featuredlaminatesurfacesandterracottatiles, was
firmlystuckina decorativetimewarp.
Insteadofstartingfromscratch,Jeremy’sbrief
wastoconnectthehousetoitssetting,whilemaking
theinternallayoutmoreinvitingforthefamilyand
theirfrequentweekendguests.Creatinga studywas
a priority,withtallerwindows,largerdoorsand
moreopen-planareasalsoonthewishlist.
Theconcreteshellwaspreservedbutinternalwalls
wereremovedandreplacedwithslidingglassdoors
tomakethemostoftheviews.Upstairs,thelayout
wasshuffledtoincludea corridorthatseparatestwo
roomsatthefrontfromtwoattheback,creatinga
separatewingforguests.A strikingnewstudywith
internalglazingoverlooksthestaircasevoid.
Thedecorationevolvedfrom‘a robustexchange
ofideas’betweenclientsandarchitect.‘I drewon
Europeaninfluences– I callit Frenchminimalist,’
saysJeremy.TheFrencharchitectJosephDirand
wasonesourceofideas,whileanotherwasthe
BelgiandesignerAxelVervoordt.Surfaceswere
chosenforlongevity.Inthekitchen,marble
contrastswithAmericanoakbeams.‘Wecouldn’t
raisetheceilingheight,soweaddedthedetailing,
which,paradoxically,makesthespacefeellarger,’
saysJeremy.Thefloorinthelivingareais
herringboneparquetandthereis panelling,butas
Jeremyputsit,‘itis nottoosmokingjacket’.The
windows,framedinblacksteel,looklikeCrittall
andmanyofthewallsarerenderedtoechothe
unevennessofthesandoutside.‘Theoveralllook
is bleachedandtactile,witha patinathatadds
warmthtotheneutraltones,’saysJeremy. ‘The
housenowfeelsboundbyitssetting.’
Andthesettingis keytotheItalianategazeboin
thegarden.Designedasanoutdoorroom,it’swhere
theownersspendmuchoftheirtime.‘Theycan
havesupperthere,watchthechildrenplayingon
thelawn,takeintheviews– inprivate.’AsJeremy
observes:‘Inthepast,accesstoresourceswasabout
consumption; now it buys you space and time.’ &KITCHEN
Thedesignofthenew
ceilinginAmericanoak
helpstocounteractthe
room’slackofheight.
Joinery,PittwaterJoinery.
Goosenecktap,The
English Tapware Company.L
uxuryis a subjectiveword.For
some,it’sthesheenofyachtsorthe
sparkleofdiamonds.ForJeremy
Bull,architectofthisAustralian
beachsideretreat,it is synonymouswiththe
freedomthatcomesfrombeingabletodisconnect
fromtheworkingworldandfindquietudeinnature.
‘Luxurythesedaysis allaboutchoiceandtime,’he
says.‘Timeis non-renewable,sojustbeingableto
switchofffromthenoiseofoureverydaylives has
becomesomethingofa luxuryinitself.’
Whenhisclients,a couplewithtwoyoung
children,boughtthisfive-bedroomhousein2015,
theyweredrawnbymorethanthelocationinchic
PittwaterBay,locatedinanareaknownasSydney’s
answertotheHamptons.‘Mostoftheproperties
thatfrontthebeachfeelexposed,’saysJeremy,who
worksforarchitecturalpracticeAlexander&Co.
Thishouse,builtintheSeventies,wasdifferent.
Thelargefrontgardencreatesa senseoftheprivacy,
whileinside,thefivebedroomsarebasedaround a
courtyard,addingtoitsreclusivefeel.
‘Thehousewasinfairconditionandinitiallymy
clientscametousfora lightrefresh,’saysJeremy.As
discussionsdeepened,however,it becameapparent
thatthehouseneededa structuralrethink.Built
inanincongruousTuscanstyle,thelayoutturned
inwards,avoidingviewsoftheboat-dottedbayand
thenationalparkbeyond.‘Theceilingswerelow
andthewindowssmall.Inthemainlivingarea,
awkwardlyplacedwallsdividedthespaceintwo,
adding to the confined feel. The decoration, whichinspiRation