Shellbank House street facade with a black picket fence, sandstone wall and cantilevered upper storey

Shellbank House, Cremorne

Another staggered architectural form, Shellbank House steps back up a steeply sloping Cremorne site, its northern orientation opening the home up to sweeping views of Middle Harbour at every turn.

FS Hough built the home's vertical and horizontal zones from the stone-clad garage at street level, up through a private elevated lawn and pool, to a master bedroom that dramatically cantilevers out over the water below, with an upper deck above it, extending the sense of openness off the main living space.

Details
Site Area SQM
900
Built Area
550
Year Completed
2024
Sandstone wall and lawn at Shellbank House with a rendered fireplace niche
Kitchen at Shellbank House with a marble island, timber joinery and a window seat
Stair at Shellbank House rising to a striped abstract artwork
White ribbed wall and black steel battens in a hallway at Shellbank House
Bathroom with a round basin on a stone vanity and dark timber joinery
Stone paving and a green wall beside the pool edge at Shellbank House
Entry at Shellbank House with dark timber joinery, a marble island and a sandstone wall beyond
Open steel stair with black balusters, the garden beyond
Living room at Shellbank House looking over the terrace to Middle Harbour

Getting there was true technical ambition brought to life: access and excavation from both the top and bottom of the block, swimming pools integrated directly into the slabs as construction moved up through the building, and a glass lift running the full height of the home. The stone cladding across the façade is entirely custom: rather than pre-cut stock cladding, every piece was cut and pieced together by hand to sit perfectly square against the next.

Shellbank House shows how a home can be split into distinct, purposeful zones while still feeling like one continuous journey. Each level opening onto a new view, right down to a rear connection to the garden and lush vegetation at ground level.

Pool at Shellbank House looking over the lawn to Middle Harbour
Covered outdoor kitchen beside the pool at Shellbank House, with sandstone columns
Dining room at Shellbank House with a marble island and timber joinery
Living room at Shellbank House opening to a terrace over Middle Harbour
Sandstone wall and rendered fireplace in the garden at Shellbank House
Living room with a timber joinery wall, marble fireplace bench and a view to the water
Collaborators
  • Architecture by Castlepeake Architects
  • Landscape by Somewhere Landscape Architects
  • Landscaping by Get Smart
  • Photography by Tom Ferguson
Landing at Shellbank House with a striped abstract artwork and a stair down to the garden
FS Hough