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karamu high school

Project Profile | School holidays are the ideal time for upgrades with no disruption. At Karamu High School in Hastings, a quick staffroom refresh over the holidays created a more flexible, welcoming space that’s already making a difference.

The school holidays are more than just a break - they’re a golden opportunity to make meaningful upgrades without disrupting day-to-day learning. That’s exactly what Karamu High School did, using the September holidays to breathe new life into their staffroom.

Principal Dionne Thomas and the leadership team were keen to transform a tired, outdated space into something more versatile and inviting. 

“We wanted something relaxed and useful,” Dionne said. “A place where staff could eat, work, or just take a break.”

The bonus? Staff returned to a completely new space - no downtime, no disruption.

Gather High Table, Ascend Bar Stools, Venice Linea Chairs and Round Disc Base Table.

Smart Design for Flexible Use


The school’s vision focused on flexibility, with spaces that support collaboration, quiet work, and casual connection. A mix of high and low seating caters to different preferences, and mobile furniture makes it easy for staff to reconfigure the space.

“The versatility is our favourite part. Staff love the standing work options and how they can move things to suit what they need.”

Dionne Thomas, Principal, Karamu High School

Easy Process, Big Impact


Furnware Account Manager Marianne Elliott worked alongside the school, providing visual layouts that helped bring the design to life. With everything installed during the break, the new space was ready to go by Term 4.
“Doing it over the holidays was a great decision,” said Dionne. “It gave staff a real lift coming back to school.”

Furnware's Fold Chairs and Base Collection of couches provide flexible seating areas.

The Karamu High School team worked with their Furnware consultant choosing a range of flexible seating including couches from our base collection, fold chairs, venice linea chairs, and ascend bar stools. This seating partners well with the gather high table, round disc base table, and the base coffee table