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Previously owned by a Scottish opera singer, then the family of famed businessman Mark Foy for more than 50 years, this waterfront Sydney property has been a private slice of paradise since it was built in 1896.
But in the hands of garden designer Richard Unsworth, the former caretaker’s cottage at Trincomalee is now available for visitors to book a stay at the idyllic spot — which is only accessible by boat, water taxi, or ferry.
‘Its position is sublime,’ the director of Garden Life and Studio UC says. ‘It’s just an hour north of the CBD, but feels like the middle of the bush, overlooking glistening Pittwater.’
While the historic main house remains as his own nostalgic holiday retreat, Richard’s just completed a four-month renovation of the secluded property’s one-bedroom cottage. The old home was in desperate need of some TLC, with the ‘pop-out structures’ of the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom that needed to be completely reworked or replaced.
‘It was important to remain true to the bones of the cottage, to protect and enhance what was already there,’ he adds. ‘The cottage was already lined with the most beautiful timbers, including Celery Top and Huon Pine, from its last renovation almost 40 years ago.’
‘It was beautiful to uncover what we think was the original fireplace, made from large beach cobbles pressed into the hearth.’
Despite the logistical challenges of updating the unique shorefront residence, they successfully built a new galley kitchen, created a limestone bathroom, and updated the bedroom to make room for a queen size bed. There’s also a copper rain shower on the private deck, and a day bed the sun-soaked living room.
The updates drew inspiration from the 1970s vibes of the main house, with Richard enhancing the home’s ‘relaxed modernist aesthetic’ with his own thoughtful styling.
‘The artwork and vintage objects and furniture are from the main house’s collection, and we had fun selecting what we wanted to put in there,’ he says.
Naturally, the crown jewel of the cottage is the idyllic views. Lucky guests can wake up surrounded by nature, and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean. Talk about dreamy!
