Material Thinking – Charlotte Park by Cadence & Co

There’s a sense of inevitability about Charlotte Park, as though this sprawling new lifestyle property on the fringes of Sydney’s Northern Beaches has always been there. The effect is quite deliberate, with Cadence & Co employing muted hues and a robust palette of natural materials – including Freeform natural stone from Eco Outdoor – to create a timeless continuity with the landscape.

From its hilltop perch, Charlotte Park doesn’t so much survey the surrounding landscape as it appears to emerge directly from it. The home’s generous footprint imparts a feeling of solidity, flanked by terraces connecting the interiors to the manicured lawns and beyond to the gardens, with their eclectic mix of Australian native plants, ancient olive trees and fragrant herbs. Set on five acres, the home’s steep pitched roof and timber shingles and battens lend it a semi-rural disposition that belies its close proximity to the Sydney CBD, whose twinkling lights can be seen in the distance.

Set on five acres, the home’s steep pitched roof and timber shingles and battens lend it a semi-rural disposition that belies its close proximity to the Sydney CBD, whose twinkling lights can be seen in the distance.

The grandeur inherent in the soaring ceilings and luxurious finishes finds an offhand expression, addressing the client’s desire to accommodate regular visits from an intergenerational family while retaining a cosy sense of intimacy. Natural gathering points emerge in the kitchen – a ‘room within a room’ that encourages not just congregation but active participation in meal preparation – and around the fireplaces that form one of the home’s central motifs. A pair of dramatic central fireplaces – one in the Great Room, its outdoor twin on the terrace – are clad in Eco Outdoor’s Freeform stone walling in a combination of Wamberal and Korora stones. In a palette that extends to the external walls and detailing, the Wamberal harmonises with grey, neutral tones while the darker brown rusty shade of the Korora is imbued with additional warmth.

“Charlotte Park called for a palette of materials that was rich in texture and robust. This home has been designed for generations, and as such must be at once always modern and timeless,” reflects Michael Kilkeary, Cadence & Co Partner and Creative Lead. “Eco Outdoor was therefore the natural place to turn. The Wamberal stone used to clad the soaring chimneys provides the scale needed for the home’s anchoring elements. Its deep rusts through to silvery greys sit perfectly against a landscape of ancient olives and native gums.”

As with all the materials procured by Cadence & Co for Charlotte Park, the pavers and stones are designed to embrace the scars wrought by weather and daily use, their rugged organic texture grounding the home in robust materiality.

Forming an interstitial area that connects the house to this time-trodden landscape are the terraces, clad in Luca crazy paving, also from Eco Outdoor, and punctuated by a wrought iron fire pit, another gathering place ablaze. Lighter in tone while synchronising with the grey and brown hues of the stone walls, the pavers are a dense and hard wearing natural stone that effortlessly withstand the rigours of contemporary family life.

As with all the materials procured by Cadence & Co for Charlotte Park, the pavers and stones are designed to embrace the scars wrought by weather and daily use, their rugged organic texture grounding the home in robust materiality. With the passing of time, they will continue to settle with a grace and longevity that reinvigorates the familiar trope of indoor/outdoor family living.