Anchored in Legacy and Love of Hospitality
By Gretchen A. Peck
As 2024’s conclusion approaches, sights are set on the new year to come. A new year holds promise—an opportunity for renewal, reinvention, reinvigoration. In similar fashion, the story of Geoffrey Fairbairn’s and Martine Fairbairn’s investment in Mystic, Connecticut is one of transformation and the fulfillment of long-standing dreams.
Geoffrey Fairbairn is the co-owner of Fairbairn Brothers Builders; his brother, Ron Fairbairn, is also a partner. Before moving to southeast Connecticut 10 years ago, Fairbairn spent decades building and renovating homes in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut.
“I also built high-end spec houses there, known for attracting people from Hollywood and Manhattan,” he said. He proudly showed Welcome Home an example of a project from that era of his professional life—a luxury home formerly owned by actor Walter Matthau that he custom-renovated for actors Téa Leoni and Tim Daly.
A little more than 10 years ago, he met Martine Nolletti and a partnership—in life, love and home development—was born. With a background in interior design, Martine brought another level of expertise to the Fairbairn Brothers enterprise.
“Together, we have always loved creating welcoming spaces that are livable and cozy,” she said. “Our love of hospitality has always been at the center of our work.”
The couple relocated to southeast Connecticut, drawn by the coastal setting and maritime history. Geoffrey’s father and several other family members had made their livings working for the Cunard shipping fleet.
“I am of French descent and grew up on the Arcachon basin in France, where oysters and seafood are the main industry. My husband is of English descent, and his father was a marine engineer that grew up in Wallasey, England across the Mercey River from Liverpool. With this combination, it should come as no surprise that we fell in love with this area. It felt like home from day one, and we moved here 10 years ago,” Martine Fairbairn said.
When a house at 1 Noank Road, Mystic, attracted their attention, they leaped at the chance to acquire it and transform it into something fresh but fitting for the neighborhood. While there was certainly the opportunity to build a new home on the site and resell it, they chose a different path for this project.