Ember Creek House

The brief

A family home transformed into a resort.

This substantial renovation of a large Gordon home was designed around one ambition: to transform a comfortable but unremarkable family house into something genuinely special — a home with the warmth and ease of a private resort, set amongst the trees of the upper North Shore.

The outdoor living spaces were the centrepiece of the brief. A resort-style pool with expansive decking, a covered cabana, and a separate firepit zone create a sequence of outdoor rooms that flow from the living areas. The covered terrace with heating and ceiling fan makes the outdoor space usable year-round.

Inside, the renovation transformed the existing layout into an open, contemporary home. Enduring materials and natural textures bring warmth and calm throughout.

The design thinking

The bush as the backdrop.

Gordon sits at the edge of Sydney’s upper North Shore, where the suburbs give way to bushland. The design takes full advantage of that setting — the pool terrace, the firepit zone, and the living spaces are all oriented toward the trees rather than away from them.

Natural materials — timber, stone, warm renders — were chosen to sit comfortably in that landscape. This is a home that feels like it belongs where it is.