An Engineer and steel fabricator from Canterbury, Craig Baker took a job installing aluminium louvre systems and shade products in the Christchurch region. Two years later seeing the potential in the shade NZ shade industry he started his own company, contract installing and taking on new clients in the local area.
About Us
Meet Craig
The Kiwi Who Builds What He Can't Buy
Craig is your classic Kiwi tinkerer – part Number 8 wire problem-solver, part mad inventor and part “why buy it when you can build it better in the shed?”
Our mission
At NZ Custom Shade, our mission is to bring Kiwis shade that actually does the job, tough, good-looking, and built to last.
We only back products we’d happily put up in our own backyards, because if it can’t handle New Zealand’s sun, wind, and weather, it’s not worth your time.
Delivered direct and custom-made to your specs, our shade solutions are made for you. No fluff, no fuss, just solid gear that lasts.
2012
Where It All Began
2016
The Hot Tub Era
In 2016, fresh from his first home reno in Geraldine, Now with a young family, Craig figured the dream backyard wouldn’t be complete without a hot tub. Easy, right? Except every option on the market was either: Plastic and flimsy (destined for landfill by next summer), or Eye-wateringly expensive and shipped halfway across the world.
So, Craig did what Craig does best – rolled up his sleeves and built his own. Stainless steel, cedar cladding and built to outlast the house. It turned out so good that friends wanted one, then friends of friends… and before he knew it, Alpine Tubs was born – one of the first stainless steel hot tub businesses in New Zealand.
2019
Shade Seeker
Fast-forward a few years to 2019, Craig relocated to Lake Hawea – land of scorching Central Otago summers and winters that make your pipes weep. After building his new family home, Craig went shopping for shade. But once again, the choices were… well… rubbish. The kind of thing you buy, set up, and then watch disintegrate in the nor’wester.
Having worked for many year’s in the shade industry installing Louvre systems, He knew Quality Commercial-grade products existed, but were mostly used exclusively on big flash projects – not the everyday Kiwi backyard. Which got Craig thinking: why shouldn’t regular people get access to the same long-lasting shade solutions as a winery or resort?
So, Wanaka Shade was born – bringing the good stuff to his local community.
2025
Taking Shade Nationwide
Word spread. People loved the quality, the customisation, and the fact that Craig was installing shade that could handle Central Otago’s temper tantrums. With so much positive feedback, Craig decided it was time to go bigger.
Enter NZ Custom Shade – an online store supplying the best shade products in the country, fully customisable to suit every Kiwi home.
Because when Craig finds shade products worth buying, you can bet they’re the best of the best. He’s done the digging, comparing, and head-scratching so you don’t have to. The result is a handpicked range of products that are built to look sharp, last long, and never let you down.
Built to last. Made for you.