KERIKERIDOMINIQUEHEILESON
LeathersmithDominiqueHeilesonhasbreathed
newlifeintoa 19th-centuryblacksmith’sshedin
theFarNorth.LocatednexttotheKerikeriMission
Station– hometotwoofthecountry’soldest
buildings,theStoneStoreandKempHouse– the
shedhadfallenintodisrepairandsatforgotten.
AlongcameHeileson– knownas“Eekie”– with big
ideasfora leatherstudiosellingbespokewomen’s
handbags,men’ssatchels,wallets,journalcovers
andvalettrays.Now,oldsepiaphotographs,large
rusticsaws,fireplacebellows,deerantlersand
saddleshangfromtheceilingandadornthewalls.
TheKaeo-baseddesignerfellinlovewiththeshed
yearsagoandhadpicturedtransformingit into a
florist’sstudio,butaftersufferinga headinjury,
shewasforcedtorethinkhercareeroptions.No
longerabletodrive,Heilesonsoldhercar,bought
a sewingmachine,andsetaboutteachingherself
leathercraft.“Thatwasmyrehabilitation,”shesays.
“Ithelpedgetmybrainandbodygoingagain.”
Althoughthere’ssomedebateoveritsorigins,“The
Blacksmith’sShop”hasa longhistory,datingback to
atleastthe1860s.Sinceopeningherleatherstudio
lastNovember,withhelpfromanAMPNorthland
regionalscholarship,Heilesonhascollectedstories
aboutitscolourfulpast.She’smetthewoman
picturedwithanancientkauritreeinanoldfamily
photo(takeninPipiwai,intheTeHorovalley)
thatstillhangsonthewall,andchattedtotheman
wholaidtheshed’sconcretefloor,whichhasan
oldrifle,horseshoesandtoolsembeddedinit.
Overtheyears,theshedhashousedmissionaries
andanupcycledfurniturebusiness, andhosted
manydinnerandengagementparties.Thestudio
isnowinhibernationbutHeilesonplansto
reopenforsummer.“I’vetriedtogiveit a sense
ofpurposeanda newleaseoflife,”shesays.“It’s
gotsomuchcharacter.Thebonushasbeenpeople
cominginwhohavea connectionwiththeplace,
andpiecingtogetheritshistory.” JENNYLING
MY SPACE
JESS BURGES
Above: Some of the handcrafted leather
goods Dominique Heileson sells from
her “upcycled” Kerikeri studio.