Home Tours

This former bach is now a colourful, coastal home

Article by Your Home and Garden

After living life in fast forward, a young family has created a holiday-at-home haven where they can stop and exhale

Meet & Greet

Pearl Delaney-Girdlestone (One & Only and Hendrix creative director) and Cruze McFarlane (One & Only and Hendrix business director), Atlas (19 months), and Rocket the Boston terrier.

The Property

Renovated four-bedroom, two bathroom former bach, Waikanae Beach.

The way people move through the stages of life is never even – usually more of an amble, interspersed with sprints – but Pearl Delaney- Girdlestone and Cruze McFarlane have had a busy two years by any standard. Since returning home to New Zealand from Australia in 2020, the couple have launched not one but two businesses, started a family with the arrival of baby Atlas and settled into their first house, a former bach on the Kāpiti Coast.

Having embarked on the career-developing migration abroad, Pearl and Cruze’s journey from Bondi-based expat life to their own slice of heaven was defined by deadlines. Their plans fast-tracked by Covid-19, they just squeaked into the country minutes before the borders shut, then launched into a house hunt, driven by the impending arrival of their baby. “We found this place, saw it on the Sunday and it was ours by 11 o’clock at night on the Monday. It was crazy,” says Pearl.

Permanent holiday

The suburb of Waikanae Beach, where the couple washed up, is pin-drop quiet. The warbling of tūī and the gentle shush of waves audible on a typical weekday. Sweet little weatherboard baches peep out between the pōhutukawa, yawning out of hibernation on weekends and summer holidays, as their owners come roaring up from Wellington, looking to decompress.

The home was an unassuming bach, but therein lay its charm. Though the garden was undeveloped and the flat-pack kitchen is high on the to-reno list (especially for Cruze, a former chef), everything else was exactly what this young family needed – light, fresh and virtually bulletproof, so they can thoroughly enjoy the nearby beach without worrying about sand marring precious surfaces. “Every day, we walk to the beach, no matter the weather. The dog runs and we get dirty and sandy – and bring it all inside,” says Pearl.

The elevated site welcomes in sun from all directions, and glows with warmth and light. It’s a lovely, welcoming space to be in – which was particularly important for Pearl and Cruze, who lived and worked in it 24/7 until very recently, operating their branding business from home, setting up their staff and their own desks in the back rooms, and meeting with clients at the dining table.

Another idea is born

Moving from a 45sqm Bondi apartment to a generous family home was a transition, says Pearl. “The first week, we went between the kitchen and the bedroom, and then we were like, ‘Oh yeah, we’ve got all this space. What do we do with it?’” The empty rooms offered endless potential, but finding pieces they liked proved the most difficult part. “That’s where the idea for home and lifestyle store Hendrix started. We’d had the luxury of seeing all the options in Australia and elsewhere overseas, and when we moved back, we thought, ‘Where’s the cool stuff?’” Beyond the high-street stores, Pearl felt as though the lion’s share of unique and beautiful homewares and furnishings were in Auckland, with the lower North Island sadly underserviced.

The couple’s house became the testing ground for the store, which opened in June this year. Some of Pearl and Cruze’s favourite Australian brands have been brought to New Zealand, plus selected pieces from further afield, as well as some up-and-coming brands from closer to home. Everything in the store fits in their home, inspired by the relaxed contemporary coastal aesthetic they’ve grown to love. “We went with what we liked, thinking, if we like it, other people will too.”

Beach babes

Both Pearl and Cruze grew up on the Kāpiti Coast, but more than anywhere they’ve lived before, their new home captures the essence of a beach lifestyle. Holiday baches are giving way to family homes as the demographics of the area change, but that sense of escape is a feeling the pair have endeavoured to retain in their own home. “Coming home should feel like a holiday,” says Pearl. “We wanted everything to be easy – for example, all the covers come off the couches and we can wash everything.” The laminate floors can withstand sandy feet and dog claws alike, and despite the wealth of white, everything is toddler-proof.

Practical though it might be, Pearl and Cruze’s interpretation of coastal style has plenty of room for glamour. Pearl loves the Euro high society photography of Slim Aarons, whose prints hang throughout the home, and looks to these for inspiration. Coastal style, for her is far from Hamptons-style interiors and more about elegant curves and sandy tones – it’s suggestive of the coast, but without a piece of coral to be seen.

Now and forever

Though the home has a definite look, Pearl anticipates it will change. “Our style is still evolving – this is just what it is right now.” Though any home is an evolving beast, Pearl and Cruze have a personal philosophy that embraces longevity and eschews fast-fashion furnishings. Heritage plays a big role in the pieces they choose, whether it’s hand-me-downs from family members – including borrowed decor from the prop cupboard of Pearl’s mum, who works in film – or new pieces that Pearl selected for their longevity and hopes will become future treasures. “It’s a big thing for us at Hendrix too, about stocking quality products, with sustainability in mind. So if someone buys something, when they’re done with it, they can hand it down or repurpose it because it’s such good quality,” says Pearl.

Not just the decor, but the home itself, is destined for change, with renovations planned for the coming years, to take in the potential views to Kāpiti Island and carve out more space. “This location is so perfect for us right now, which is why we’ve renovated to live in it and enjoy it, not to sell. We have such a busy lifestyle, and as our family grows, I’d love this to be somewhere everyone can come hang out and go to the beach,” says Pearl.

Describing how they’re slowly turning their house into the home they want, Pearl says, “We’re just adding and piecing together our story as we go.” Sounds like a good lesson for life.