Spirited Levels Clever design conquered a sloping site.

Patience paid off for the owners of this sparkling Sydney home where there’s space for everyone and everything.

Good things come to those who wait, so the saying goes. Seven years in the making, this extraordinary home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore is a prime example of patience being rewarded. Its owners, a professional couple, purchased the property in 2013, primarily for its location and dazzling water views.

“We wanted a home that accommodated our lifestyle,” says the owner. The existing fibro dwelling, painted lilac, was never going to cut it, so the decision to knock down and rebuild was an easy one. In the fibro cottage’s place would be a multi-level residence that took advantage of the views from every angle. Both the indoors and outdoors needed to feed the owners’ passions for exercise and entertaining.

Lead architect and project manager Mohit Keni from Corben Architects designed a home that cascades down the steeply sloping 900-square-metre block. The floor plan sprawls across five levels, connected by a central polishedconcrete staircase. Accommodated within are three bedrooms, four bathrooms, an open-plan kitchen/dining/ living area, plus a few luxuries: a temperature-controlled wine cellar, home gym and home cinema.

Outside, the couple have no less than five alfresco areas from which to entertain and enjoy the views. The main lower level has a small barbecue area with seating for eight, sunloungers, an infinity pool and outdoor shower. From here, a garden path snakes down to the boat shed and an inviting sitting area with a firepit at its heart. The upper entertaining area flows from the kitchen/living/dining space. Two bedrooms open to private balconies; the third has direct access to a Japanese-inspired internal courtyard. Dream home, indeed!

Interior design duo Jacinta Woods and Sonia Warner of Woods & Warner joined the team about two years into the project. Their mission was to add detail and decoration to every corner of the home. “The architecture is very crisp, so the owners requested colour be injected into every space. It was also important that the home wouldn’t date,” says Jacinta.

Dark polished-concrete floors – a feature the owners spied while travelling – were high on the wish list and proved a great starting point for the rest of the materials scheme. The restrained palette is wonderfully showcased in the kitchen, where white walls and cabinetry are contrasted with black tapware and a glamorous polished-granite island; this chic monochrome scheme is used throughout. For visual warmth, there are judicious touches of timber and bronze-toned metallic tiles in the bathrooms. “The palette has the right balance of sophistication and impact, and gives the home a gallery-like feel,” says Jacinta.

Colour comes through in the artworks, furnishings and rugs, giving each space its own personality, with existing items such as the dining setting rejuvenated with french polish and fresh upholstery. “It was important to us to include some much-loved pieces into the new interiors,” says the owner. “Sonia and Jacinta were great at helping us to update our furniture to fit in with the overall style.”

There are showstopping elements everywhere you look. The main ensuite, for example, includes a double-sided fireplace and spectacular black freestanding bath. The internal courtyard has a 12-metre feature wall of Italian mosaic tiles, which can be viewed from three levels. In the soundproof home cinema, the owners can enjoy movie night from the comfort of King Living recliners while star-like lights twinkle overhead.

The homeowners are understandably thrilled with the finished product. “The greatest thing about the home is that it’s enjoyed as intended,” says the owner. “It’s hard to pick a favourite spot because each area has a specific purpose – dinner parties on level three, barbecues on level one, and of course, the sanctuary of the main bedroom suite.” >

Woods & Warner, Cammeray, NSW; (02) 9954 4901 or woodsandwarner.com.au. Corben Architects, Neutral Bay, NSW; (02) 9904 1844 or corben.com.au.