A tree change within Sydney: Swapping inner-suburbia for the Upper North Shore
Sydneysiders Catriona Fraser and her partner Steve Smedley were dedicated inner city urbanites and, apart from stints living overseas, had never considered living more than five kilometres from the CBD.
But eventually the general frenzy of the city and the lack of space and sunlight in their apartment finally pushed them to the edge – and now, much to their surprise, they find themselves living in a modernist house in the bush on the Upper North Shore.
And they absolutely love it.
The 1970s Philip Cox-designed modernist house sits on the edge of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Photo: Supplied.
“It’s been our own tree change while staying in Sydney,” says Catriona, who had been living in an apartment in Bondi before the big move. “We’re still urbanites at heart and live close enough to the city to go in and enjoy all its cultural attractions but now we’re able to come home to a beautiful environment and enjoy nature.
“All our friends and colleagues were amazed and utterly disbelieving when we said what we were going to do. But we surprised them, and ourselves.”
When Catriona, a communications and tourism consultant, and Steve, a graphic designer, sold their two-bedroom townhouse-style apartment, they found that prices were rising so quickly, they were forced to look further and further out in order to be able to afford a property that would give them more room to both work from home.
They moved in on Valentines Day 2017 in 43-degree temperatures and four days later endured “the storm of the century”. Photo: Supplied.
They started to despair until they saw a listing for a 1970s Philip Cox-designed modernist house on the edge of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
“We’d been looking for around three months and the market was just galloping further away from us each week,” says Catriona. “We were getting dispirited, I had terrible flu but we were intrigued to see this house.
“We went up the driveway and saw the house nestling amongst the trees and we were absolutely beguiled. There’s no other word for it. It is a beautiful house, full of sunlight and space and wonderful proportions with a most fantastic aspect looking out over the bush.”
The house is designed to celebrate its environment while giving its new owners good open spaces in which to live, work, entertain and relax. Photo: Supplied.
Yet their tree change was not without its challenges. The spacious four-bedroom free-standing house was priced at just 20 per cent more than their small two-bedroom apartment but their love affair had a tempestuous start.
They moved in on Valentines Day 2017 in 43-degree temperatures and four days later endured ‘the storm of the century” – a massive hailstorm followed by torrential rain that tore off half the roof and smashed 16 of the 48 glass roof panels that line one side of the house.
“We very quickly realised the downside of falling in love with an old house in what feels like the bush,” Catriona says. “I was cowering in the hall with the dog listening to huge hailstones breaking through the windows. The place looked like a war zone. That was a bit of a blow so early!
“And then there was the bush environment itself to get used to, with giant goannas and wallabies and insect plagues …”
The pair then began repairs, replacing the windows with tougher, energy-efficient glass, and renewing the roof and fabric of the house, with architect Philip Cox himself dropping by to offer them advice.
The home is a wonderful example of the Sydney School, a style established by a group of Australian architects who brought in their own regionalist form of modernism in the 1960s with homes sitting seamlessly in their environment. It has only had two previous owners who both faithfully preserved its design.
With a stunning bush garden behind it on 1500 square metres of land, open verandas along the sides and high cathedral ceilings, it’s still very much in its original mint mid-century modernist condition.
“We both love the house but we did have to adjust to the area after years in the inner city,” she says. “While we are deep in the suburbs it doesn’t feel suburban. We’re on the edge of the national park, close to great shopping and the Northern Beaches and the area has some others modernist gems discreetly tucked away in the bush which are fun to discover. The neighbours are really friendly and the streets are beautiful.
“And it’s just a different style of living. There’s less stress, there’s a greater sense of relaxation, and you wake up each day and take in the little details of light, the sounds of the bush and the reveals of the house.”
The home is designed to celebrate its environment while giving its new owners good open spaces in which to live, work, entertain and relax.
“We simply responded to the house and its aesthetic,” Catriona says. “That’s why we left the inner city and how we found ourselves living here. You don’t try to be anything other than at one with your environment.”
