In this four-level home on Sydney's Northern Beaches, a vast picture window frames the sweep of beach below and headland beyond. The dramatic scene is ever-shifting throughout the day with the tides and weather, the result a dynamic artwork where the brushstrokes never dry.
It's part of a gallery of ocean vignettes that runs through the house, where each window offers a different perspective on the spectacle, which, paradoxically perhaps, is both calming and energising at once. In this house of many moods, the back, by contrast, offers the serene, less mutable, aspect of bushland.
After buying the property in 2000, the owners used the mid-century weekender on the site as a welcome retreat for them and their four youngsters. But, as the children began families of their own, the couple wanted to make this their fulltime home.
For that, the site had to lift its game, so they hired Conrad Johnston of Studio Johnston to mastermind the build - and navigate a few challenges. They were clear about what they wanted. "Because they had been coming to the place for years, they were intimately familiar with the topography, climate and impact of the seasons," he says.
The spectacular location brought pluses and minuses. "The site is beautifully situated at the northern end of the beach, with a view of sand and surf. We wanted the house to connect with its natural setting, so that it was deeply embedded in the place," says Conrad.
But the southern aspect meant harnessing sunlight would be tricky. "The challenge was to create sunny outdoor areas protected from the climate where our clients could host up to 25 people and enjoy views of beach and bush." The house also had to accommodate their children and grandchildren for extended stays.
To master , Conrad burrowed into the hillside and connected its four levels internally with an elevator and externally by stairs. Entry is at the guest level above the garage where three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a play area bunker in towards the beach.
A cylindrical skylight bathes the stairwell in daylight. Above, the first floor is a vast platform, with living, dining (with that picture window) and kitchen extending to a 470 square metre sheltered, sun-drenched terrace, complete with barbecue, pool, spa and motorised sunshades. To achieve this, Conrad offset the top two levels and angled the spaces to maximise sunlight.
The guest level spans the site and forms a podium for the living areas and main bedroom levels immediately above, which taper in from the east and extend to the western edge, while also soaking up views of the beach. This deft sleight of hand brings northern light into the south-facing living areas while sheltering them from the wind.
The living areas and main bedroom connect visually to both bush and beach. "The tendency with sites like this is to focus only on the ocean view," says Conrad. "We found ways of balancing that big ocean view with a more restful connection back to the bush."
With few windows, the steel-clad western facade cocoons rooms on this side, while the southern and eastern sides are more "porous", with walls of glazing. The exterior features robust concrete, metal cladding and rosewood, which age and patina over time and require minimal maintenance, even in harsh environments.
The owners specified "timeless and elegant interiors, calming, low-maintenance spaces with splashes of colour and the occasional striking stone," says Studio Johnston director of interiors Stefania Reynolds.
Pale grey Moroccan limestone flooring extends through the living areas and to the terrace. "By having the one material throughout, the space feels seamless and larger, and it is also convenient for grandkids traipsing in sand," she says.
Bathrooms feature milky-white Dolomite marble, infused with wisps of grey - reprised in the kitchen - with soft pistachio green tiling and aged-brass tapware. A striking mint ice marble that adorns the powder room, forming a dramatic apron on the vanity, its black vein creating a sense of movement, is repeated in dining and bedside built-in joinery. With its warm American oak and brass edging, it contrasts with the cooler tiled floor and concrete, while aged-brass fittings complement brass shelves and translucent wall lights.
Watery, blue-green hues in their endless variety bring beach and bush into the home, reinforcing that indoor-outdoor connection. The stairwell is painted a soft mint hue, ensuring a cooling calm as you glide from one floor to the next. Its expansive main wall, painted kelp green and accented by a fine brass balustrade, anchors the building.
"Green is associated with a sense of calm, optimism, tranquility and nature," says Conrad. "Part of the brief was to create relaxing, calm spaces. This palette, paired with the view and the sound of the waves, makes being in the space all encompassing."
Meanwhile, pops of colour appear in artwork and furniture. "We chose quality furnishings that would be long lasting. The lines are blurred between aesthetics and function, furniture and sculpture," says Stefania.
A mustard chair on a blue-green carpet makes a bold statement against the coastal scene, while a triptych above the dining table mimics the movement of water in colours that complement the home. But the most striking artwork is that view, framed at every opportunity, with the ultimate moment being the picture window.
"No matter where you are in this house, you are reminded of its location," says Conrad.
studiojohnston.com.au