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“It’s very isolated,” says Nikki of the remote luxury getaway, “and that’s the beauty of it.” Wharekauhau is also a working sheep station so as well as activities such as biking, heli-fishing, swimming, croquet, tennis, archery and more, a tour of the farm is available. “It’s quite educational and quite fascinating.”
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
The evening room is upstairs. “We’ve sourced a number of items, and we’ve had pieces custom made. And even though it’s new furniture we chose to use classic styles that add to a layered feel in a way that you can’t pinpoint exactly what’s new and what’s old.”
The evening room can be reconfigured for many types of functions. A cocktail bar is hidden behind the grid of artworks.
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
The sofas in the main living room are by Profile Furniture. Fabrics were key to Kurio’s design and they were careful to use hardwearing fabrics such as velvet and wool on high-use items such as sofas while saving more delicate embroidered materials and trims for accessories and occasional furniture. The team went to fabric houses such as Seneca, Textilia, James Dunlop Textiles, Icon Radford and Atelier Textiles to source the perfect fabrics to build their palettes.
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
The breakfast room is part of the lodge’s working kitchen. “They grow a lot of their own produce and use it in the kitchen, which is really lovely. They have extensive gardens and utilise food from the natural surrounding landscape. Their staff have a deep passion and respect for the lodge and are extremely knowledgeable,” says Nikki.
Plenty of consideration was given to the mood of each room as you transition through the building. In the corridor, it’s open and airy. “When you make your way through this corridor, there are windows all down one side and it's lovely and bright.”
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Luxury lodge Wharekauhau in Wairarapa had an internal refresh of its guest spaces by Nikki Burnet and Katie Peck of interior design studio Kurio. Here in the lodge’s day room, the artworks were already owned by Wharekauhau. “We unearthed some of their existing decor pieces like these from storage, and curated them in a way that effortlessly complements the design of each room,” says Nikki.
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
The lodge was built much later than the main farmstead’s 1800s origins but retains the old-world charm. “We've created thoughtful vignettes using antique pieces, furniture and art to provide visual moments of pause throughout,” says Nikki.
The scullery adjacent to the breakfast room and kitchen. Wharekauhau produces and sells its own honey, marmalade, gin and more.
The library is decorated with warm colours to counteract the unusual light in the area thanks to the wide outlooks of sea and sky, says Nikki. “It's a nice little space with a fireplace where you can tuck yourself away.”
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
The Kurio team had access to Wharekauhau's large collection of memorabilia and artefacts from its long history as a working farm. “Our preference for design is to layer in vintage pieces, it's just the best way to get character and personality into a space or tell a story about the people who inhabit that interior, or have already been and gone. Particularly when that's a treasured location like Wharekauhau and you're trying to really emphasise and convey the beautiful history of the lodge surrounds and its people.”
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
A bedroom in Foley Villa. The bedside lamps are by Eunice Taylor.
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Foley Villa is a separate standalone accommodation on the property. It uses similar styling and colours to achieve a cohesive feeling with the lodge. There are also several other accommodation suites that Kurio worked on. “They are all individual cottages down little rambling paths, which is quite sweet,” says Nikki.
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Nikki says the trick was to balance modern-day conveniences with the feeling of old-world charm.
“Sometimes we work individually and sometimes, like on this project, it was very collaborative between Katie and me just because of the size and scope of the brief,” says Nikki. “Our portfolio is a real mix of residential and commercial work but we’re becoming known for our success in designing boutique lodge and larger accommodation spaces, which is a really exciting prospect for us.”
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa
Wharekauhau Lodge, Wairarapa

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