Judith Neilson’s Seaside Home by Atelier Andy Carson.

Philanthropist Judith Neilson’s affinity with art runs deep. So, when it came to renovating her Sydney Freshwater home, architect Andy Carson knew it would need to stand proud as a work of art in itself. Titled ‘Matopos’, the home is situated on a tight 178sqm beachfront block and crowned in a curved cast bronze façade atop a sandstone podium—a clever nod to a prominent local artwork.

“We took inspiration for the façade from a nearby bronze sculpture of Duke Kahanamoku, who introduced surfing to Australia at Freshwater Beach,” Andy says. “Judith has an incredible connection to art and innovation, which we wanted to celebrate in our design.”

Internally, the study of materials and light is vigorously tested to painstakingly minimalist detail. Superfluous fixtures are hidden away to honour the beauty of raw materials. All stone work inside the three-bedroom, four-bathroom home is fully custom-made including the baths, which are carved out of a single block of Carrara Marble. The kitchen cabinetry continues the celebration of materials with a raw broken-edge stone treatment.

When re-imagining the home, it was clear the architects needed to create a visceral connection to place. “The existing building didn’t celebrate its relationship with its breathtaking surroundings,” Andy says. “We sought to open the interiors to very focused views and create a material palette that spoke to its location.”

Thoughtfully placed windows frame vistas of the sea, while polished plaster interior walls reflect views of the blue and yellow hues of ocean and sand back into the home. “The light is constantly moving and shifting. It’s a really dynamic and ever-changing space,” explains Andy. The details are intensely restrained, orchestrated as such to provide a sanctuary away from the city for the owner.

Neilson says the house speaks of high craftsmanship and function. “The house is elegant, light and spacious and a perfect example of what small spaces can be,” she explains. In all its simplicity, the home is not devoid of playfulness. The lower level comes complete with its own Tapestry Room, which welcomes visitors with three large-scale woven artworks and a lightbox-like treatment to the ceiling.

The subtlety of the interiors is juxtaposed with the weight of the exterior. The house is built for longevity in a highly corrosive environment—all materials have been selected to last 100 years and patina gracefully. The external bronze façade cladding is here to stay for now, but is ultimately 100% recyclable.

Werri Beach House in NSW by Atelier Andy Carson.

Pitched on a cliff this new home has been designed to celebrate its airy and rugged seaside setting. To one side of the sprawling 150-acre coastal block...

[Images courtesy of Atelier Andy Carson. Photography by Felix Forest.]