“
W
e need more space!” is an all-too familiar
household refrain. It was certainly often
repeated by Jo and Cameron Habler. And in
2013, the Hablers reached the point where
something had to give.
At the time, Jo, Cameron and their sons Bailey, now 12, Cooper,
10, and Ashton, five, were living in a quaint three-bedroom
seaside cottage in one of Sydney’s sought-after coastal suburbs.
The 1950s house had 180-degree views over the water and
sandstone cliffs of the headland opposite. “It was a great little
home,” says Jo. “But as the boys grew, so did the realisation
that we would need to expand.”Fortunately, their little cottage was built on an 800m2 block.
With such a generous site, Jo and Cameron decided the best
course of action would be to knock down and rebuild. And with
a clean slate, they could build a dual-occupancy residence that
could accommodate Cameron’s elderly grandparents as well.
The couple briefed architect Walter Barda to design a modern
beach house – “sort of Hawaiian meets classic Northern Beaches”,
says Cameron. Maximising sunlight throughout the day was
also high on the wish list, as was a grand room the extended
family could spend time in together.
Then they hit a roadblock. “The neighbours were disappointed
that we planned to demolish the house,” says Cameron. “It >