Jeff Fearon is no stranger to oject d’art, having spent more than two decades as one half of celebrated architecture firm Fearon Hay. As the brains behind some of New Zealand’s most notable buildings and developments, Fearon is a tastemaker with an impeccable understanding of materials, landscapes and heritage spaces. Here, he shares his most treasured personal pieces.
“From the bottom left, is a cuff from Rick Owens gifted to me on my 40th birthday by friends who know me too well. It doesn’t get worn as often as I would like anymore, but when it does it feels good.
Next to this on the floor is an SPQR plate, a discarded utilities cover that was retrieved from the footpaths of Rome when I was 21. I’d just been in Auckland for the first time after living and studying in Australia for some time, and had spent too much time at the restaurant of the same name on Ponsonby Road, so it seemed like a great souvenir.
Above this is a Comme des Garçons jacket. I don’t have a lot of luck with online shopping, but not only was this one on sale, it was the right size, and arrived in a couple of days, and remains a firm favourite in my wardrobe.
Standing with the jacket is my grandfather’s Selmer Paris MK6 Alto saxophone procured by him in 1950, the year of my mother’s birth. It’s still in its original case. Now both of my sons enjoy playing it as much as I enjoyed playing it with him all those years ago.
Continuing with the music theme are a few of my favourite vinyls, LCD Soundsystem and Chromatics’ Night Drive, in the front and Kruder & Dorfmeister’s G-Stoned at the back. This one in particular has a fabulous little lump in the vinyl, as a reminder to not leave your records in a hot car, but somehow the stylis still hangs on.
Next to this is Blondie’s Parallel Lines, which I have to hide from my sons as they love to play ‘Sunday Girl’ at 45 RPM.
The golden floor light is a favourite gift from my wife Sophie, the Stchu-Moon light, by Catellani & Smith. Funnily enough, the editor of this magazine introduced me to the brand when we visited the Milan Fair together back in 2010.
Perched above the records is one of my favourite knives by Pallares, it’s extremely sharp, beautiful and very useful. The artwork is a Sally Mintram drawing from 1995 gifted to me by my parents upon graduation of my architecture degree. It’s called The Red Chair, and is drawn in a style that is very familiar to me, and also just happens to be the name of the cafe above which I lived during my architectural studies in Melbourne.
The last thing is a photo of my wife Sophie, before I met her. She’s sitting on the floor of her flat in London, sewing and looking extremely happy. I insisted that I keep this photo for myself.”
