Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Newport Eyesore Sculpted Into Hillside Icon
A simple beach house is transformed into family-friendly designer home that makes the most of its stunning ocean views
Perched high on a hill with glorious, tranquil views over the ocean and Pittwater sits a modern design marvel, but in its former life as a simple beach house it failed to take advantage of this privileged position. Homeowners Gina and Jason hired Site Specific Designs to turn their dilapidated house into a sleek, modern family home filled with natural light and open to the 180-degree coastal views.
Residential designer Sheralee Hogan set about planning a generous living space in front of the existing home that would create a new glass-filled street facade to the north. The design provides two distinct living areas – downstairs for the children and upstairs at the back for the parents – with a common living zone at the front upstairs. “It has provided the family with individual areas to get away and large family zones to come together, which works perfectly for them,” Hogan says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here? Gina and Jason, and their two young sons
Location: Newport, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches
Size: 360 square metres
How much did it cost? $1 million
Residential designer Sheralee Hogan set about planning a generous living space in front of the existing home that would create a new glass-filled street facade to the north. The design provides two distinct living areas – downstairs for the children and upstairs at the back for the parents – with a common living zone at the front upstairs. “It has provided the family with individual areas to get away and large family zones to come together, which works perfectly for them,” Hogan says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here? Gina and Jason, and their two young sons
Location: Newport, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches
Size: 360 square metres
How much did it cost? $1 million
The existing house was quite disengaged, both within itself and from the site.
The kids now have a hidden games room at the back of the ground floor, which they can enjoy away from their parents, and the grown-ups have their own quiet sitting room at the back of the first floor – the large glass doors front the peaceful, shaded refuge.
The kids now have a hidden games room at the back of the ground floor, which they can enjoy away from their parents, and the grown-ups have their own quiet sitting room at the back of the first floor – the large glass doors front the peaceful, shaded refuge.
The new wing at the front of the house has been sculpted to create a dramatic form. It’s now an “object of desire” on an otherwise bland suburban hillside, Hogan says.
The 7-metre-long cantilevered deck off the first floor stretches over the existing pool, giving you the feeling that you’re stepping out into the view.
The 7-metre-long cantilevered deck off the first floor stretches over the existing pool, giving you the feeling that you’re stepping out into the view.
Because the new garage blocks off access to the front of the house, Hogan had to come up with a new entryway. The journey to the front door is now unforgettable – a dramatic bridge crosses the pool to the oversized front doors.
The large eaves and new deck create expansive horizontal elements that produce depth along the sun-soaked northern facade and introduce shadows that dance across the ground-floor surface of the pool.
The large eaves and new deck create expansive horizontal elements that produce depth along the sun-soaked northern facade and introduce shadows that dance across the ground-floor surface of the pool.
Solar passive design was also an integral underlying principle. Two internal courtyards and a large glass-filled stairwell floods the main circulation zone with sunlight. The expansive kitchen, dining and living room have an ocean-filled backdrop.
Gina and Jason’s two sons love having their own space and independence from their parents, but can still pop upstairs and spend time with them in the large family areas. The family dogs, two very old Staffies, have their own space out the back, but the low-maintenance, dog-friendly finishes mean they can join their fellow family members on the main floor.
The expansive glazing shields the interiors from the harsh summer sun, but doesn’t impact on the 180-degree views. “The light-flooded core creates another dimension to the design, as well as providing natural ventilation throughout the home,” Hogan says. “It’s proof that you can have a modern-looking home that’s environmentally efficient without compromising on the look or the finishes.”
With such a large floor plate, it was important to be conscious of their budget when selecting materials and finishes.
Everstone porcelain tiles were used throughout instead of natural stone or Travertine, and the clients designed the vanities and cabinetry themselves.
Hogan suggested using ‘blue board’ instead of Alucobond for the horizontal roof planes to reach budget targets.
The main challenge of the project was that it breached council setbacks and envelopes. Hogan liaised with neighbours and Council to come up with a solution: he used landscaping to soften the edges closest to the boundaries.
Custom-made glass doors: Central Coast Shopfronts
Everstone porcelain tiles were used throughout instead of natural stone or Travertine, and the clients designed the vanities and cabinetry themselves.
Hogan suggested using ‘blue board’ instead of Alucobond for the horizontal roof planes to reach budget targets.
The main challenge of the project was that it breached council setbacks and envelopes. Hogan liaised with neighbours and Council to come up with a solution: he used landscaping to soften the edges closest to the boundaries.
Custom-made glass doors: Central Coast Shopfronts
Hogan introduced a sense of journey to the entrance, breaking up the steep rise from the road to the front door with landscaping and distant views, and by creating a unique bridge over the pool.
Another design strategy was to introduce a raised first-floor level – the first floor now ‘floats’ above the ground level and sloping site. “The east and south interior spaces can now engage with the landscape directly, without being bunkered below it,” Hogan says.