INKED IN TIME
A lifelong artist, Mahurangi West’s newest creative resident, Hayley Sorensen, brings a unique and deeply personal offering through Drawn Home.
With global roots – British-born, New Zealand-raised, and of German heritage – Hayley has been immersed in illustration from her earliest years. She began by writing and drawing handmade books as a child, pursued every art subject available through school, and later completed a Bachelor of Design as an adult.
After time spent living in Germany, where she embraced her heritage and honed her artistic sensibilities, the call of Aotearoa eventually drew her home. Now settled in the coastal beauty of Mahurangi West with her partner, baby, and two dogs, she balances life as a Creative Director/ Designer by day and home illustrator by night.
The idea for her bespoke home illustrations was sparked while working as a designer for a real estate company in Christchurch. What began as a creative outlet – offering real estate consultants a meaningful gift option for their vendors – quickly became a hit. Its success was thanks to the streamlined ordering process and the sentimental value it offers recipients.
Each illustration is a one-off, hand- drawn piece, crafted with care from photographs or even simple Google street view screenshots. While homes remain a popular subject, Hayley also captures wedding venues, workplaces, first meeting spots, and other meaningful locations – preserving special places in time. Affordable by design and rich in sentiment, each piece is available framed or unframed, in black ink or watercolour, and typically completed within three to six weeks.
Though no longer in the real estate industry, Hayley’s artwork continues to find its way into homes and hearts across the country. With an eye for detail and a deep love for storytelling through art, she captures not just buildings, but memories – turning everyday places into cherished heirlooms, one stroke at a time.
