Clare Chapman understands the ability of objects to spark joy – in fact, she’s made a career out of it. Hello Darling, her Millwater store in Auckland, is a shot of serotonin. The shelves of clothing and homewares are curated for quirkiness, charm and cheer. The secret to Clare’s retail success, she says, is simply stocking what she would buy for herself.
“I only buy what I love,” she says. “The store is kind of a curated version of me.”
A similar philosophy applies to her and husband Peter’s converted barn home. It has been designed less around a strict theme or interior style. Instead, it’s a large-scale embodiment of their dynamic personalities.
Home profile
Meet and greet: Clare (owner of Hello Darling store) and Peter Chapman (owner of Coyote Electrical) and their dog Coco.
The property: New York loft-inspired barn conversion, North Shore, Auckland.
Barn dance
The story of their one-of-a-kind home began in another property just up the road. They were living in a lovely home they’d built from scratch.
While they weren’t short on space, Peter had dreams of a more rural lifestyle. The farmer at the end of their road agreed to sell. Clare and Peter soon found themselves trading in their two-odd acres for a hundred and their snazzy new-build for a sprinkling of assorted rundown houses and outbuildings.
The only luxury was that of choice, with the couple able to hopscotch around the property over several years, starting at a house near the street, which they later sold, and ending up here, in a meticulously converted barn. Originally built for the wedding of one of their daughters, the barn inspired them to realise another domestic fantasy.
“We’d always wanted to live in a New York loft-style place, so we thought, let’s move in here and make it a home.” Metropolitan luxury and rural idyll delightfully collide here – soaring ceilings, wide-open spaces and vast steel-framed doors call to mind an urban warehouse conversion. Yet, one steps outside into acres of tree-punctuated lawn, fresh air and birdsong – the full Kiwi rural dream.
Taking it slow
Construction projects can be a dream or a nightmare, but Peter and Clare had some advantages – they had been through the building and renovation process before and had a wonderful builder in Matt Findlay of Findlay Residential. In addition, Peter is enormously handy himself.
“He can kind of read what’s in my head,” says Clare. “And he has barns on the property full of old things – he’s a bit of a hoarder – so if I ask him to make something, he’s often got what he needs to put it together.”
When he’s not reading minds, Peter is an electrician, so he was able to tackle all the electrics, including underfloor heating (which, with passive solar heating through the glass doors, is enough to keep the vast space toasty) and a solar system that powers the barn, plus water pumps and other dwellings on the farm. But skill and experience didn’t equate to a speedy build – although Clare says she prefers it that way.
Jack (and Jane) of all trades
“I’ve always maintained that it’s better to live in an unfinished dwelling – you do things differently, and of a better quality, if you wait and do them properly.”
With a background in interior design, Clare had no trouble coming up with a strong vision of what she wanted for the space – the lengthier process was coming up with the funds to achieve it, sourcing materials, and finding the skilled tradespeople to bring her vision to life.
Though the result was worth the wait, the downside was operating without a kitchen or an indoor bathroom for three years. Instead, the couple had an outdoor shower installed – a fixture that has remained after the barn’s completion and even been supplemented by an outdoor bath.
“You look back sometimes and think, ‘God, how did I do that?’ But showering outside wasn’t too hard. Being outside under the stars was a lovely wind-down,” Clare says.
Made to measure
Though opting for off-the-rack interiors might have seen the barn completed sooner, taking their time has achieved a uniquely beautiful result, with custom-made objects and finishes and a mix of old and new – every detail weighted with fascinating anecdotes.
New and bespoke finishes, like the pair of brass doors and the enormous steel-framed sliders, sit alongside reclaimed treasures, such as the French draper’s counter that serves as a kitchen island and the raw timbers (seen around the enormous doorways to the patio), which Peter salvaged from a falling-down barn in Whakatāne.
Finding specialist tradespeople who could share and realise their vision was a complicated process. It was worth it in the end. Finding a tiler who wasn’t phased by Clare’s request to write words in mosaic tiles, for example. Or the clever plasterer, who created a distressed effect on the walls to give the new-build a sense of history.
“I wanted it to look like the walls were kind of falling apart and old, and he just came in and did it,” says Clare.
Making memories
To match the singular materials and finishes, the barn is furnished with a mix of meaningful objects, all chosen for the feelings they inspire (for example, the bright textiles, quirky artworks and bold splashes of Clare’s favourite shade of pink), or for the memories they evoke, many of which were gathered on the couple’s travels.
“I always try to buy things in places I go to because that’s how the memories are attached. Everything in the home tells a story,” says Clare.
It’s a decorating philosophy that transcends trends and ensures longevity.
“There’s nothing here that I would discard or replace. I know where everything came from and what we were doing when we got it.”
Long-term thinking
Clare and Peter’s furnishings are also chosen for comfort and resilience – a must with the high traffic flowing through the barn.
“It’s a family home and I like people to feel welcome as soon as they walk in,” says Clare. “Normally we’ve got seven grandchildren running around and it’s absolute chaos.”
With two of their children, plus a couple of grandchildren, also residing on the farm, the barn is home for two but a regular gathering place for many. Though Clare and Peter intend to build another, cosier home on the property in the future, the intention is for the barn to retain this purpose, as a hangout space for the whole family.
“This will be the hub of the farm, like a communal building for everyone.”
Home truths
Any saves? Our steel doors were made by a local engineer.
Splurges? Our brass doors are pretty special. Always spend the most you can on your surfaces, as they are the things least likely to be changed.
Lessons learned? We have built and renovated lots and love the process. I would maybe say nothing is impossible – and if a contractor tells you it can’t be done, it’s because they don’t want to do it.
One thing you’d change if you could? Nothing. We love it. Although I would love some beautiful linen curtains and new couches.
Most memorable experience? There are a lot of memories here. All our children and grandchildren are here a lot, so I think it’s a happy place.
Clare’s four design tricks to steal
- Tell a tale – Fill your home with things that tell a story.
- Care less about making things “go” – Don’t try so hard to match things. If you love it, you will find a place for it.
- Make it your happy place – Your home should bring you joy every time you walk into it.
- Colour it in – Don’t be afraid to use colour, it adds warmth and light and sunshine
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