Vaucluse Bay House Sydney

This reimagined Sydney harbourside home, Vaucluse Bay House, is now a ‘beach house’ worthy of its stunning location.

Our clients’ impressive art collection was a key consideration in the architectural and interior design response; these elements work together to create sightlines and vistas to showcase major artworks both inside and out.

Beyond the private entrance, the house steps down to the waterfront. The main sleeping and bathing spaces occupy the upper level, while guests proceed downstairs through a gallery to the main entertaining area.

Taking centre-stage on the lower level, the refurbished pool and deck engage directly with the harbour.

At its heart, this celebration of family, generosity and art demonstrates how careful design can recreate a beloved family home.

“After living overseas for a number of years we returned to Sydney and were blessed to find an inspiring waterfront property in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and turned to Tobias Partners to work with us in developing an equally inspiring design solution for our new home. Our minds were open to the many possibilities, from the re-imagination of the existing house to an entirely new build, and we worked closely with Nick and the team, led by John Richards, on various design options. The process was very iterative and progressed organically from inception to completion, which commanded a high level of effort and skill from the design team in order to be creative, whilst also managing cost and time. We are enthusiastic collectors of contemporary art and it was imperative that our evolving collection was, not only accommodated beautifully, but was a key consideration in the architectural and interior design response. From a design perspective the home is truly a reflection of our evolving family and how we envisaged ourselves, our children and future grandchildren living in it over the years. And it has lived up to, and often exceeded, our expectations. Everything from the grand entry experience and how the house effortlessly interacts with its unique harbourside setting, to the refinement in the finishes and details has been carefully thought through and given the deepest of consideration. The outcome is a ‘generous’ home without compromising on intimacy, which feels wonderful to live in. It is highly functional, aesthetically beautiful and has been cleverly executed. For the build Tobias Partners put forward Bellevarde Constructions as the most suitable contractor who they had worked closely and collaboratively with on similar projects before. They were a great team and the results speak for themselves through an exceptional attention to ‘quality’.

We would work with Tobias Partners again without hesitation should the right opportunity arise.” – Client