Idyllic Retreat – Peninsula House by Arent&Pyke

As a place of restoration, Peninsula House draws together all the right pieces to complete an ideal, natural calm. Arent&Pyke uses the muted landscape as textural and tonal inspiration for the home, adding layers of warmth and invitation.

Having long fostered a relationship with the clients – earned over multiple projects completed together – Peninsula House was conceived with personal touches to capture those who use the holiday home. Located in Palm Beach overlooking Pittwater below, the existing home sits immersed within its densely natural setting, seeing key connections to place act as a reminder of sanctuary. Originally designed by architect Susan Rothwell, Arent&Pyke designed the interior as a contemporary layering, sculpting the spaces to suit the modern day; the weaving of the new with the existing nods to the current owners, allowing them to imprint their own mark on the property.

Located in Palm Beach overlooking Pittwater below, the existing home sits immersed within its densely natural setting, seeing key connections to place act as a reminder of sanctuary.

An occasional home, Peninsula House was originally intended as a weekender only; over time, the frequency of visits increased and, as a result, the home is occupied more often and for longer. Something about a removed setting and having a piece of yourself embedded into the very fabric of a place makes leaving even harder – although that was not necessarily the intention, it does entice occupation. Able to be opened and contracted, the home is one of many contrasts able to bring family members together to socialise and entertain whilst also being the ideal place to retreat to within the more intimate areas. The varying levels of animation and passivity allow different visitors to align with areas that suit, surrounded and calmed by the landscaped setting.

Peninsula House is spread over multiple levels and incorporates a variety of areas for hosting additional guests. A newly renovated kitchen anchors the space as the gathering centre of the home and a destination of its own. The relaxed nature of long summer days and enviable setting forms the inspiration for the casual atmosphere throughout, further accentuated through the free-flowing movement between inside and out. Living spaces generously spill into dedicated outdoor areas as an extension of the home, inviting the outside in and the inside out.

Living spaces generously spill into dedicated outdoor areas as an extension of the home, inviting the outside in and the inside out.

Through a richly diverse textural palette, Peninsula House draws on the surrounding blue tones and botanicals to create a home connected to place. Arent&Pyke carefully integrates the existing with the proposed, melding the home to its owners and as a departure from the urban realm.