The kitchen features integrated appliances, including a V-ZUG oven and cooktop and Sub-Zero fridge. The space also features the Artemide Nesso table lamp, BassamFellows Circular stool and Fritz Hansen PK15 dining chair.
Mimicking the natural curves of the bay below, this coastal home introduces a fluidity that respects its pristine location, repeating shapes across multiple design elements.
There is a rare beauty that instantly soothes the eye looking out to Shelly Beach. The powdery white sand, aquamarine water and enveloping bay could easily be mistaken for a painting.
At the hands of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, there is a continuation of the qualities that make it so beautiful, recast into this home. Shell House is a study in restraint and reverence for its surroundings. With its sandy, textured walls and tactical, framed views, it is a home that feels less like a structure and more like an organic extension of the beach it overlooks.
The gentle curves of the bay are mirrored in subtle but intentional ways. Curved furniture, balustrades, baths and expansive windows echo the ebb and flow of the shoreline, while an organic pool follows the soft, undulating outline of the sea itself. These elements, inside and out, establish a familiar harmony, inviting a calm continuity with the environment.
The interiors, akin to a spa experience, are subdued to blend with the unrepeatable views. The lower level of the home, anchored with glass and stone, sinks into the site, grounding the structure and minimising its visual footprint. Sandstone walls transition seamlessly from outdoor terraces into the living areas, merging architecture with landscape. The effect is that Shell House melds into the headlands rather than simply sitting atop them.
The kitchen features an Artedomus Calacatta Vagli benchtop and Eveneer Raw ALPI Xilo 2 in ‘Flamed White timber joinery.
A custom sandstone wall, highly textural Murobond paint set the beachy backdrop throughout, complemented by shades of beige and cream.
The dining area features a Karakter Copenhagen dining table and chairs, a Fritz Hansen PK4 chair and the Christopher Boots Petra III 900 pendant light.
Furniture choices mimic the natural curves of the bay, such as a vintage Etcetera lounge and De La Espada Twenty-Five coffee table, while Vitrocsa Sliding glass doors frame ocean views.
The deliberate palette governs the interior experience, which is sandy and textural—evoking a feeling of walking barefoot along the shore. The smoked oak timber flooring adds a tonal depth, paired with custom sandstone walls, creating a beachy embrace. In select areas, the interiors shift into deeper, aquatic tones, bringing the hues of the sea indoors.
Shell House’s design sacrifices sprawling outdoor spaces in favour of intimacy with the bay. Large terraces, which might obstruct the downward view, are omitted in favour of twelve-metre-wide glass panes that frame the ocean in a cinematic sweep. These expansive windows offer curated vistas that reveal Shelly Beach’s unique west-facing view, its shallow waters constantly shifting through shades of blue and green.
Bronze detailing and earthy materials tie together the home’s three levels, providing a pleasing continuity. Spaces unfold with intention, expanding horizontally and vertically to deliver a sequence of moments that reveal, bit by bit, the ocean beyond. This gradual unveiling creates a rhythm akin to the tide’s pull, drawing residents and guests toward the water with a sense of discovery.
As the house meets the cliff’s edge, it feels weightless, floating above the ocean below. Madeleine Blanchfield Architects has designed a home where architecture and nature converge.
A Fredericia Spanish Easy chair and e15 Backenzahn ST034 stool add a casual flavour, while the view remains the focal point.
Royal Oak Floors White Smoked flooring features throughout the home.
Like taking a dip in the ocean, some of the spaces are colour-blocked in aquatic tones, mirrored by the FLOS Taccia table lamp and Miniforms Soda side tables.
The Henry Wilson bronze Surface sconce
The primary bedroom features the Cassina 7 Fauteuil Tournant dining chair, e15 Backenzahn ST034 stool and Society Limonta bedding.
The sculptural Fritz Hansen PKO A chair and GUBI Tropique dining chair on the balcony.
Shelly Bay below blends into the architecture, an adept move by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects.
