Property of the week: 33 Hilltop Rd, Avalon Beach

There are no points for guessing why Peter Stutchbury labelled his Avalon Beach creation Treetop House as the elevated home sits seemingly suspended over the leafy peninsula suburb.

With mature spotted gums and casuarinas as a permanent backdrop framing Pittwater in the distance, the three-bedroom residence is a perfectly preserved early career example of the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal award-winner.

Finished in 1993, Treetop House was built just below an ancient ridge-line above picturesque Pittwater playing homage to its raw bushland setting and water views. The property has earned its architectural stripes, having appeared in various design publications including Architectural Digest celebrating Stutchbury for his visionary use of industrial materials, all while maintaining a deep connection to the landscape.

Vendors Ben and Kirsten Welsh, who work in the advertising and film industries, bought the Avalon home in 2018 after already experiencing life in a starchitect’s design.

“We used to live in a Bill Lucas house in Castlecrag and through being there, we really discovered how living in a home designed by a really good architect was something you had to experience. So when the kids grew up and moved out, we found ourselves looking at houses around Pittwater by Peter Stutchbury, Glenn Murcutt and Richard Leplastrier,” Ben said.

“It’s a magical house. One of the most amazing things is that you feel as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist once you’re in it, because you’re higher up than you would normally be. You’re up in the tree canopy on a hill so you get terrific views and a sense of isolation, but at the same time you can just walk to the shops.”

The aptly named Treehouse sits among the canopy.

Despite having fallen in love with the neighbourhood, the Welshes are leaving Sydney to be closer to family in Victoria. They have, however, found one savvy way to keep the memory of their preferred Northern Beaches suburb alive by recently launching their own drop, Avalon Wine Company.

Treetop House is anchored by a 6m vertical blockwork tower acting as a structural core grounding the entire property. Above this, a cantilevered timber platform forms the top floor main living level housing the everyday family zone opening to balconies on both sides and the lush treetops.

The house feels open to the elements thanks to the deep balconies.

“The house is a lesson in architecture. What’s incredible about a great building is not looking at it from outside, but looking at the world from within. That’s when you can really appreciate great architecture. Anyone can do an interesting design and stick it somewhere nice but with this place, because there are a lot of windows, every angle has something to look at that’s quite remarkable,” Ben says, adding that although the couple had done little to the Stutchbury design during their residency, they had introduced more than 1000 plants to the 1071sq m block.

“There’s a kind of tamed wildness to the planting and the environment, with big rocks and trees that are not all the same. We’ve been very careful not to create anything too formal.”

The material palette of Treetop House also includes interiors styled to suit the surrounding landscape including oiled tallowwood floors, polished plywood joinery and a Jarrah staircase.

In addition to the primary living space, kitchen and dining area, the upper level is also home to two bedrooms with a shared walk-in wardrobe and a full spa bathroom. On the middle level a separated main bedroom suite has an ensuite and built-ins while the lower level has a bonus multipurpose family room or home office with ensuite. All three floors are accessible by lift.

The house is close to Clarevill Beach, Long Beach, Taylors Point Wharf and Avalon Sailing Club as well as Angophora Reserve.

Treetop House has a price guide of $4.5 million and is on the market via private treaty through LJ Hooker Avalon Beach agents Thomas Mackay on 0429 236 879

When introducing the 2026 Marshall White Prestige Property Index, the company’s group sales director, John Bongiorno, said he had high hopes for the luxury real estate market.

This positive outlook may have influenced his decision to sell his own home, Musk Ridge Farm. The 8ha Mornington Peninsula property has come to market with a price guide of $9 million to $9.5 million.

“Looking ahead, international influences are likely to remain an important factor shaping Melbourne’s prestige market throughout 2026,” he wrote.

“Australia’s reputation as a stable and desirable place to live will continue to attract strong interest from expatriate buyers returning home, and we are already seeing an increase in enquiries from this group, particularly for properties in Melbourne’s most established school zones and blue-chip suburbs.”

No doubt the company director expects demand to extend into regional Victoria. His

Flinders estate, which has pastoral and bushland views to the waters of Westernport and Phillip Island, last traded in 2017 for $4 million.

Its 2026 price guide is in line with other recent Flinders transactions. In late 2025, 2275 Mornington Flinders Rd sold for about $8.75 million, and 88 King St sold for $12.25 million.

Bongiorno’s landmark peninsula property was designed by architect Stephen Akehurst to create a coast-meets-country lifestyle estate for avid entertainers or weekend guest retreats.

The private seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom residence features manicured English-style gardens, a self-cleaning mosaic-tiled pool and spa, converted stable guest quarters, a separate games room with bar, a barbecue pavilion, and a self-contained manager’s cottage.

With more than four decades of prestige-market experience, Bongiorno says the same guidance he gives clients has shaped his own property decisions: desirable locations and long-term lifestyle appeal will sustain high demand.

“Regardless of market conditions, quality real estate fundamentals remain the most important consideration. For me, that has always been about location, quality of construction and a home’s ability to stand the test of time,” Bongiorno says.

“Homes that consistently perform over the long term are those positioned in tightly-held locations with genuine lifestyle appeal and quality design that will remain relevant for years to come.”

His Hamptons-style homestead features spacious interiors and designer elements, including a large entry foyer, American Oak floors, high ceilings, and multiple French doors opening onto patios and terraces. Modern amenities include hydronic heating, integrated cooling, smart home technology, and CCTV security.

The palatial main living zone is bookended by twin open fireplaces and crowned by a central iron-ring chandelier. A glass conservatory dining area captures the natural backdrop, and a quartz stone kitchen features a big island bench, Bertazzoni appliances, a butler’s pantry, a SubZero fridge/freezer, and two Vintec wine fridges.

Off the kitchen, there is also a mudroom, a powder room, a bathroom, and a commercial-grade laundry.

The ground-floor main bedroom suite includes two walk-through wardrobes, a shower ensuite, a fireplace, and access to the wraparound veranda. Upstairs, there are two additional bedrooms with en-suites and built-in wardrobes, along with a study area.

Outside, beyond the pool terrace and barbecue pavilion, the grounds feature fenced paddocks, a spring-fed dam, an automatic front gate, a machinery shed, a double garage, plus multiple driveway parking bays.

Bordered by the Main Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve and Manton Creek, Musk Ridge Farm is close to Red Hill and Flinders townships, and is surrounded by world-class wineries, golf courses, and the peninsula’s popular beaches.

Musk Ridge Farm at 61 Barkers Rd, Flinders is listed with Marshall White agents Stephen Baster and Rebecca O’Donnell with a price guide of $9 million to $9.5 million.

Property of the week: 33 Hilltop Rd, Avalon Beach

Prestige property veteran John Bongiorno is selling his sprawling Mornington Peninsula retreat, Musk Ridge Farm, complete with a pool, guest quarters and sweeping coastal views.