Wender·Vista
Wahiawa Botanical Oahu Ceramic Art Tile
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileHawaii · United States
on the high plateau of central O'ahu, between the Wai'anae and Ko'olau ranges

Wahiawa Botanical Oahu Ceramic Art Tile

a green the island keeps in one ravine.

Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
Above the bench, in a warm oak surround.
Above the bench, in a warm oak surround.
Beside the kettle, propped on the counter.
Beside the kettle, propped on the counter.
Above the linens, in a slim black surround.
Above the linens, in a slim black surround.
On the nightstand, on a light oak stand.
On the nightstand, on a light oak stand.
On a picture ledge, where the light comes in.
On a picture ledge, where the light comes in.
a note from the studio

A twenty-seven-acre ravine on the central plateau of O'ahu, where the air sits cooler and wetter than the rest of the island. Tree ferns the height of a second story. Blue ginger underfoot, koa and rainbow eucalyptus overhead. The Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association planted the first trees here in the 1920s as an experiment; most of the canopy is theirs. Locals call it the tropical jewel. On a still afternoon the only sound is water moving through the gulch.

from the studio
shown in a slim black floating frame · 6 × 6 in
shown in a slim black floating frame · 6 × 6 in
— bring it home

Wahiawa Botanical Oahu Ceramic Art Tile, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

comes gift-ready
comes gift-ready

Each tile ships in a kraft box, tied with cream ribbon, with a handwritten note from the studio if you'd like to add one.

or build a grouping
or build a grouping

Three or five different vistas, hung together — a chapter of places you've been, or want to go.

about Wahiawa Botanical Oahu Ceramic Art Tile

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
the place

Wahiawā Botanical Garden sits on a 27-acre ravine in central O'ahu, between the Wai'anae and Ko'olau mountain ranges, at an elevation between 875 and 1,000 feet. The land was leased by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association in the 1920s for experimental tree planting, transferred to the City and County of Honolulu in 1950, and opened as a public garden in 1957. It is one of five gardens in the Honolulu Botanical Gardens system. The collection emphasizes tropical species that prefer a cooler, wetter setting: tree ferns, ginger, native Hawaiian plants including koa, alongside rainbow eucalyptus and the candle tree.

the air

The garden's microclimate is the reason it exists. At roughly 1,000 feet on the central plateau, the site catches about 65 inches of rain a year, far more than what falls on the leeward side near Honolulu. The air sits noticeably cooler. Cloud cover lingers along the gulch. The result is a humid, shaded environment where plants from the wet tropics of Southeast Asia, South America, and the upland Pacific grow without a greenhouse. Tree ferns reach two stories. The collection includes blue ginger, native koa, rainbow eucalyptus, elephant apple, and the shaving brush tree. Even the soundscape changes: the rest of O'ahu is wind, and here it is water.

— informed by Wikipedia
the visit

The garden is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. The entrance is at 1396 California Avenue in the town of Wahiawā, about 25 miles north of Honolulu by way of the H-2 highway. The land was first cleared and planted by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association in the 1920s, and most of the largest trees in the garden date from that era. A short loop trail descends through the lower canopy and climbs back to the native plant collection near the entrance. The City and County of Honolulu manages the site under its Parks and Recreation Department. Wear shoes with grip; the path stays damp most of the year, especially in winter.

where
United States · Wahiawā, Oahu, Hawaii
within
Wahiawā Botanical Garden
elevation
305 m · 1,000 ft
position
21.5033° N · 158.0233° W
the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
2 km N
Lake Wilson
reservoir
3 km NW
Kūkaniloko Birthstones
Hawaiian royal site
4 km N
Dole Plantation
agricultural site
15 km W
Mount Ka'ala
peak
15 km N
Hale'iwa
North Shore town
N
Wahiawa Botanical Oahu Ceramic Art Tile
Lake Wilson
Kūkaniloko Birthstones
Dole Plantation
Mount Ka'ala
Hale'iwa
common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Wahiawa Botanical Oahu Ceramic Art Tile — and about bringing the piece home.
about the place

The garden is on the central plateau of O'ahu, at 1396 California Avenue in the town of Wahiawā, between the Wai'anae and Ko'olau mountain ranges. It sits about 25 miles north of Honolulu and roughly 10 miles south of the North Shore at Hale'iwa.

The garden covers 27 acres on a forested ravine. It is one of five gardens in the Honolulu Botanical Gardens system. The collection focuses on tropical species that prefer a cooler, wetter setting than most of O'ahu offers.

The site began in the 1920s when the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association leased the land for experimental tree planting. The property was transferred to the City and County of Honolulu in 1950 and opened to the public as a botanical garden in 1957.

The garden sits at about 1,000 feet of elevation on a high plateau, in a ravine that catches roughly 65 inches of rain a year. The combination of altitude, shade, and moisture keeps temperatures several degrees lower than Honolulu's coast.

The collection emphasizes native Hawaiian plants including koa, alongside tropical species that need a cool, humid setting: tree ferns, blue ginger, rainbow eucalyptus, elephant apple, shaving brush tree, and the candle tree. Many of the largest trees date from the 1920s plantings.

No. Admission is free. The garden is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is managed by the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation.

From downtown Honolulu, take the H-1 west to the H-2 north, then exit at Wahiawā. The drive is about 25 miles and takes 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. The entrance is at 1396 California Avenue.

about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers with ties to the island. Wahiawā is a small upcountry town away from the resorts, where many local families grew up. A Coaster or Small with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The Voynich treatment runs to deep saturated greens and stained-glass jewel tones. It sits comfortably with Tropical Maximalist, Biophilic, and Modern Botanical rooms. The Large above a console or sideboard is the most common pairing.

Biophilic design centers on bringing the outside in through real plants and nature imagery. A 27-acre rainforest gulch rendered in the studio's stained-glass treatment fits the brief directly. A 4-tile Mural or 9-tile Mural carries the strongest read.

Above a sofa, the Large is the smallest size that holds the wall; a 4-tile Mural is a strong default, and a 9-tile Mural is the show piece. Above a narrower console, the Large alone, or a Triptych, works.

Yes. For wet installs like bathrooms, kitchens above the range, and showers, order the Dura Satin finish or the Matte. Both are scratch-resistant and stand up to heat and moisture. The Glossy finish is for dry walls and framed display.

A soft microfibre cloth and plain water. No solvents, no abrasives. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so it lives below a thin glossy finish and does not lift with cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license imagery from third parties. Reid Wender is the curator and chose Wahiawā Botanical for the atlas of places.

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