REGULARS
What We Like A showcase of the hottest products and places that are the talk of the town. English country house in NZ When Peter Allen and Paul Smith bought Hawthorne House in July 2019, they joke that the real estate agents described it as ‘shabby chic’, but they struggled to find the chic. It took them three months to restore the elegant period home in landscaped gardens near Havelock North and reopened Hawthorne House as boutique accommodation. They love the history of it. “The house was built in 1906 in Hastings for a doctor who imported all the stained glass from the UK in 1904,” says Allen. “It was moved to the current site in the mid1960s from Hastings on a Bedford truck, and was a private home for 30-odd years.” Set on around five hectares, the property is an oasis of calm in Hawke’s Bay wine country, and the ideal getaway for those seeking rest and relaxation. The pair have a backgrounds in fashion, food and education here and in the UK and they’d spent the previous 20 years in Auckland running their own businesses. They moved to Hawke’s Bay in 2019 to pursue their passions for hospitality, gardening, art, and heritage. “We’re avid collectors of art – paintings, photography, glass, sculpture and ceramics,” says Smith. “We love the opportunity to display our collection and we’re happy to talk with guests about the works, many by some of Aotearoa’s most highly regarded contemporary artists.” www.hawthorne.co.nz
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INFORMED INVESTOR |
SUMMER 2021
