Fairlie Stunning /

Step inside a beautiful labour of love in South Canterbury

In just three years, Fairlie couple Rebecca and Hayden Dwyer have transformed an

overgrown lifestyle block into a stunning property with striking park-like gardens, all

into Rebecca and Hayden Dwyer’s driveway in rural Fairlie, I start to laugh. A handful of impish Boer goats are playing havoc as Rebecca tries to round them up and send the escapees back into their paddock. Exasperated, but also laughing at their mischievous follies, Rebecca shuts the gate firmly on the would-be fugitives and order is restored.

Ironically, just three years ago, this is a scene I would have probably missed. In fact, Rebecca might not have even known her goats had escaped from the front paddock. When Rebecca and Hayden bought their 35-acre lifestyle block in 2017, the house and this area was a shambolic and overgrown jungle, hidden from sight amongst a proliferation of unkempt trees and dense shrubbery. However, with their passion for gardening and farming, Rebecca and Hayden could see beyond the dishevelled property and chose to view the potential, much to the horror of Rebecca’s dad and the disbelief of their friends! But as Rebecca laughs, their reactions ‘gave me the drive to prove everyone wrong’.

However, even Rebecca – vivacious, determined, energetic, funny and creative – wasn’t prepared to shift into the house without a few pre-moving day improvements and set about transforming the functional open-plan kitchen and living room into a space that reflects the Dwyer family’s personalities better. Over time and on a restricted budget, Rebecca and Hayden have overhauled the space themselves, using paint as their major weapon. Where others might shy

the while juggling family life, work, study and a jumble of farmyard animals.

away from bold colour, Rebecca has embraced the moody depths of Resene Tuna on the walls, a resolute grey with warm undertones that teams perfectly with her Scandinavian aesthetics. Original green benchtops have been painted out in a crisp white, while warmth and texture has been factored into the scheme with the addition of a stunning wooden benchtop that Hayden crafted. Great chunky slabs of recycled timber had been gifted to the Dwyers and Rebecca enthuses that the final touch of linseed oil lifted the benchtop to ‘wow’. Rebecca’s stunning family portrait photography, framed in light wooden frames, elevates the overall status of the room even further.

While black handles and tapware complete the kitchen, it is the tiled splashback that sums up this hardworking couple. The hexagon marble tiles are a striking addition but they didn’t come without their own set of challenges. This home was a true DIY renovation and Hayden set about tiling the kitchen on Christmas Eve. He finally finished at 1 am and then grouted on Christmas Day! Laughing uproariously, Rebecca spills the beans. ‘Grout was running and Hayden was swearing!’ Luckily this is a couple who can see beyond a challenge and know how to laugh at themselves, even when the going gets tough.

For Farmlands Technical Field rep Hayden and photographer Rebecca, the renovation process has been a team effort, one of trust and playing to each other’s strengths.