It's called Atlanta, meaning "secure and immovable". And when the sun's rays shine on this three-storey home on the bluff at Redhead, it looks like a strong, natural, lasting part of the landscape; in its place among the rocks and sand.
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The block was bought by a family of six - mum, dad, two young boys and two four-legged girls - who dreamt of setting up their forever home in the secluded, friendly beachside community. After years of planning and a seven-month build, their dream is reality. Secure. Immovable.
The backstory of Atlanta is a sentimental one: it's the name that would have been given to the daughter they never had, but now it will live on in the very foundation of their daily lives.
"My mission was to create a feminine home to counteract the boys I live with," the owner explains.
"Our overall vision for this house was that it is simple, elegant, and functional. Low maintenance would be another key word."
Custom-designed with architect Andrew Doring, it was then up to Damian Ray, managing director of Intebuilt, to bring the vision to life. When he received the detailed plans, he knew he was in for a challenge.
"This home was never meant to feel like it was an extravagant design chucked on the side of a hill," Damian said. "It needed to feel part of Redhead, via a lot of subtle but key elements, for that soft, ocean feel. The common goal was of connecting this house to its surrounding environment."
After demolishing the old house, work began on the gently sloping block, with thought for the changing nature of coastal conditions kept at the forefront of activity.
"Being a custom-designed home, we opted to build all our frames onsite which gave us the flexibility to work with the client, their adapting needs, changing plans as we had to, to adapt to the conditions on site," Damian said.
"Another thing to consider when building so close to the ocean is to select materials that could withstand all the elements. This is why we've used stainless steel and galvanised fixings throughout."
Knotwood - an aluminium extrusion that has been printed with a timber design - has been used as a main feature detail. It's made to look like a timber baton or timber cladding, but it's completely maintenance free.
Also central to the design was integration and automation. From the stovetop and exhaust, to the level flooring inside and out. There's recessed lighting, recessed curtains, hidden cables and conduits, no skirting boards.
"We have geo-sensors set up so the air-conditioning can work when it's over a certain temperature and come on when we're coming down the road and go off when we go," the owner said. "Everything's voice-activated - the blinds are automated, the lights are automated."
Seamless surfaces, minimal interference, ease of living.
Ground floor features the garage and an outdoor shower for post-beach rinses; the first floor is home to the living area with an open-plan kitchen and butler's pantry. A bulkhead above the kitchen designates the space without breaking up the flow. Floating timber slats on the bulkhead feature as a design piece and are used throughout the home.
This living area opens through retractable sliding doors onto the alfresco entertaining area with a mosaic-tiled 10-metre lap pool and spa.
"A unique feature about the pool is that it's built into the house slab, that way we were able to finish the internal height of the house and the external height of the pool the same height so there's no transition as you go into the house from your outdoor entertaining area," Damian said.
Also on first floor are the children's bedrooms with walk-in robes and their own separate bathroom.
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Upstairs is the magnificent parent's retreat, personal study, his and hers wardrobes, ensuite with free-standing tub and dual rain shower heads, and a 180-degree view of the ocean. Wide-panelled stacker sliding doors are used so pesky seams don't interrupt the vista and sheer curtains add privacy while maintaining the openness.
The owners engaged Something More Design to help with their coastal luxe palette and interior selections.
"We're on a beach, so we wanted to use the sand and coast as a backbone to include in the house. Then we had the element of functionality that had to go on top of this so we couldn't pick products that were going to get easily damaged with two young boys and things that weren't going to last the test of time either," they said.
Tones are warm and creamy, as opposed to harsher cool whites. Timbers are matched with stone and statement pieces like brass handles, Australian tap ware and a terrazzo stone bench top. There's an abundance of natural light and the home exudes comfort, while maintaining a strong architectural edge.
During the build there were plenty of 'wow' moments as the floors went up and the reality of Atlanta set in. The family couldn't be happier with the outcome.
"It's probably a 10-12 year plan that's come to life."
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