LOFTY HEIGHTS

Anchored to a cliff, tiered terraces and soft curves flow over four levels to create a spectacular home on Sydney Harbour.

- CARLI PHILIPS

The owners of this home in Sydney’s Point Piper had long admired the house next door, so when the time came to renovate, they asked their neighbours – with whom they shared a driveway – who designed their house. Cut to a few years later and Sydney-based interior design and architecture practice Archer Design can now take credit for both beautiful homes. While the initial brief was for some minor works, the project quickly skyrocketed into a full gut-it-and-begin-again renovation. The owners sought a “luxurious, resort-like home that was comfortable enough for their small family but offered them the option for entertaining on a large scale,” says architect Richard Archer, the founder and design director of Archer Design.

“The house was built in 2008 but it looked like it was from the 1980s,” adds Richard, who worked on the project alongside a tight-knit team, including senior associate Vince Vella, and with extra help from project co-ordinator Natashaia Steed. “Things were completely dysfunctional, so we stripped the house right back to its shell. It basically ended up being a car park with a slab and columns. It was a complete leap of faith from the clients.”