Grey Warbler Studio is located at Shop 8, 11 Marina Road, Tutukaka 0173.

We are based within the Oceans Tutukaka building — the large marina-front complex with the row of shops underneath. You’ll find us next door to the Core Fitness gym.

There is plenty of free parking available throughout the marina area and directly outside the building, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a park before your appointment.

Please check out our “Artist Portfolios” page for any updates on when our artists’ bookings are opening.

Email the following information on or after the bookings open date:

1. Your full name and phone number.
2. A basic description of the subject matter you would like included in your tattoo design.
3. A general idea of the size and placement you imagine your tattoo to be.
4. Any reference photos you think may help communicate your ideas. Please feel free to label the images and include a small description explaining what you like about them.
   For example:

• “In photo 1 I like the placement and size.”
• “In photo 2 I like the shape of this bumblebee.”

You must be 18 years or older to receive a tattoo, and valid ID will be required on the day of your appointment.

Katy charges $290 per hour. She also offers a day rate of $1500, which generally consists of tattooing from approximately 10:30am to 5:30pm (ish!).

If your tattoo takes less time than a full day session, you will instead be charged at her hourly rate.

A $290 deposit is required to secure your booking, which comes off the final price of your tattoo on the day.

Unfortunately, we have found numbing creams to be very unpredictable to work with and would appreciate them not being used prior to your appointment.

We are happy for clients to take Panadol or other pain medication as prescribed. We also highly recommend bringing “in ear” distractions to help take your mind off the discomfort.

Absolutely!! :)

You will not see your tattoo design until the day of your appointment. When you arrive at the studio, Katy will present the design to you and discuss any changes, adjustments to size, or placement tweaks before the tattoo begins. There is absolutely no pressure or rushing during this process.

We are a private, appointment-only studio. The front door will remain locked whilst we are working to ensure a calm and uninterrupted environment for both the artist and client.

Absolutely — however, we ask that the scar tissue has been fully healed for well over a year. We may request photos beforehand to gain a better understanding of the level of scarring we would be working with.

Yes, absolutely — as long as they are respectful of the studio environment and of our artists while they are working.

We aim to keep the studio feeling calm and relaxing for everyone, so please be mindful of noise and distractions. If you are considering bringing a child with you, we encourage you to think about whether they will be comfortable entertaining themselves quietly for an extended period of time.

We recommend bringing:

• Water and snacks
• Comfortable clothing that allows access to the tattoo area
• Headphones / “in ear” distractions such as podcasts, audiobooks, movies or TV series
• Any medications you normally take as prescribed

We also suggest arriving well rested and having a good meal beforehand.

Katy will not knowingly tattoo a pregnant person out of an abundance of caution. Pregnancy places immense stress and change on the body already, and we do not believe there is any need to add additional stress during this time.

We also recommend waiting until your baby is approximately 9–12 months old and no longer wholly dependent on breast milk before getting a new tattoo.

Because Katy’s tattoo style is very fine line and delicate, cover-ups can sometimes be more challenging without first undergoing some laser removal treatments.

You are welcome to send through a booking enquiry along with clear photos of the existing tattoo you would like covered. However, please understand that Katy may recommend laser removal beforehand, or alternatively suggest another artist whose style is better suited to bold cover-up work.

Katy has discontinued using colour in her tattoo work, however she is still happy to add white highlights where suitable.

We use Dynamic Black, Intenze, and Eternal Ink products. These brands are highly reputable within the tattoo industry worldwide and are also vegan friendly.

We take hygiene and sterilisation extremely seriously. All disposable items used during the tattoo process are single-use only, and our reusable tattoo grips are sterilised using a yearly serviced Statim 2000 autoclave to ensure the highest standard of cleanliness and safety.

We do not offer gift vouchers, as this would allow people to bypass our standard booking enquiry process.

With a few weeks’ notice, we are more than happy to reschedule your tattoo appointment. Your tattoo deposit will be held for up to 18 months from your original booking date.

We completely understand that life can be unpredictable at times, and we really appreciate as much notice as possible so we can offer the appointment space to somebody else waiting for a booking.