The Little Black Shack

$470 per night

Cottage4 guests2bd1ba

Pittwater, New South Wales, Australia

An eco-friendly restoration turns a ramshackle shack into a magical seaside getaway in Australia.

In 2013, when Jamie Kwong and his wife Ingrid saw the "for sale" sign go up outside an old fisherman’s shack near their house, the two jumped at the opportunity. After all, the crooked little cottage wasn’t just any old beach property—Jamie first spotted it in a television commercial during the early 80s. Once the couple inadvertently discovered that the shack lay just across the bay from their home in Palm Beach, Australia, the modest fisherman dwelling continued to pique their curiosity for years to come.

Modern home with Exterior, Wood Siding Material, House Building Type, and Metal Roof Material. The couple’s eco-friendly renovation process took 18 months. Photo of The Little Black Shack

The couple’s eco-friendly renovation process took 18 months.

Modern home with Outdoor, Trees, and Boulders. The shack is only accessible via two ways: taking a boat across Pittwater Bay or hiking through the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Photo 2 of The Little Black Shack

The shack is only accessible via two ways: taking a boat across Pittwater Bay or hiking through the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

Modern home with Exterior, House Building Type, Wood Siding Material, and Metal Roof Material. Jamie and Ingrid stained the timber facade a dark blackish-brown to blend the shack into the landscape, but kept the window frames white for a stark pop of contrast. Photo 3 of The Little Black Shack

Jamie and Ingrid stained the timber facade a dark blackish-brown to blend the shack into the landscape, but kept the window frames white for a stark pop of contrast.

Modern home with Exterior, House Building Type, and Wood Siding Material. Rainwater is harvested for bathing and washing, while greywater is reused for irrigating the garden. Photo 4 of The Little Black Shack

Rainwater is harvested for bathing and washing, while greywater is reused for irrigating the garden.

Modern home with Corner Fireplace, Living Room, Chair, Shelves, and Medium Hardwood Floor. The shack is decorated with found and secondhand treasures from around the world. If the couple couldn’t find an item secondhand, they decided to make it themselves. Photo 5 of The Little Black Shack

The shack is decorated with found and secondhand treasures from around the world. If the couple couldn’t find an item secondhand, they decided to make it themselves.

Modern home with Living Room, Stools, Chair, Bookcase, Pendant Lighting, Medium Hardwood Floor, Shelves, Bench, and Rug Floor. The couple built many furnishings, such as the storage chests, out of old leftover timber. Photo 6 of The Little Black Shack

The couple built many furnishings, such as the storage chests, out of old leftover timber.

Modern home with Living Room, Medium Hardwood Floor, Chair, Coffee Tables, Wood Burning Fireplace, and Shelves. Sea breezes keep The Little Black Shack cool in summer, while a hand-built sandstone fireplace warms the property in winter. Photo 7 of The Little Black Shack

Sea breezes keep The Little Black Shack cool in summer, while a hand-built sandstone fireplace warms the property in winter.

Modern home with Living Room, Stools, Storage, Bench, Medium Hardwood Floor, and Wall Lighting. A full-length window seat overlooks views of the beach and the bay. Photo 8 of The Little Black Shack

A full-length window seat overlooks views of the beach and the bay.

Modern home with Kitchen, Medium Hardwood Floor, Microwave, Drop In Sink, Open Cabinet, Pendant Lighting, and Concrete Counter. Two French doors open up the open-plan kitchen and dining area to a covered outdoor terrace overlooking the water. Photo 9 of The Little Black Shack

Two French doors open up the open-plan kitchen and dining area to a covered outdoor terrace overlooking the water.

In the main bedroom, the couple have built the king-size bed frame out of recycled timber.

Modern home with Bedroom, Shelves, and Bed. The second bedroom, located on a lower level, includes a handmade queen bed nestled between walls that have been built from original sandstone and lined with timber. Photo 11 of The Little Black Shack

The second bedroom, located on a lower level, includes a handmade queen bed nestled between walls that have been built from original sandstone and lined with timber.

Credits

Posted By

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Landscape Design

Lawns, Gardens & Landscapes / Troy Bendeich

Photographer

Luisa Brimble

Overview

Location

Pittwater, New South Wales, Australia

Bedrooms

Full Baths

Structure

House (Single Residence)

Style

Rustic

Square Feet

1030

Press

Publications

Dwell