well, first, I suppose it's the style on the umbrella to make sure it fits in with the area that we're using. And then we also look for intelligent design, ease of use and ease of installation."
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Beginning with the Duo configuration, Christine expected to rotate the umbrella throughout the day to follow the sun but soon discovered that adding a canopy to the umbrella would be the ideal solution. The inherent modularity of the Shadowspec Unity design enabled a quick upgrade to the outdoor umbrella.
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"We thought the Duo would just be perfect to start with and we could just rotate the pole to give us any movement to follow the sun. Then when we got it up and we realised, well, the third one would be pretty good and we had the space, why not?"
Make the Most Out of Your Outdoor Space
The space is a delightful case study to explore due to the value of having a Trio option. In Christine's example, a Quatto configuration would not be suitable as the fourth canopy would open over the stairs that lead onto the lower deck, meaning, guests would not be able to use the stairs and the additional coverage would not improve the use of the space. ![]()
Apart from the shade coverage and design of the sun umbrella , the Shadowspec Unity is also easy to use. Quick to deploy, we engineered the Unity to make it easy for anyone to use.
We are buoyed when we witness the design and engineering that has gone into our product, put into practice in the real world.
"Look, we're pleased that it's so easy to use, even my height, and I can easily manipulate it and push it up and bring it down. If you do need to rotate it, it's easy. And it's just been a breeze to use"
Optional Shade Ideas
Christine's favourite feature is our optional accessory, the Rain Gutter. This zip-on accessory joins the canopies together to create a waterproof covering, expanding the use of the outdoor umbrella into winter to enable all-year shade and comfort.
"Well, my favourite feature would have to be The Rain Gutter, because it turns it from an area that can be used in the sudden heat of the day, to in the rain. And we have used it in the rain at nighttime and it's worked perfectly well."
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We are proud to be local and Christine's installation of our flagship Shadowspec Unity is a testament to the three design principles we believe in at Shadowspec. Easy-to-use, Elegant and refined, and Spacious Shade. We are beyond proud of this project and happy to be part of another local shade story.
If you would like to start the journey of your shade story, local or not, get in touch with our specialists today.
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