A new generation of residential projects is emerging to meet Australians' growing desire for homes that offer comfort, thoughtful design, and a strong sense of place.
On the beachfront in South Cronulla, Isla offers 12 luxurious, expansive apartments (including whole floors and half floors) designed for privacy, natural light and enduring quality.
This represents a refined response to changing expectations around how and where Australian buyers want to live now and into the future.
Developed by Skymark and created in collaboration with IDA Design Group, Coco Republic Interiors, and Site Design+Studios, Isla is not a high-rise, high-turnover development.
It's a tightly held, architecturally integrated building that reflects evolving expectations around housing, lifestyle and community.
With no commercial spaces on the ground floor and no shared internal walls in the whole floor residences, the building offers an alternative to the compact apartment towers found across much of Sydney’s growth corridors.
Rhiff Larkings, sales agent with Location Real Estate, has been closely involved with Isla. He says the project sets a new standard for high-end apartment living in Cronulla.
“Isla really lifts the bar for what luxury beachfront living looks like in Cronulla,” Mr Larkings says.
“With full-floor residences boasting over 230 square metres of internal living space, it offers scale and proportion we just haven’t seen before in the area.”
Isla is a boutique 12-residence building moments away from Cronulla Beach.
Whole-floor living without compromise
Each whole-floor residence is accessible by a lift opening into its own private foyer.
With windows on all four sides, natural light, cross-ventilation, and dual views—the Pacific Ocean to the east, Gunnamatta Bay and parklands to the west—the layout mimics the openness and privacy of a freestanding home, but without the maintenance.
Generous balconies on either side create seamless indoor-outdoor living and frame the ever-changing coastal outlook.
The sense of seclusion offered in each home is balanced by a strong connection to the surrounding landscape, allowing residents to feel both elevated and grounded.
“It means total privacy and a true sense of ownership,” Mr Larkings says.
The whole-floor residences offer expansive ocean views and generously sized floorplans.
A counterpoint to urban compression
In an economic environment where medium- and high-density housing is often promoted as a solution to affordability and urban sprawl, Isla stands in quiet contrast.
With just 12 residences and no retail or commercial integration, it raises a different question: what kind of density do people actually want to live in?
“Isla offers true whole-floor living, which is incredibly rare,” says Mr Larkings.
“It’s not just about luxury finishes—it’s about space, privacy, and exclusivity, all right on the beach in one of the Shire’s most sought-after pockets.”
The design also reflects a growing recognition of what buyers, particularly downsizers and high-income professionals, are willing to pay for—not just square metres, but orientation, connection to nature, and a sense of ownership within a smaller, more community-minded scale.
Coco Republic's signature touch
A highlight of the Isla development is the involvement of Coco Republic Interiors, a leader in Australian luxury furniture and interior design.
Known for their exquisite style and attention to detail, Coco Republic's touch is evident throughout the apartments.
Interiors feature natural stone, state-of-the-art Gaggenau appliances, underfloor heating, and steam cupboards—features more commonly associated with bespoke homes.
Each detail has been crafted to achieve a refined level of luxury that speaks directly to Coco Republic's reputation as a provider of sophisticated and timeless design solutions.
The collaboration with Coco Republic is particularly appealing for buyers who value aesthetics and craftsmanship, ensuring each apartment delivers a living experience that is both elegant and functional.
“Every detail has been carefully considered,” Mr Larkings says.
“It’s a refined level of luxury wrapped in a functional floorplan offering space, flow and comfort rarely found in apartment living.”
Designed by Coco Republic, Isla's interiors are perfect for discerning buyers.
Policy shifts and market momentum
The project launches at a time when the housing market is responding to new economic signals.
Interest rate cuts earlier this year and the continuation of stamp duty discounts for off-the-plan purchases in New South Wales have helped to revive confidence in the top end of the market.
For some buyers, the current financial environment has opened up new opportunities to make more intentional housing choices. Whether that means upsizing, downsizing, or seeking a home better aligned with their lifestyle.
Developments like Isla cater to this demand for high-quality, design-focused living, offering a distinct option within the broader mix of housing now available.
“High-end buyers want something that feels considered and rare, which Isla absolutely delivers,” Larkings says.
“From its boutique building size and premium finishes to the perfect location between beach and bay, just footsteps to Cronulla’s best cafes and shops, it’s everything they’re looking for.”
Reimaging apartment living for better permanence
In a market saturated with investment-grade apartments designed for transient occupancy, Isla represents an effort to reimagine multi-residential living as permanent, place-based, and personal.
As expectations around privacy, comfort, and sustainability evolve, projects like Isla suggest that the future of apartment living doesn't have to be smaller—just smarter.
The residences at Isla are designed to be permanent, tightly held homes.
A different vision for coastal living
As one of only a handful of developments along South Cronulla’s tightly held beachfront, Isla is as much a product of its place as it is of its moment.
It reflects a growing appetite for homes that are connected to their surroundings and designed for long-term living.
It also offers a glimpse of what residential design might look like when density is reinterpreted not as a number but a philosophy centred on liveability, longevity, and human scale.
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