decus
Killcare Coastal view over dense green bushland toward a sandy beach, headland, and ocean under a clear blue sky

Killcare

Killcare Living room with black-framed glass doors opening onto a poolside terrace with coastal views, styled with a tan leather lounge chair and ottoman, a stone coffee table, and patterned cushions on a dark textured rug
Killcare Open-plan living room with white sectional sofas and patterned cushions around a stone coffee table on a dark textured rug, black steel-framed doors opening to a pool terrace with sweeping ocean and headland views, and a dark timber cabinet with decorative objects to the side
Killcare Dining area beneath an exposed concrete ceiling beam, with a dark timber table and grey upholstered chairs against a large abstract navy artwork, and a white sectional sofa with patterned cushions in the foreground
Killcare White ceramic vase with native greenery on a black timber dining table, set against a dark abstract artwork with a fine tangled linear pattern, framed by grey upholstered dining chairs
Killcare kitchen close up with white and grey veined marble counter top + splash bakc, black joinery
Killcare Kitchen
Killcare Living room with a large white sectional sofa and patterned cushions around a stone coffee table and a lattice-carved side table, an ornate stone fireplace, tan leather lounge chair and ottoman, and a natural stone feature column near the kitchen beyond
Killcare Black timber shelving unit displaying petrified wood specimens, a carved animal figurine, and books, beside sliding cabinet doors with a woven brass mesh finish
Killcare Living room with a black timber joinery wall featuring brass mesh cabinet doors and a display niche, white sectional sofa styled with navy cushions and throw, and a two-tone stone and timber coffee table on a patterned dark rug
Killcare Living room with an ornate carved stone fireplace flanked by black joinery with brass mesh cabinet doors and decorative objects, a tan leather lounge chair and ottoman, and black-framed glass doors opening to an ocean view
Killcare Overhead view of a round black side table with a glass bud vase of eucalyptus and a coffee table book, beside a cane-seated timber stool on a patterned cream and yellow rug
Killcare
Killcare Pair of cane-back timber armchairs with mustard cushions either side of a green glass-based side table with books, set on a patterned rug beside a stacked stone wall and a garden outlook
Killcare Cluster of exposed-bulb pendant lights hanging at varying heights above a curved brass-edged stair balustrade, against a dark navy stairwell wall
Killcare Powder room with a dramatic dark veined marble vanity against navy walls, a vintage brass-framed mirror flanked by alabaster wall sconces, styled with a white orchid, above a patterned tiled floor
Killcare Main Bedroom with a charcoal upholstered bedhead against textured grey wallpaper, dressed with blush pink linen and a woven rush bench at the foot of the bed, flanked by black wall-mounted reading lamps
Killcare Bedroom detail with blush pink quilted linen bedding, a black articulated wall lamp above a stone bedside table styled with flowers and candles, and a dark floral chinoiserie wardrobe panel beside sheer curtains
Killcare Main Bedroom dark grasscloth wallpaper pink bedcovers and a grey wash timber bedside table below a black wall light
Killcare Overhead detail of round brass coasters and a small red marble vessel styled on a brushed grey timber surface
Killcare Bedroom detail with a curved grey timber bedside table and black wall lamp against textured charcoal wallpaper, styled with blush pink bedding and a woven rush bench
Killcare Detail of a glass and brass egg-shaped pendant light on a chain, reflected in a curved dark mirror
Killcare
Killcare Detail of a glass and brass egg-shaped pendant light on a chain, reflected in a curved dark mirror

Set within the landscape of Bouddi National Park, Bouddi follows the natural fall of the site, opening north to an almost uninterrupted view along the beach and across the parkland beyond. Decus joined the project after construction had begun, working in step with the existing architectural vision to evolve a home that felt, above all, effortless to entertain in.

The brief called for a sophisticated, unconventional beach house, one with a relaxed, barefoot elegance rather than anything overtly coastal. Decus introduced a rich, layered palette of dark timber and blackened steel panelling to ground lighter surfaces, punctuated by sculptural pendant lighting and fluted mirror glass. Throughout, references to the clients' European travels surface in considered nods to historic farmhouses and chateaux, softened with a curated collection of antique and vintage pieces.

For clients who entertain often, free-flowing space between the kitchen, dining, and sitting areas was non-negotiable, with practical detail folded quietly out of sight, including a stone upstand along the kitchen that conceals generous storage behind the scenes of every gathering. Tucked behind a hidden door within the library joinery, a jewel-box powder room delivers the home's moment of surprise: dramatic Breccia Nera stone wraps a custom-designed vanity, balanced by a vintage Borsani mirror.

Killcare is built on the lands of the Darkinjung people.

Architect Square Design
Photography Anson Smart
Stylist Alexandra Gordon

Collaborators on this project include Artedomus JP Finsbury SNB Stone Simple Studio Astor Metal International Floor Coverings Robyn Cosgrove Dedece Lindsey Adelman Winnings HG Furniture Cosh Living Anibou Water Tiger Orient House Great Dane Mark Tuckey Grazia & Co Cult Design Ochre Zak + Fox Hydrotherm Elliott Clarke Textiles The Textile Company Porters Paint Resene Olsen Gallery Criteria Collection The Future Perfect South Pacific Fabrics