Deborra-lee Furness says that realizing her “lifelong dream” of constructing a house from the ground up for her family was a pivotal moment in her life. It’s like checking items off a list that you never thought you’d get to. I’ve done it, and it was a lot of fun.

The East Hampton project was something that had been planned for the greater part of a lifetime, and although it took six years to finish, it was worth the wait. “I had this inspiration book,” remembers Furness. I randomly started page turning.

Every time I placed something in there, people would make fun of me. My Australian pals came back to visit after I had built the house, and they exclaimed, “Oh my God, the book has come to life.”

Furness’s notebook had transformed from a random collection of rip sheets and references into a repository of compelling design and art moments that had left a lasting impression on her.

“I took influences from Japan, from Morocco, and from all of my travels over the years,” adds Furness, who is herself an artist and designer and who works in the film industry. “My travels and experiences in Japan, Morocco, and elsewhere served as inspiration.”

I have had the most wonderful experiences at Aman hotels. I think Zen is fantastic. I really appreciate the clean, modern look of minimalism.

She and rock star husband Hugh Jackman needed to find the perfect spot before they could start sketching blueprints.

“I spent years looking for a space, but then a girlfriend told me about this property,” Furness reflects. “Ever since then, I check in here on a daily basis.” To put it another way, “we were familiar with the neighborhood because we had rented a house just down the street.” In addition, the bay is visible from the room. The tranquility of the lake and the way it felt were both very appealing to me.

“Mom, you need to make a decision already,” my kids were telling me. She recalled, “We went to see it together, and when we left, I said, ‘Let’s do it.'” They bought two lots next to each other that jutted out over a steep drop.

Furness was confident that they would be able to do something completely novel, but they were limited by the parameters of an existing design. In fact, “we now call it the Black Shack,” as Furness explains.

“Black” “The artist who owned this tiny cabin was a recluse.” Although it was created out of stone tiles in the 1970s, it was in reasonably good condition. The first thing I thought was, “Oh my God, how am I going to change this without tearing it down?” when I saw it.