A sea view as far as you can see the view

WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

Fabric Architecture of Toowoon Bay was faced with the task of turning a pole home with a stunning view, steep driveway, and a jigsaw of rooms and decks into a house that cunningly shortened the driveway, and unified the house into very liveable spaces. In so doing, they also managed to make the expansive view of the Pacific Ocean and across the lush bushland of Bouddi National Park even more ‘viewable’.

When owners, Simon and Christian bought the house as their home away from home holiday house, they fell in love with the view and the house’s potential.

‘But the most arresting thing about the house was that it came in two shades of bright purple,’ says Simon. ‘It came in purple, mauve and touches of orange!’

Other than dramatically changing the colour scheme, Fabric Architecture’s Brent Fitzpatrick and Damien Furey’s first task was to extend the house forward to accommodate a new garage, thereby cutting the length of the long steep driveway by half, and leaving the remaining slope a much easier incline. »

‘The beauty of using local tradespeople is they have such a “can-do” attitude,’ says Simon. ‘And that extends to our builder and architect. They were very patient with us. Christian and I have lived all over the world and these are by far the best we’ve worked with.’

The area above the new garage became a garden with a lawn and bricked patio. It also meant that what was previously the carport under the house could be used as an additional guest bedroom opening onto the garden (and view), as well as a bathroom and laundry. Upstairs, the character of the ceiling trusses was retained but strengthened with European oak that sandwiches the existing trusses. This effectively meant some of the vertical support beams could be eliminated and the whole look simplified.

The house now welcomes visitors through a sandstone entrance and bespoke front door in oak. The foyer warmly invites you up the handcrafted stairs in matching American oak, created by Frank Jarrett at Tusk Joinery in Erina Heights.

Upstairs, the open-living space boasts a double-sided wood fireplace, comfortable seating area, kitchen, and study bench. The kitchen benchtop and cupboards are in Fenix, a very stylish, high-tech acrylic resin in a soft touch, fingerprint-free, matt finish.

There are two dining areas: one with a square, eight-seater timber dining table towards the rear of the house, and the other undercover on the front deck (with view). »

TOP The open plan living area flows to outside spaces as well as the kitchen and dining areas. MIDDLE The Fenix benchtop and cupboard finishes provide a sophisticated look as well as a soft hand-feel to the open plan kitchen. LEFT The sweeping lines of the oak stairway lend a sculptural effect to the interior.

ABOVE Bespoke inset cupboard door handles echo the benchtop finishes. ABOVE RIGHT A new sandstone wall and bespoke oak front door provide a sheltered entrance way. RIGHT The double-sided wood-burning fireplace services the master bedroom and the open plan living area.

The master bedroom shares the loungeroom’s double-sided wood fireplace and has had a Juliet balcony added so that the large, sliding glass doors can be open to the sea breezes (and view).

A pavilion in the back garden invitingly houses a workshop and a studio that also doubles as a spill-over bedroom.

‘The sliding glass doors in the pavilion have been placed so you can still look through the main house to the ocean while you sit and peacefully read a book there,’ says Simon.

Simon and Christian’s greatest regret is that the house, now an ideal holiday home, is 4,000 km away from Western Australia where Simon’s business is now located.

‘We still regard it as our home away from home,’ says Simon. ‘It has a wardrobe full of our clothes, and some of our favourite paintings – a John Olsen print, and a Soe Moft painting that Christian bought in Hong Kong when we lived there. And there’s a beautiful little cabinet in the entry foyer that we use for books and games that served exactly the same purpose in our house in France.

‘We’re fortunate in that my business allows us to have time away from the office each month when we can come back to Killcare, Covid permitting. We love house parties and we’ve had five guests fly over from Perth for an extended weekend just to see this beautiful Killcare–Hardys Bay area we keep telling them about.’

The upside of Simon and Christian’s relocation to Perth is they have made their holiday home available to rent for those of us who dream of living the dream – and the sea view.

Architects Fabric Architecture

Bathroom cabinets

Builder Loughlin Furniture

BBM Construction

Floors

Joiners Hardwood flooring (BBM) European oak

Del Kitchens and Tusk Joinery

Kitchen benchtops and cupboards Del Kitchens in Fenix

Stairs and balustrades Tusk