Space furniture: The Cliffhanger, a balance between fortress and retreat

Perched high above Toowoomba with views to Tabletop Mountain, Picnic Point and Brisbane, the Cliffhanger House by Joe Adsett Architects is both a fortress and a retreat where the vastness of the landscape is tempered by its finely detailed interior.

Light, reflection and textured materials play a role in softening spaces and playing off against the pragmatic rationale of the building’s raw concrete form, creating carefully layered interiors where family life unfolds. Here, More Space talks with interior designer Matilda Harris about the project’s design evolution and the importance of ‘softness, warmth and a human scale’ in shaping a cosy buffer to the breathtaking views beyond.

More Space: Great to catch up with you Matilda. First of all what an incredible site, where is the Cliffhanger House located and what were the key design considerations?

Matilda Harris: It is a very dramatic site located in Toowoomba with views east over Brisbane and all the way from Picnic Point to Tabletop Mountain. When you drive in, it literally falls away and all you can see is the view. It was also a very challenging site in a landslide zone with only a thin portion we could physically build on, so that really drove the form’s design evolution and its massive projection and cantilever.

There’s a real John Lautner moment at the entry, it makes me think of the drama of the Sheats-Goldstein House that hovers above the Hollywood Hills.

The first time I drove down the driveway it was a super foggy day and I couldn’t see a metre in front of me, so it was very eerie and felt like a Bond villain’s lair. I do love the idea that a house can be a journey and you initially only get small glimpses.

How does form of the house respond to the client’s brief?

For the client the brief was not just about creating an incredible architectural legacy, it was about creating a comfortable home with lots of seamless connections to the landscape and views. The site constraints were initially quite stressful but we ended up with way more floor space area so the form also became a very functional response. In the cantilever there is a second living room, a study, bedroom and the full master bedroom wing. While the design provides complete privacy from the neighbours by framing views in a purposeful way, the pool, which runs along the full length of the living, dining and kitchen areas, has an incredible playfulness as the light, shadow and reflections of the surrounding landscape bounce off the water. 

What are some of the other key design moves?

What we realised pretty quickly was how important it was to introduce lovely moments of human scale. When you're inside it really is all about the view, there is a lot going on so the interiors had to work hard to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also soft and comfortable and easy to live in. The interior is actually quite restrained. It is concrete and glass and celebrates the setting and echoes the architectural form with the building’s softer concrete sweeps found in the joinery and the soft curves of the walls. Getting the human scale right was so important otherwise I think you would feel quite lost on a site like this. The furniture played a huge part too, defining key zones and creating cosy areas within.

“It’s an extraordinary view but also a very challenging site on a landslide zone with only a thin portion you can physically build on. That really drove the form’s design evolution and its massive projection and cantilever.”

Matilda Harris, Interior Design Leader, Joe Adsett Architects

What is your favourite space in the house?

The second living area which is also a study, a playroom and just a hang out area works really hard to provide all the functions for a growing family. It is also the first internal space you see as you approach the front door. Its small window reveals a room full of light and just a glimpse of what you're in for when you venture inside. In that room the furniture is really important because it adds softness, warmth and a human scale in contrast to the vastness of the view beyond.

How did you approach the furniture selection?

It is a big house but it has a lovely scale so it was critical the furniture didn’t clutter the interior, it needed to add to the architecture and not take away from the view. We wanted the spaces to feel very calm, continue the language of the architecture and add warmth through texture. So the palette is quite grounded, with natural tones drawn from the surrounding landscape that add another layer.

I love timeless, crafted pieces that are well made and are not about a trend. That's why I work so well with Joe Adsett because we are designing projects that are fully responsive to the client and the site and nothing to do with trends or what’s in fashion. For us, furniture is about what is liveable and flexible for a family as it grows, with a few unforgettable pieces the family can actually use rather than a sofa no one's allowed to sit on. A lot of our projects end up with some form of configuration of the Tufty-Time sofa, it is just so classic and pairs with everything.

“I find it joyful bringing clients on the furniture journey. It’s an incredibly creative form of self-expression and for many of our clients it is a world they’ve never experienced before. It’s very special to buy something that you know is going to last a lifetime because furniture is where family memories happen.“

Matilda Harris, Interior Design Leader, Joe Adsett Architects

I find it joyful bringing clients on the furniture journey. It’s an incredibly creative form of self-expression and for many of our clients it is a world they’ve never experienced before. It’s very special to buy something that you know is going to last a lifetime because furniture is where family memories happen. That sofa in all the Christmas morning photos, or the one where you open up your birthday presents, they are the pieces families grow up around.

Was there a standout piece amongst the selection?

We were really drawn to Baxter’s Marilyn chair. It is elegant and has a strong presence while still being quite soft and warm. I think that's why it fits so well in this house. I love that it works as a pair, on its own and in any room, and in different material combinations it can look classic or quirky. Here, the Marilyn looks like it was made for the house.

Finally, who is the handsome little Dachshund sitting on the Marilyn chair?

That’s Fritz on his favourite chair. To have a client who is so excited about the furniture and happy for the whole family to enjoy it was joyful for me. You really don’t need to be precious about iconic pieces because they are so well made, they are designed to be lived on. To have a client who fully embraces that was a very happy moment.

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