Upstate – Find Yourself In a Better Place. Come with us on a journey to 'better'

Residential Property

With an experienced team of over 70 local real estate entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to prepare your home for success in the market. Our leasing agents are also at the top of their game. From apartments to houses, and everything in between, we will manage your property as if it were our own.

Commercial Property

It takes a special touch and insider knowledge to market a commercial property, retail space or shop front. Years of experience with commercial property sales and asset management have made us the experts in this highly specialised arm of the property world.

Project Marketing

As a property developer or builder, you want your real estate project to stand out from the crowd. At Upstate projects, we manage the sale and marketing of an extensive portfolio of projects, from house-and-land packages to premium off-the-plan apartment projects. We provide a full range of services from site amalgamation right through to post-completion.

Property Concierge

Whether you’re moving in or out of a home, buying, selling or leasing with us, our Property Concierge is a complimentary, personalised service that coordinates everything for you. We’re here to help you maintain, refresh, refurbish and prepare your property and maximise great results.

Careers and Training

At Upstate, we believe in attracting and keeping the best talent in the business. We care about your career and will do what it takes to help you set and achieve your goals, whether that’s through on-the-job mentoring or mindset training. Every step of the way, we’re with you.

Marketing and Design

Marketing is critical in today’s busy and highly competitive property market. This is why we have a team of data-driven digital specialists and design experts to keep your property highly visible. This team includes experienced creative designers, digital and social media experts, copywriters, photographers and more.

Financial Advice and Mortgages

At Upstate, we only team up with the best. Our finance partners, the ‘Catalyst’ finance team, have over 100 years of collective brokerage experience and are recognised as one of the best financial service businesses in the industry.

Site Sale Success

2–4 Albert St, Narrabeen
$29,100,000

187 enquiries •  22 offers

Largest developable landholding in Narrabeen on 4,718m² – 6 blocks sold in 1 line.

68–72 Wood St, Manly
$18,550,000

264 enquiries • 60 offers

Freehold development opportunity on 1,626m² – Largest private freehold landholdings in the area.

1–5 Rickard Rd, North Narrabeen
$10,500,000

64 enquiries •  2 offers

DA approved site on 1,426m² – planned for mixed-use development of 14 apartments and 5 commercial suites.

67 Pacific Pde, Dee Why
$5,250,000

133 enquiries •  6 offers

DA approved site on 696m² – 2 x DA approvals in place; Approved for 9 luxury apartments; Approved for 26 unit boarding house scheme.

Commercial Insights

Upstate Commercial is a specialist team with a practical read on the Northern Beaches market.

They understand how different assets behave, what buyers and tenants are looking for, and where the real value sits. Whether it is a retail tenancy, industrial space, office suite or development site, the team shapes the advice, campaign and negotiation around the property itself, giving every client a clearer path to a stronger commercial result.

Vincent West
0403 444 000

Paul Cunningham
0413 161 661

Oliver Rosati
0428 877 888

Saxon Stonehouse
0408 033 330

Tom Wheen
0452 449 906

Lee Midis
0419 011 211

Commercial Statistics

1 July 2025 – 30 April 2026

$29,100,000 – Highest Sale Price

$137,000 +GST Net – Highest Lease Price

53 Sold, 91 Leased

14,113 – Number of Buyers

15,441 – Number of Tenants

Ranked #1 – Sale Market Share RCA (28.07%)

Ranked #1 – Lease Market Share RCA (20.33%)

Introducing the Next Generation of Upstate Athletes

At Upstate, supporting local talent has always been part of who we are.

Continuing that journey with us is Mateo.With 18 wins and 11 by knockout, and now signed with Zuffa Boxing, Mateo is taking his career to the international stage from his base in Florida.

We also want to acknowledge two outstanding athletes we’ve had the privilege of supporting.

Vaughn, ranked #1 in Australia, has competed globally in the Mammut Freeride World Championships, while Rene has travelled internationally with Billabong and secured multiple first-place finishes across local and state competitions.

We’re incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved and grateful to have been part of their journey.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to support the next generation of athletes coming through.

What connects this group is trajectory. Some are already competing internationally. Others are rising quickly through national ranks. All are committed to pushing further — and represent the next wave of talent coming out of the Northern Beaches.

Introducing the newest members of the Upstate athlete team:

Macy — Dance

2025 Bloch Young Artist and two-time Dance Life National Title holder.

Oscar — Gymnastics

2nd at the National Championships, with selection in both the Australian Future Cup and Olympics Hope Cup.

Parker — Snowboarding

Recently trained with the Australian junior squad in Mammoth and competing with the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club this season.

Lachie — Surfing

Top 20 nationally for his age and recent 2nd place at the Northern Beaches Regionals.

From the Northern Beaches to the world stage, this group represents the strength of local talent and the future of sport in our community.

We’re proud to support their journey.

upstate.com.au

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Upstate Projects – The Good Life, On the Fairway

There's a particular kind of address that stops you the moment you arrive. Fairway, Cromer Heights is exactly that. Sitting directly alongside the fairways of the Cromer Golf Course, this boutique collection of just ten residences brings together considered design, refined finishes and a lush green outlook that's hard to find, and even harder to leave.

Opportunities like this don't come around often. In fact, after decades of demand and countless maybes, many people had stopped expecting them to. But Fairway, Cromer Heights is here, and it is exactly what this part of the Beaches has been waiting for.

With the over-60s buyer in mind, this exclusive collection of residences will appeal to the discerning downsizer seeking a boutique, highly refined building without the restrictions of retirement-style living.

Designed by multi award-winning Texco Architects, the residences combine contemporary architectural lines with the lush treetop surrounds, creating a private oasis overlooking the exclusive Cromer Golf Course.

Delivered by highly awarded, iCIRT-rated builder Dilcara, an exceptional team has been assembled to create a new benchmark in luxury and quality on the peaceful green slopes of Cromer Golf Course.

Every residence faces north, planned for light from the moment you walk in. Three-sided aspects flood interiors with natural sunlight, while expansive living areas open seamlessly to north-facing balconies or landscaped courtyards.The connection to lush greenery is immediate and constant, whether you're having your morning coffee or winding down for the evening.

Sumptuous interiors featuring fireplaces and expansive outdoor kitchens create the ultimate entertainer's retreat, perfectly suited to relaxed family living and relaxed indoor-outdoor entertaining.

Every residence includes:

Feature fireplaces

Premium Miele kitchens

Taj Mahal natural stone finishes

Dedicated study spaces

Oversized master suites with
walk-in robes

Ample secure parking and storage

The location puts Narrabeen Lake, Dee Why and Collaroy beaches, local cafés and everyday amenities all within easy reach, with Northern Beaches Hospital and Westfield Warringah Mall close by.

With just ten residences, opportunities like this are rarely released. Fairway offers a lifestyle that is private, peaceful and quietly refined, a boutique oasis on the golf course unlike anything else on the Beaches.

Quiet, surrounded by greenery and designed in a way that just feels considered from the moment you walk in.

Residences in this setting are rarely released. Just ten in total, Fairway offers an exclusive opportunity for boutique living alongside the fairways of Cromer Golf Course, where architecture, craftsmanship and nature meet in perfect balance. Expansive interiors open to north facing outdoor areas, refined finishes throughout.

Now Selling from $1,695,000.

To find out more, contact Lachlan Yeates: 0414 660 033, Paul Ferrari: 0411 963 366, or visit fairway.upstate.com.au

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Your Best Investment Is Already Yours.

There’s a lot of noise right now about a softening property market, and for many Beaches homeowners, that noise is creating a kind of pressure. Sell before the peak drops away.

But here’s the thing: selling into a quieter market is rarely the power move it seems. For those with good land and a tired home, the smarter question isn’t “should I sell?” It’s “what could I build instead?”

If you own land on the Beaches, you’re already holding something genuinely rare.

You know the street, the lifestyle, the community. The house might be tired, in need of reinvention, maybe in need of complete replacement. But the land? That’s not something you can replace.

And yet, the instinct when a home starts feeling worn out is often to sell and move on. Right now, that instinct is worth examining carefully.

The real cost of moving.

Before you list, run the numbers properly. At current median values across the Beaches, the full cost of moving is not just an inconvenience. It’s a serious financial event.

In suburbs like Manly and Queenscliff, stamp duty alone sits somewhere between $220,000 and $250,000. In areas like Dee Why, Elanora Heights and Frenchs Forest, you’re still looking at well north of $120,000. That’s before you touch agent commissions, which across the Beaches typically run between 1.6 and 2.2 per cent of the sale price. On a home valued between $3m and $4.5m, that’s $60,000 to $100,000 in fees. Add marketing and you’re looking at another $10,000 to $20,000.

Put it all together and a conservative estimate for the total cost of moving lands somewhere between $250,000 and $350,000. And that’s just to get out the door, without any guarantee that what you find next will be better than what you already have.

“For many homeowners right now, the smarter play isn’t to sell. It’s to stay where you love to live, and make what you have significantly better.”

More and more clients are doing exactly that. At Wattle Court, the conversations we’re having most often right now aren’t about new builds on vacant land. They’re about homeowners who’ve done the sums, looked at the market, and decided to stay put and create something far better instead.

A knockdown rebuild gives you a brand new home, designed properly for how you live, without leaving the suburb you love. The school catchment, the walk to the beach, the neighbours you actually like. All of that stays. What changes is everything else.

And for the right blocks, duplex development takes that thinking one step further. You’re not just improving your home. You’re creating a dual asset, one that might generate rental income, house family, or give you the option to sell one side and reduce debt significantly. In a market where buyers are cautious, that kind of financial control is worth a great deal.

When the market was running hot, building felt chaotic. Trades were stretched, timelines blew out, decisions were rushed. That’s easing. There’s a real opportunity right now to plan carefully, design properly, and build without that same pressure bearing down on every decision. You’re effectively using a quieter market to position yourself well for the next upswing.

Not all builders are set up for this kind of work. Knockdown rebuilds and duplex projects on the Beaches carry their own set of complexities: sloping sites, council controls, access challenges, design requirements specific to the area. You need someone who understands how to make it work in practice, not just someone who can price a set of plans.

At Wattle Court Northern Beaches, this is precisely what we focus on. We help clients work out what’s actually possible on their site, then deliver a result that makes sense financially as well as aesthetically. No overpromising. No generic solutions. Just well-considered projects that hold their value long term.

What does it actually cost to move?

Figures based on current Northern Beaches median values, 2026. Stamp duty calculated on homes valued $3m–$4.5m.

STAMP DUTY
Manly / Queenscliff
$200k–$250k+

Dee Why, Elanora Heights, Frenchs Forest
$120k+

AGENTS COMMISSIONS
1.6 to 2.2%
$60k+

MARKETING COSTS
$10k–$20k

TOTAL COST TO EXIT YOUR CURRENT HOME
$250k–$350k+

Find out what’s actually possible on your block.

Wattle Court Northern Beaches offers a free, no-obligation site consultation for homeowners considering a knockdown rebuild or duplex development.

Wattle Court Sydney North | 28–30 Orchard Road, Brookvale NSW 2100 | (02) 9939 3339 | wattlecourt.com.au/builder/northern-beaches

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Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes – Life After the Rush

There's a postcode on the Mid North Coast that keeps coming up in conversations about what comes next. Forster, on the shores of Wallis Lake, north of Newcastle, with golden beaches, whale-watch headlands, weekend markets, and a town that hums without ever feeling frantic. At Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes, that setting isn't a holiday backdrop. It's home.

Most people who move to Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes say the same thing afterwards: they wish they'd done it sooner. Karen and Shayne Derwin spent more than 20 years running a small business and raising a family. Life was full, and then Shayne's health took an unexpected turn and made it even fuller. When the idea of an over-50s community first came up, Karen was sceptical.

"I was actually quite anxious about the idea," she admits. "But before we even got to the end of the resort tour, I wanted in."

Their home now sits beside bushland, minutes from the water. Low maintenance. Unmistakably comfortable. And quieter than either of them expected. Karen's mornings now begin with Aqua Zumba, a swim, or a coffee with neighbours at the Belleair
Country Club. Afternoons belong to the dog, or the sun, or both.

"You can do so many activities here, or none at all," she says. "It's your choice."

Wayne and Judy Finkelde arrived from the increasingly busy Camden region in south-west Sydney with a different priority: people. "We didn't want another suburban street," Judy explains. "We wanted to meet people and have a social life." They found both, and then some. Wayne has taken to the golf simulators, the indoor pool, and regular snooker with new mates. Judy's calendar runs to singing group, line dancing, Aqua Zumba and Mah-jong. Together, they've made room for trivia nights, barbecues and Happy Hour.

"The facilities were such a big attraction," Wayne says. "But the social aspect has been even nicer."

The resort runs its energy across two distinct clubhouses. The Belleair Country Club features indoor and outdoor pools, a heated spa, a sauna and salt room, a luxury movie theatre, a three-lane bowling alley, an art and craft studio, a library, the Milon gymnasium, and a fully licensed bar and dining hall complete with a stage and dancefloor. The Rhodes Sports Club caters to the more active homeowner, with an eight-rink undercover bowling green, golf simulators, four outdoor pickleball courts, a nine-hole mini golf course, and a licensed bar and coffee lounge for those who prefer to spectate. Most homeowners drift between the two depending on the day.

Special events bring the community together in ways no brochure could quite capture. A recent 'Le Dîner en Blanc' evening, dedicated to raising funds for a homeowner couple's grandson who is battling brain cancer, drew the resort together in something spectacular. It was beautiful, but the real beauty lay in its purpose. Organised by the homeowners themselves, it forged new friendships while deepening the ones already in place.

That kind of culture has grown organically here, around like-minded neighbours who choose this address. It isn't only the organised activities. It's the spontaneous chats, the shared coffees, and the familiar faces that make it feel like home from day one.

Homes here are stamp duty-free and council rate-free. There's no exit fee, no deferred management fee, and homeowners keep 100 per cent of any capital gain when they sell.

Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes has just released its final stage of homes. The window is narrowing. For anyone who has been quietly wondering whether this is the year, Karen Derwin made up her mind before her resort tour was even over. That should tell you something.

A move like this is rarely simple. It can mean leaving familiar places and putting some distance between yourself and the people you love. For the Derwins and the Finkeldes, the trade-off has been more than worth it.

From morning walks on the beach to evenings by the lake, from trivia nights to slow afternoons at home, and most importantly, the kind of social connection that has your neighbours feeling like family, life at Palm Lake Resort Forster Lakes offers what so many spend years searching for.

As Karen puts it: "I've never been so happy in all my whole entire life."

Maybe that's what this chapter is really about. Not slowing down. Finally having the freedom to live exactly as you want, in a place that feels like home from day one.

The Numbers That Matter

No stamp duty.

No council rates.

No exit fee.

No deferred management fee.

100% of capital gain
retained on sale.

Book a private inspection and discover the lifestyle on offer. New homes now selling. Contact the team on 1800 577 542.

223 The Lakes Way, Forster NSW 2428 | 1800 577 542 | palmlakeresort.com.au

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Sterling Property Buyers – Your Move, Your Market

This property market doesn't wait. It moves fast, rewards the prepared, and is unforgiving of costly missteps. For buyers navigating it alone, the emotional and financial stakes can be overwhelming. Sterling Property Buyers was built for exactly this moment: a boutique buyers agency founded on three decades of real-world investment experience, hyperlocal Northern Beaches knowledge, and a commitment to getting you the right property, at the right price.

Market That Plays by Its Own Rules

There is nowhere quite like the Northern Beaches. From the iconic crescent of Manly to the quiet coves of Palm Beach, this coastline has long held a unique place in the Australian property imagination, and the market reflects that. Families plant roots here and rarely leave. Downsizers exchange family homes for beautifully appointed apartments a few streets back from the beach. First-home buyers who secure a foothold know they've won the long game.

Competition at auction is real. Off-market opportunities are few and far between. The difference between paying market value and paying a significant premium can come down to a single phone call, or the absence of one. Navigating this market alone can be daunting, emotionally exhausting, and expensive. That's precisely where a buyers agent becomes not just helpful, but essential.

The Buyers Agent Advantage

Most of us have a reasonable grasp of what a selling agent does. They work for the vendor, and they are exceptionally good at achieving the highest possible price for the person selling. A buyers agent does the complete opposite. And yet, far too few buyers on the Beaches have one in their corner.

A great buyers agent is your market insider, your negotiator, your due diligence partner, and your emotional anchor, all at once. They know which properties are worth the listed price, which are quietly overvalued, and which represent genuine opportunity. In a market where competition spirals quickly and auction anxiety is real, having someone calm, experienced and completely on your side isn't a luxury. It's a smart strategy.

Perhaps most importantly, a buyers agent can stop you making the kinds of costly mistakes that take years to undo: overpaying at auction because you got caught up in the moment; buying a property with a structural issue that wasn't spotted before exchange; or missing the better property sitting quietly off-market because you didn't know to look.

Barney Ellevsen
30 Years on the Board

Founder of Sterling Property Buyers, Barney brings extraordinary depth of experience across residential, commercial, investment, renovation, off-the-plan and multi-tenancy properties. What sets him apart isn't just breadth of experience. It's that he is a genuine, active investor himself, with a multi-million dollar portfolio built over three decades, generating a six-figure annual passive income. He has sat in exactly the seat his clients occupy. Before Sterling, Barney spent six years as a high school principal, shaping his remarkable ability to educate, guide and support the people he works with. He is a licensed real estate agent and member of the Real Estate Institute of NSW. When you engage Sterling, you deal with Barney directly, from start to finish.

Zac Ellevsen
The Northern Beaches Specialist

Complementing Barney's investment expertise is Zac Ellevsen, Sterling's boots-on-the-ground Northern Beaches local. Zac lives on the Beaches and knows it the way only a local can, from the subtle differences between suburbs to the micro-markets that only reveal themselves through years of living and working in the area. He knows which pockets are quietly emerging and where the lifestyle-to-price ratio still tips in a buyer's favour. Where Barney brings the strategic depth and investor's eye, Zac brings on-the-ground intelligence and an intimate knowledge of the off-market opportunities that never hit the portals. Together, this father-and-son team combines decades of investment experience with an insider's knowledge of this market.

Your Move Starts Here

Sterling analyses more than 20 metrics at every step, so every recommendation is grounded in data, not opinion. Getting it right the first time isn't just financially important. It's the difference between loving where you live and merely tolerating it. At Sterling, property is the passion. People are the priority.

Barney Ellevsen · 0421 375 398 | Zac Ellevsen · 0427 966 256 | sterlingpropertybuyers.au

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Jardin Frenchs Forest – The Wattle Collection

Jardin is a thoughtfully designed over 55’s community set within landscaped gardens. Light-filled apartments feature generous layouts, quality finishes and secure parking, supported by exceptional resident amenities, with breathtaking views to the city or over leafy Frenchs Forest. Choose from 2 and 3-bedroom residences, including select study and penthouse options, with access to a lounge and bar, indoor pool, rooftop terrace, gym, cinema and men’s shed.

Enjoy strata ownership with no deferred management or exit fees, offering transparency and peace of mind.

Experience the difference at Jardin today.

www.thejardin.com.ay | Call Denise on 0423 793 690 | Visit Our Sales Display: Ground Floor, 7 Skyline Place, Frenchs Forest | Open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 10am – 2pm or by appointment

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Build & Renovate

Mileham – Homes Designed To Adapt

Life on the Beaches is changing. More generations under one roof, more working from home, more life stages to accommodate in a single home – and floor plans are catching up. We spoke with MILEHAM Architects + Builders founder and director, James Pilcher, about how residential design is responding – not just for how families live now, but for how they’ll live in ten years’ time.

Multifunctional Spaces

Beaches homes are getting bigger and floorplans are evolving, for good reason: there are more people inside them and they need different things from the same house.

With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and rising house prices, multigenerational living is proving less of a trend, and more the new standard. Young adults and families are staying home longer to preserve finances and share childcare, while older homeowners are choosing to renovate to "age-in-place", rather than move into retirement living. The result is a design brief that didn't exist a decade ago: homes that serve three generations simultaneously, with enough separation to function and enough connection to feel like one household.

One of the most effective design changes James is increasingly making is relocating the master ensuite to the ground floor. It's a practical decision for today, freeing up the upper level as a semi-independent living space for adult children or young families, and a strategic one for the future, ensuring the owners won't be locked out of key living areas if mobility changes as they age.

Upper levels then function as self-contained zones: bedrooms, bathrooms, and often a small living area, giving younger members of the household genuine privacy without a separate address.

Floor plans are also increasingly designed to accommodate future elevator installation. A well-placed linen cupboard or storage void can be sized and positioned to convert to a lift well later, no structural rework required.

Lifestyle Shifts

Working patterns have reshaped what people need from their homes and where they're choosing to live. The upper Northern Beaches, once considered too far from the CBD for young professionals, has seen a marked shift since COVID normalised remote and hybrid work.

"We now work from home more, which means more young families are living further north than before," James says. With the B-Line reducing the friction of the commute when it's needed, he's seeing younger migration across the full length of the Beaches rather than just the southern half.

That shift is showing up directly in floor plan briefs. Study nooks are giving way to proper home offices, rooms with a door, adequate for video calls, and sized to double as a spare bedroom when needed.

The other major change: a move away from the large open-plan kitchen-living-dining layout. "They're so noisy when everyone is home, cooking, washing up, watching TV, friends over for a glass of wine," James explains. "People are returning to separate living and kitchen-dining floor plans, which reduce noise competition and give the household more choice about where to be."

It's a practical response to houses with more occupants and more concurrent activity, design catching up with how people actually use space.

A Symbol of Change

Perhaps one of the most rapidly evolving zones on the Beaches is Brookvale. Currently characterised by its industrial presence with few actual residents, that's set to shift with the Brookvale Structure Plan, which aims to introduce 1,350 dwellings over the next 15 years.

James sees Brookvale as a natural next go-to spot for younger residents, and the development will influence home design in the surrounding area. "Dee Why is a great service centre, but it's very much a thoroughfare. Brookvale has large swathes of spaces ripe for development that are away from Pittwater Road, but still easily accessible for public transport," he explains.

On keeping the area's character through the transition, James points to South Melbourne as a model, industrial roots with a creative, mixed-use identity. "The creativity has to stay here. And it needs to be kept at low-to-medium height with a mix of commercial, retail, lifestyle, and dwellings."

Multiple microbreweries have established themselves, giving the area somewhere to gather and a reason to stay.

"I think the future of Brookvale is a really exciting opportunity that the Northern Beaches will flourish from. The south has had focus, the west has had focus. Now it's time for us. But getting the transport mix right will be key to success."

The way we live is changing, and so are the homes we live in. If yours is due for an update, MILEHAM makes it easy. •

1/2 Moore Rd, Freshwater 2096  |  0410 723 203  |  www.mileham.com.au

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Collaroy Kitchen Centre

Where bold design meets everyday life

Designed: John and Helle Olsen
Build: Collaroy Kitchen Centre
Location: Collaroy

A bold kitchen designed to draw attention, with walnut timber benchtops, matte black cabinetry and dark marble splashbacks.

FEATURE FOCUS

Accessories: Vipp Shelves
Benchtop: American walnut timber
Bins: Häfele
Bouquet: White House Flowers
Cabinetry: Laminex Absolute Matte
Dishwasher: Miele
Drawers and Hinges: Blum
Handles: Kethy and Buster + Punch
Lighting: LEDs
Power points: Zetr
Oven and Cooktop: Miele
Refrigerator: Mitsubishi
Sink: Blanco
Splashbacks: Marble
Taps: Vola

When the Designer Is Also the Client

Strikingly designed, this kitchen was built to catch eyes. Belonging to the designers themselves, it caters to the Olsen family of three and their dog in Collaroy. Modelled with continuity in mind, the kitchen is made to flow into the existing space. Though it achieves the vision effortlessly, the process wasn’t without its challenges. Dealing with four doorways and adjusting their expectations for the open floorplan they originally wanted, Helle and John managed to pull together a space that honoured what was already there.

Matte black cabinetry makes a bold statement. Up high, the lines created by a fluted surface lead the eye upward. Space has intentionally been left to give the ceiling breathing room, making the kitchen feel less dominating and more relaxing.

Meanwhile, quartz veins in the marble redistribute attention throughout the kitchen, exaggerating the sense of space. The marble guarantees elegance while providing an easy-clean splashback surface that is both elevated and efficient.

Bringing warmth to the otherwise high-contrast black and white palette is the American walnut benchtop, an unusual yet richly decadent inclusion. Tying it in are the timber internals revealed when opening the overhead storage. With upwards-opening doors and in-built lighting, the entire shelf becomes visible and accessible in one movement, eliminating the chance of bumping into doors left open.

A black Vola tap and Blanco sink meld into the overall design, while dark, rounded-edged power points remain almost invisible against the marble. Lacking visible handles, every drawer continues the theme of crisp, clean lines. Tea towels, cleaning products, bins, doggie treats and spices are all tucked away in dedicated spaces. A Miele induction cooktop ensures a continuously smooth surface, beautifully reflecting the marble above. The design ethos is sleek throughout, ensuring no unwanted detail snags attention.

Owner and designer Helle is a keen cook and loves to bake, so she ensured that everything was positioned to make sense. The sink behind the expansive window means washing up is always brightened by natural light. The extra depth to the window ledge provides a dedicated spot for a White House Flowers bouquet. The dishwasher beneath allows an easy flow from rinsing to stacking. The wall-mounted stepladder keeps everything within reach. Even the fridge sits right by the oven, so moving dough from resting to baking takes no more than a single step.

It is the kind of kitchen that makes you rethink your own. Getting kitchen envy? Collaroy Kitchen Centre can turn your dream space into a reality. Visit collaroykitchen.com.au.

Collaroy Kitchen Centre | Showroom 7–8, 1000 Pittwater Road, Collaroy |02 9972 9300 | Lic no: 185107C | collaroykitchen.com.au

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Choices Flooring

The latest in carpet, timber, laminate, luxury vinyl, hybrid, rugs, window furnishings.

The best floors aren't just looked at, they're lived on.

At Choices Flooring Balgowlah, we help you find the one built for your family.

Choices Flooring Balgowlah | 192 Condamine Street, Balgowlah | 02 9907 9077 | choicesflooring.com

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Miller Stone – Urban Oasis: Laying The Foundations

It starts with kicking off your shoes and stepping out onto a surface that lets you exhale. Solid stone is the foundation, both physically and visually, adding structure and defined edges to your urban oasis.

Travertine is a popular choice to add long-lasting luxury that flows from indoors to outdoors. A natural sedimentary rock formed from calcium carbonate deposits, it forms around hot springs and limestone caves in places like Italy, Turkey, Peru, Mexico, Croatia and Iran. Creamy white and smooth but with natural, flowing patterns, it achieves a balance between modernity and character that only gets better with age.  

Sandstone is also the ideal addition to any Beaches garden, a distinctive mark of the Sydney sandstone region. Working in rhythm with the natural landscape, sandstone makes for an excellent feature wall, bringing rough texture, natural edges, and warm, sun-drenched colour to the palette. Behind the barbeque, as a backdrop to the pool, or against the back wall of the house are ideal attention-grabbing spots for sandstone cladding.

When choosing which stone goes where, make sure you’re factoring in foot traffic: softer stones like limestone are fine for less walked-upon surfaces, but hotspots will need sturdy options like granite, bluestone or sandstone. Likewise, if you have any areas prone to flooding, choose a textured, grippy surface that won’t become a slipping hazard. Make sure drainage is factored in from day one, too, as we are a land of droughts and flooding rains, after all. •

1/1018 Pittwater Road, Collaroy 2097 | (02) 9170 3699  |  www.millerstone.com.au

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Exotic Pools & Spas – Urban Oasis: Pool Takes Pride of Place

With hot Aussie summers, the beach quickly gets busy. Somewhere to cool off that doesn’t require a car trip or taking the sand and salt home with you is a must. It's where you'll relax with friends in your own space. Where you'll to teach your kids how to swim in a safe, waveless environment. Where you'll to destress after work. It’s the pool: aka paradise.

An All-Weather Wonder

The pool doesn’t just have to be for summer. The integrated spa-in-pool design is quickly picking up speed, bringing all the water into one zone where guests can slip between warmth and cooling as they wish.

Solar heating extends your swim season significantly and adds minimal running cost. Heat pumps are more expensive upfront but efficient year-round. A good pool-builder will help you work out which suits your climate, usage and budget.

Pools can be endlessly customised, whether it’s inbuilt loungers, shallow areas for kids, steps and benches for seating or easy exit. Will it be an infinity pool? Have a water feature? Include lights? Create a stir with jets?

The options are endless. A good designer will help you realise your vision, building something that’s right for you. For location, you’ll consider things like sun orientation, wind factor, whether the pool should be inset or above ground, how close the fencing will sit, how you’ll refill it, and where to store cleaning and filtration equipment.

What's in the Water?

Saltwater pools have become the standard choice for many Australian homeowners. They're gentler on skin and eyes, lower maintenance day-to-day and less chemically intense.

Chlorine pools give you more precise control and can be cheaper to install, but require more hands-on upkeep.

Either way, the water still needs to be balanced regularly; a saltwater pool is not a no-maintenance pool.

For those wanting to go a step further, natural pools are a growing alternative worth considering. Instead of regulating through chemical additions, they use a separate planted zone, known as a regeneration zone, to filter and clean the water biologically. They require more space and a higher upfront investment, but running costs are low and the aesthetic, with aquatic plants framing a swim zone, is stunning.

Splash In Style

Once the big picture’s taken care of, you can enjoy planning the little details.

Materials-wise, concrete is more customisable yet more costly than fibreglass, so there’s no clear winner and you’ll have to pick what suits you best.

Decoration-wise, you could go for a variety of options: glass tiles are a popular choice, providing an alluring glimmer at the water’s edge. Porcelain is durable and gives a glossy finish, mosaics are versatile and colourful, and ceramic can add artistic flair.
Expand your imagination and get creative; your perfect pool is out there.

Your dream pool starts with a single conversation.

Winter is the ideal time to begin. Start dreaming, designing and planning your ultimate pool and spa with someone who truly understands luxury. Blake Gaffney builds bespoke concrete pools for Northern Beaches homes, each one unique, each one built around the way you live.

Reach out to Blake and begin designing something extraordinary. •

Call 0437 672 223 | exoticpoolsandspas.com.au

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Reflective Gardens – Urban Oasis: Gorgeous Gardens

Working With The Land

“For us, every project starts with understanding the site itself: the land, the light, the levels, the existing vegetation and the way people naturally want to move through the space,” says Matt Beckett, Owner and Director of Reflective Gardens.

“Working across the Beaches, we’re constantly responding to challenging topography, sandstone escarpments, coastal conditions and highly architectural homes. Rather than forcing a landscape onto a site, we believe the best outcomes come from working with what’s already there and allowing the landscape, pool and built form to feel connected.”

A terraced garden is often suited to steep sites, creating the opportunity for beauty through intentional placement of plants of differing colours and heights. On flat, boxy plots, add interest and that wonderland feel through winding paths and dedicated zones tucked in here and there.

Plants That Belong

Plant-wise, natives are always the best choice, specifically ones local to the Beaches. Every area has its own vegetation community, so if you can smell the salt, hear the ocean, and feel the sea breeze, you’ll need to cater to coastal conditions.Go for dune plants such as Pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens), Coastal Correa (Correa alba) and Spinifex Grass (Spinifex sericeus).

Likewise, rainforest, woodland, heath, scrub, and any other kind of vegetation community will be most accommodating to its own crew of plants.

Crack open a copy of Native Plants of the Sydney Region by Alan Fairley & Philip Moore, or Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney by Les Robinson for the best info on what’s native to your particular community.

The Trees Near Me app can also give a good general overview. In all, ditch the exotics and embrace the local flora that makes the Beaches home.

Groundcovers are the most important step, as they’ll help to outcompete weeds. So much better than mulch, they provide greenery, habitat and oxygen, fueling life.

Go for the native violet (Viola hederacea), kidney-shaped Dichondra repens, and blue-flowered Commelina cyanea, but don’t be fooled by its weedy lookalike, Trad (Tradescantia fluminensis), which produces white flowers.

“Locally appropriate planting is incredibly important to us, particularly on the Beaches where the surrounding environment has such a strong identity,” Matt confirms.

More Than Vegetation

Once you’ve got the landscape formed and the plants settled in, it’s time to add the little touches that make it yours.

A hand-made sculpture in the sunlight, a bench in dappled shade, a birdbath stirred by wingtips. Be sure to provide for your other tenants, too; a possum box, a curl of bark for blue-tongued lizards, or a water bowl for wallabies. will all be well-appreciated by thelocal wildlife.

Because gardening is more than weeding: it’s dedicating love to your land. •

reflectivegardens.com.au

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No Time ForGrime: The Work You Never See

Brookvale doesn’t shut down. It just changes shifts.

When the cafés pull their first espresso and the offices start warming up, a whole lot of work has already been done. Floors reset. Benches wiped down. Bathrooms sparkling. The kind of work you’re not supposed to notice, but absolutely would if it didn’t happen.

Behind every busy day in Brookvale, this is the quiet, consistent work that No Time For Grime has made its reputation on.

Across Brookvale and the Beaches, the team looks after close to 500 sites, operating in early mornings, late nights and the in-between hours that keep businesses running smoothly. Restaurants, offices, gyms and commercial spaces, many of the places that give the area its energy rely on work happening well outside of peak hours.

What makes No Time For Grime different is the depth of that relationship. This isn’t a roster of drop-in cleaners. The team gets to know each site intimately, how it operates, where the foot traffic hits hardest, what standards need to be exact, and what the business can’t afford to get wrong. A restaurant kitchen is different from a corporate foyer, which is different again from a gym changeroom at six in the morning. That granular understanding is what separates a clean space from a properly maintained one.

It’s also what builds trust. When a business owner hands over the keys, they’re not just delegating a task. They’re trusting someone with their livelihood, their reputation and the first impression their space makes every single day. No Time For Grime takes that seriously.

The team works alongside businesses, not just for them. That means communicating when something’s off, flagging maintenance issues before they become problems and adapting quickly when a client’s needs change. It’s the kind of service that quietly becomes part of how a business runs, so embedded it’s hard to imagine operating without it.

Urban life is made of layers. The visible and the invisible. The loud and the quiet. The front-of-house moments that get photographed and shared, and the behind-the-scenes work that makes those moments possible. Brookvale’s busiest venues, sharpest offices and most-visited spaces didn’t get that way by accident. Someone made sure the details were right, before the doors opened and after they closed.

So next time Brookvale feels like it’s humming, remember someone was there before you arrived, and someone will be there after you leave, keeping the beat going.

We’re growing, and we want good people.

If you take pride in your work and want consistent hours, a team that supports you, and the chance to build a real career, No Time For Grime wants to hear from you.

No Time For Grime | 11/108 Old Pittwater Rd, Brookvale NSW 2100 |. 1300 GRIME | (02) 8318 8006 | ntfg.com.au