InStyle Australia editor-in-chief, Justine Cullen, lists Palm Beach property for sale

There’s a captivating pull to Palm Beach, with its vast coastline kissed by ocean breezes that intertwine into the very fabric of family life. Amid this beachside setting stands Sundowner, a cherished home that has embraced the Cullen-Guppy family through seasons of joy.

For Justine Cullen, editor-in-chief of InStyle Australia, and her husband, Hayden Guppy, finding this home was a turning point. The walls of their previous Avalon house felt too snug for their growing family of six, and after a series of near misses, this Pittwater gem caught their eye.

“I think we were about three steps in when one of us whispered to the other, ‘This is our house,’” Cullen says. “Even though it’s quite big, it has the feel of a sort of grand beach shack from another time.”

Built in 1950, Sundowner wears its history with pride: fanciful gargoyles perched on the garden staircase, leadlight windows casting colourful patterns through French doors, lofty exposed beams, and a kitchen fireplace that exudes charm. Golden rays gloriously illuminate its crisp white interiors and painted timber floors.

“Before us, it was owned by a well-known interior designer, so all the bones were already there, and it was perfectly liveable,” Cullen says. “We put our efforts into the outdoors – the fire pit and pizza oven spaces.”

Moving in just months before COVID-19 lockdowns, Sundowner proved its standing as a steadfast sanctuary, comforting the family through those unprecedented times.

“I thanked our lucky stars every day that it’s where we lived when we moved to working and schooling from home,” Cullen says. “It never felt like we were holed up inside, and being just across the road from Dark Gully, a very private beach that feels like you’re in another world when the tide is out, was fantastic. It’s the best place to go for a walk before sundown, preferably with a glass of wine in hand.”

The rhythm of childhood filled the home as Cullen and Guppy raised their four boys: Milo, Iggy, Scout, and Odie. Despite the bustling energy, Cullen, a self-proclaimed “hermit crab”, found a profound sense of peace in its embrace.

“There are lots of little zones that make it feel like a sanctuary, but the sunroom off the main bedroom is it for me,” she says. “For a long time, we had it set up as our bed nook, and going to sleep among the trees and waking up to that view was a spectacular start and finish to every day. Now it has a big armchair and is the perfect place to curl up with a book and a cuppa.”

In a much-loved home, it’s often the small, quiet details that bring it to life. Here, it’s the sight of jacarandas in bloom, a cosy corner by the living room’s gas fireplace for a Christmas tree, a sunlit private terrace with its patch of grass, the magical morning light, and the kookaburra that greets Cullen at breakfast.

“Even though it’s a dream of a summer house with all the windows open and the breeze blowing through, my favourite time is actually winter,” she says. “There’s so much light you feel like you’re outside even when you’re curled up inside, and with the fire on it’s so cosy.”

The property’s adaptability was another gift – spaces that could shift and change as the family did. The lower level alone, complete with a custom bunk room, multipurpose lounge, and an extra bedroom, held countless memories.

“The bunk room has seen a million sleepovers – children and adults – our youngest, Odie, learned to walk in the house,” Cullen reminisces. “We’ve gone through two HSCs and a million special family meals around the dining table, which is very much the hub of the home.”

Palm Beach itself plays a starring role in this story – a place where the journey home from the city dissolves into pure anticipation, with each curve of the road offering a deeper breath of fresh, salty air.

“People tell me all the time that they’d love the lifestyle but are worried about the commute, but I truly love the drive. It’s when I do all my phone calls and get in all my podcast listening. And as a mother of four with a big job, it’s also some precious alone time,” Cullen says. “Plus, for me, any kind of commute is worth living in such a beautiful part of the world.”

Yet, as life moves forward, so do its chapters. Their eldest son, Milo, is off to university in Melbourne, and Iggy is soon bound for university in Canberra; the once-bustling home has begun to quieten.

“We now have an entire empty floor with them gone and have empty seats around the dining table, so it felt like the right time to explore a new chapter as a family,” Cullen says. “I’m so sad to leave the house, especially the view, but I’m excited to see what comes next.”

Auction Guide $3.9m

842 Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach NSW 2108

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