Property of the week: 33 Hilltop Rd, Avalon Beach
3 min
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.”
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 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
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A Central Coast trophy home with a habit of breaking records, Agave, returns to market.
2 min
Agave has a history of making headlines.
The luxury Wagstaffe weekender earned the prestigious HIA Australian House of the Year award in 2018 and then went on to reset the Central Coast price record two times over.
The Dennis Rabinowitz-designed waterfront residence was sold by the owner architect in mid 2020 for $9.5 million – at the height of the pandemic rush to the regions.
It then changed hands again only two years later for $16.2 million when it was snapped up by fallen Forum Finance founder Bill Papas.
Since then, Agave has operated as a high-end short-term rental appearing on Nine’s top 10 most expensive Airbnbs in Australia list; reportedly earning its owner more than $10,000 a night.
After briefly sitting on the market in 2024, the head-turning seven-bedroom two-storey property is now listed with a new agent and a fresh competitive price tag.
Mat Steinwede of McGrath Terrigal has put a $12 to $14 million guide on the glamorous beach house at a time when the Central Coast is tipped to recapture some of its post-Covid malaise.
Overall, Central Coast house values are approaching their 2022 pandemic-era high, according to Cotality data, with the median up 45.1 per cent over five years to reach a median price of $1.063 million as of November.
Sitting on a spacious 2188sq m block in the exclusive San Toy estate, Agave at 6 Bulkara St is in the sleepy hamlet of Wagstaffe 19kms south of Terrigal.
It has direct waterfront access to Brisbane Water and its north-facing aspect captures the best of the Central Coast’s coveted climate.
Created with a focus on free-flowing lanai-inspired indoor/outdoor living, the home features multiple terraces, a saltwater pool with imported Moroccan tiles, a private beach, a jetty, a boathouse cabana and a deep-water mooring suitable for a “super yacht”.
In total, the expansive layout includes 556sq m of internal living and 289sq m of alfresco space.
The sophisticated interiors include bespoke finishes crafted from natural materials, a contemporary kitchen with marble bench tops, as well as a fully-equipped butler’s pantry, wine cellar, and five ensuite bathrooms.
There is also an executive study and a palatial main bedroom suite located in its own ground floor wing complete with a walk-in wardrobe, and a five star hotel-inspired ensuite with bidet.
A second level houses six more bedrooms including a bunk room, ideal for multiple family getaways. All up, Agave can sleep as many as 14 guests at a time.
Manicured grounds are framed by established tropical gardens, and with secure entry gates plus an advanced security system, the residence is an idyllic private compound.
Additional features include total climate control, three separate living rooms, a double lock up garage and
The property is a short walk to Wagstaffe Wharf with direct ferry access to Palm Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Agave is also close to Lobster Beach and Bouddi National Park.
Agave at 6 Bulkara St, Wagstaffe is listed with Mat Steinwede of McGrath Terrigal with a $12 to $14 million price guide.
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