Haven with urban buzz
A downsizing exercise resulted in a large home but with an apartment vibe. Q&A with Hadley Fierlinger
It was 2001 when American couple Hadley and Philip Fierlinger moved from San Francisco to New Zealand to escape the George W Bush regime.
Their oldest son was 2, and the Columbine High School shooting had not long happened.
‘‘As soon as we had our son, we realised California was not great to have a family,’’ says Philip, who was working in technology as a designer.
Their neighbours had recently returned from a trip to New Zealand and suggested they emigrate here.
‘‘They made all these comparisons between California and New Zealand, and it sounded too good to be true.’’
About five years ago – after living in Khandallah in Wellington for 10 years – the time came for the couple to downsize. Their sons – Emory, now 20, and Jasper, 17 – were growing up so they sought a new house for their next chapter.
They struggled to find anything suitable until they lifted their budget and aspirations and came across a house in central Kelburn designed by early 20th century architect William Gray Young.
Hadley, a mind-body life coach, instantly fell in love with the flat section with an overgrown garden, imagining she could turn it into the organic vegetable garden she had always hoped for.
Located in a busy road, the neo-Georgian house reminded them of a New York apartment in a buzzing, urban environment, with the added bonus that it had Wellington’s Botanic Gardens on its doorstep.
The 1915 house was divided into flats before the previous owner returned it to its original form.
‘‘The house was a little too big for us to be honest,’’ says Hadley.
‘‘We were like: there are three lounges and we have two kids. But then we overlooked that and realised it was perfect.’’
Originally from Philadelphia, Hadley has always been drawn to green spaces and describes the garden here, reworked by landscape designer Rachael Matthews, as her happy place.
Kale and spinach fill planter boxes and when she is not in the garden Hadley is often cooking meals and developing recipes in the kitchen.
They completely refurnished the home, aided by interior designer Kerryn Dunshea.
Hadley describes her own style as clean lines and a little bit of craziness. ‘‘I wanted this look that is modern organic. Showing wood that is in its natural state, that kind of thing.’’
The house is filled with treasures Hadley and Philip have collected over the years as well as pieces handed down from relatives: ceramic teacups Philip found during a trip to Sydney sit by Hadley’s cookbook collection.
She says: ‘‘When I travel, I usually bring back something. If I buy a kitchen spoon, every time I use it I remember the trip.’’
The coffee table they designed is made of an slab of to¯ tara unearthed at Haast, and every item on it has a story: when Hadley was 5, a taxi driver gave her a gem that she has carried everywhere since; a piece of jasper is so special to the couple that they named their second son after it; an ancient axe from South America was handed down from Hadley’s father, who grew up there.
Hadley is a second-generation only child so she has acquired photographs, paintings and treasures from her family.
Her maternal greatgrandmother was a house servant for a couple who left
Best money we spent:
‘‘We redesigned the garden as it was overgrown and not familyfriendly.’’
Renovation low point:
‘‘Moving into this house and discovering that the entire heating system and drainage system needed remediation.’’
Favourite kitchen appliance:
‘‘My Thermomix. I am a reluctant convert and now travel with it.’’
We love this part of New Zealand:
‘‘It is the best Wellington has to offer. Views, the botanic garden, walk to city, the cable car, shops and Victoria University.’’
Favourite local restaurant:
‘‘Yellow Chilli Indian in Upland Rd in Kelburn.’’
Favourite local store:
‘‘The Four Square. It is the best in New Zealand.’’
everything to her when they went into care, including one of Hadley’s favourites – an oil painting by American impressionist John Joseph Enneking. Pictures of botanical plates came from Philip’s greataunt who acquired them from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Hadley fell in love with handpainted walls in a Santa Monica hotel they once stayed in, and decided to replicate them in this home’s grand stairwell and entrance. Once they pinned
down the exact shade of
blue, a painter applied three different colours on the walls with a broom. ‘‘It was the most stressful thing I have ever seen. He had to do it so quickly,’’ says Hadley with a laugh.
Both working from home, Hadley and Philip often spend their days on video calls with clients. And when the work day is over, they retreat to their favourite room – the living-room – enjoying the familyfriendly home that ticks all the boxes they came so far to find.