Lisa Sinke has always loved design and experimenting with her interiors. As a teenager, she was fortunate to have two bedrooms, one she used for sleeping, and one used for sewing and making creative projects. Sinke took great pleasure in decorating both bedrooms, frequently tweaking the rooms’ design and spatial arrangements.
Although Sinke’s interest in interior design began at a young age, she started her career working in investment banking and midwifery. While she felt that both roles were great, Sinke knew that they did not suit her for various reasons.
It was only until her daughter was older that Sinke was able to find the time and space to get back into interior design. During this time, earthquakes struck Christchurch, prompting Sinke and her husband to set up several new hospitality ventures to replace the one they lost in the natural disaster.
From there, Sink was able to complete her formal training in interior design. However, after working as a designer for a few years, Sinke felt that she needed a new challenge. Noticing a gap in the New Zealand market for good quality, design-led bedheads, she seized the opportunity to create her own business, Wink Design. Blending together her passion for interior design, travel and interest in sustainability, Wink Design provides custom-made and locally-made bedheads and accessories using predominantly sustainable materials.
Sinke is motivated by her mission to substitute unsustainable and harmful materials in bedheads, like foam and polyester, for alternatives such as New Zealand wool or unbleached, organic calico.
In terms of design, she finds inspiration for Wink’s bedheads from her international travels and other designers, particularly Kit Kemp from Firmdale Hotels.
“Her use of pattern, texture and colour in bedrooms is wonderful.”
Arent & Pyke, Tamsin Johnson, Studio Ashby, Buchanan Studio, and Ben Pentreath are some other designers that Sinke admires.
She also is a big fan of other business owners with a sustainable focus, including Brianne West and Kate Hall, as well as sustainability focussed organisations like Campaign for Wool.
If she could go back in time, she wishes that her younger self identified her interests and had the faith to make her passions a reality.
“I’ve always been interested in design and business but was waylaid by various other careers. As I came into the design industry quite late, I feel like I missed so many other wonderful opportunities and roles.”
