Prestige Property: 325 Woolooware Road, Burraneer, NSW
Kanebridge News
Share Button

Prestige Property: 325 Woolooware Road, Burraneer, NSW

Step Inside Nautilus, an expansive residence claimed to be ‘Australia’s finest home’.

By Terry Christodoulou
Fri, Jul 16, 2021 2:03pmGrey Clock 2 min

Introducing Nautilus, the pinnacle of luxury living and entertaining on the exclusive Burraneer Bay peninsular,

Set within an enclave of elite homes lining the pristine waters of Sydney’s Sutherland Shire comes this former HIA and MBA house of the year.

Located on four premium foreshore blacks totalling 4387sqm and boasting 3965sqm of internal space across six levels – Nautilus is uncompromising in its approach to luxury living.

With 7-bedrooms, 19-bathrooms, 2 guest pavilions and space for 20 cars, the home’s list of amenities is seemingly endless. With two guest pavilions, a commercial-grade bar, dual full-size championship bowling alleys, tiered home cinema, premium gym (with dedicated yoga and Pilates areas), 2000-bottle cellar, archery range, day spa with Turkish steam room, and three internal separate lifts is spread throughout the residence

Further, the home is fitted with six different kitchens, including a dedicated space for teppanyaki – giving owners plenty of options for entertaining.

That’s not to say liveability is not at the forefront of Nautilus’ design with the master suite complete with a limestone ensuite, with steam shower and sunken bath, a secluded retreat, safe room, dressing room and laundry.

There’s also plenty of substance to match the home’s grand scale, with limestone tiling, sandstone feature walls, timber flooring, marble finishes and the spiral staircase mimicking the shell for which the home is named.

Outside, the home boasts multiple designated areas for lounging, alongside the 25-metre lap pool (solar heated, of course) that flanks the property, and a private beach and marina – the latter featuring a slipway for a 37-foot boat, wharfing and docking area, floating pontoon, waterfront crane and deep water mooring for a 78ft vessel.

As if that wasn’t enough the grounds of the property house a sporting field, self-contained boathouse, beachfront cabana and two firepits and is accessible by the ‘bat cave’ ensuring no steps have to be taken to reach the beach.

The location sees it a 10-15 minute walk to local cafes, and a 5-minute drive to the heart of Cronulla and allows one to make the most of the Sutherland Shire’s coastal lifestyle.

The home is listed with David Highland of Highland Real Estate (+61 405 735 735) and Bill Malouf of LJ Hooker Double Bay (+61 411 428 354). Price guide, $50 million; Australiasfinesthome.com.au

MOST POPULAR

Chris Dixon, a partner who led the charge, says he has a ‘very long-term horizon’

Americans now think they need at least $1.25 million for retirement, a 20% increase from a year ago, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual

Related Stories
Property
The Fremantle cottage rewriting the blueprint for conjuring space
By Robyn Willis 22/03/2023
Property
Flexibility and greater affordability on offer for wise Sydney property buyers
By KANEBRIDGE NEWS 21/03/2023
Property
Do Your Neighbours Paint Their Lawns Green? Increasingly, Yes
By ELIZA COLLINS 21/03/2023
The Fremantle cottage rewriting the blueprint for conjuring space

You’ll never guess where they found a little extra room when renovating this west coast house

By Robyn Willis
Wed, Mar 22, 2023 4 min

There was a time, not too long ago, when the most important must-have for would-be renovators was space. It was all about space to be together and space to be apart.

But as house prices increase across the country, the conversation has started to shift from size for the sake of it towards more flexible, well-designed spaces better suited to contemporary living.

For the owners of this 1920s weatherboard workers’ cottage in Fremantle, the emphasis was less on having an abundance of room and more about creating cohesive environments that could still maintain their own distinct moods. Key to achieving this was manipulating the floorplan in such a way that it could draw in light, giving the impression at least of a larger footprint. 

See more stories like this in the latest issue of Kanebridge Quarterly magazine. Order your copy here

Positioned on a site that fell three metres from street level, the humble four-room residence had been added to over the years. First order of business for local architect Philip Stejskal was to strip the house back to its original state.

“In this case, they were not quality additions,” Stejskal says. “Sometimes it is important to make sure later additions are not lean-tos.”

The decision to demolish was not taken lightly. 

“Sometimes they can be as historically significant as the original building and need to be considered — I wouldn’t want people to demolish our addition in 50 years’ time.”

Northern light hits the site diagonally, so the design solution was to open up the side of the house via a spacious courtyard to maximise opportunities to draw natural light in. However, this had a knock-on effect.

A central courtyard captures northern light. Image: Bo Wong

“We had to make space in the middle of the site to get light in,” Stejskal says. “That was one of the first moves, but that created another issue because we would be looking onto the back of the neighbouring building at less appealing things, like their aircon unit.”

To draw attention away from the undesirable view, Stejskal designed a modern-day ‘folly’.

“It’s a chimney and lookout and it was created to give us something nice to look at in the living space and in the kitchen,” Stejskal says. 

“With a growing family, the idea was to create a space where people could find a bit of solitude. It does have views to the wider locality but you can also see the port and you can connect to the street as well.”

A garden tap has also been installed to allow for a herb garden at the top of the steps.

“That’s the plan anyway,”  he says. 

A modern day ‘folly’ provides an unexpected breakout space with room for a rooftop herb garden. Image: Bo Wong

Conjuring up space has been at the core of this project, from the basement-style garaging to the use of the central courtyard to create a pavilion-like addition.

The original cottage now consists of two bedrooms, with a central hallway leading onto a spacious reception and living area. Here, the large kitchen and dining spaces wrap around the courtyard, offering easy access to outdoor spaces via large sliding doors.

Moments of solitude and privacy have been secreted throughout the floorplan, with clever placement of built-in window seats and the crow’s nest lookout on the roof, ideal for morning coffee and sunset drinks.

The house has three bedrooms, including a spacious master suite with walk-in robe and ensuite overlooking the back garden. Adjustable blades on the bedroom windows allow for the control of light, as well as privacy. Although the house was designed pre COVID, it offers the sensibility so many sought through that time — sanctuary, comfort and retreat.

Adjustable blades allow the owners to control light on the upper floor. Image: Bo Wong

“When the clients came to us, they wanted a house that was flexible enough to cater for the unknown and changes in the family into the future,” Stejskal says. “We gave the owners a series of spaces and a certain variety or moods, regardless of the occasion. We wanted it to be a space that would support that.”

Mood has also been manipulated through the choice of materials. Stejskal has used common materials such as timber and brick, but in unexpected ways to create spaces that are at once sumptuous but also in keeping with the origins of the existing building.

Externally, the brickwork has been finished in beaded pointing, a style of bricklaying that has a softening effect on the varied colours of bricks. For the flooring, crazy paving in the courtyard contrasts with the controlled lines of tiles laid in a stack bond pattern. Close attention has also been paid to the use of veneer on select joinery in the house, championing the beauty of Australian timbers with a lustrous finish. 

“The joinery is finished in spotted gum veneer that has been rotary cut,” says Stejskal. “It is peeled off the log like you peel an apple to give you this different grain.”

Rotary cut timber reveals the beauty of the natural grain in the kitchen joinery. Image: Bo Wong

Even the laundry has been carefully considered.

“The laundry is like a zen space with bare stone,” he says. “We wanted these different moods and the landscape of rooms. We wanted to create a rich tapestry in this house.”

The owners now each experience the house differently, highlighting separate aspects of the building as their favourite parts. It’s quite an achievement when the site is not enormous. Maybe it’s not size that matters so much after all.

MOST POPULAR
Adidas To Sell Reebok

Adidas might sell its struggling Reebok brand, potentially taking advantage of the strength of athletic goods, which have been a bright spot in apparel during the Covid-19 crisis. On Monday, Adidas (ticker: ADDYY) said it was reviewing Reebok’s future, which could include a sale. The news comes ahead of the company’s five-year blueprint, which it is …

Sydney city skyline with inner suburbs of Glebe and Pyrmont, Australia, aerial photography

Predicted increases in value signals strength in local property market.

0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop