The Bluff House merges the carefree abandon of the archetypal holiday retreat with the ever increasing list of requirements of an everyday house. Perched on a clifftop between expansive coastline and lush surrounding countryside, this extraordinary holiday house embodies a comfortable refuge from which to enjoy the beguiling beauty of the natural views. The client’s passion for art, design, travel and intense jewel-like colours was foremost when establishing the overall approach and customised palette for this house. The sparseness of the external materials palette continues inside – dark bronze window frames and furnishings, Blackbutt floor boards, white acoustic ceiling and chocolate brown wall panels, all selected to reinforce and highlight the ever changing colours of the surrounding environment. Creating a softer and gentler palette to play off the strength of the architecture, pink sapphire, garnet red and amethyst were chosen for loose furnishings, while deliberately avoiding the use of blue which dominates the spaces via the vast ocean and sky views. Furniture was carefully selected to suit the architectural spaces, respecting the flow and proportions of the rooms established by Inarc Architects. Photography: Mark Roper