Country score

Adult and children pods separated by a large living space has resulted in perfect family harmony

- Sharon Stephenson

Deciding to downshift from the suburbs to a lifestyle block can sometimes be a bumpy ride. Especially when one of you is a little bit country, and the other is a little bit rock ’n’ roll.

To be fair, both Lucy Wildman and her husband Fran Frost have a cool vibe about them. They met while snowboarding in the US, where Fran is from, before opening a snowboarding shop in Vermont. After returning to Auckland in 2008, the couple launched a children’s clothing company, Little Flock of Horrors.

But when it came to putting down roots, Fran was a strong advocate for the rural life. “Fran always wanted the same rural lifestyle for our kids that he had in Vermont,” says Lucy who grew up on a farm near Palmerston North but much preferred city living.

The couple launched their merino wool business in 2014, in response to their son Iggy’s medical issues. “Merino wool clothing can help to regulate temperature so it’s much better against children’s skin than polyester. It really worked for Iggy so that was the starting point for our business,” says Lucy, who now designs the clothing while Fran looks after sales.

Moving to the country

The couple started their Kiwi journey in a three-bedroom house near their shop in Papakura, Auckland before moving to a bigger house nearby after having children. But a desire for more room and the peaceful country life prompted them to house hunt in Ramamara, south of Auckland.