Light Well, Live Well Maree Ridgway — Torquay, Victoria

One of the first people to take a risk on Sundown when we were just starting out was 
Maree Ridgway. It makes sense as risk-taking is something Maree and her husband Neil 
see as central to living a life richly lived and deeply felt.

Neil and Maree first met as teenagers on the far north coast of NSW, where days were 
spent surfing at dawn, climbing cliffs in the afternoon, and returning home blissfully exhausted. Their family motto has always been: we’ll sleep when we’re dead.

That philosophy has carried them through decades of adventure, raising kids, working 
across the globe, and eventually settling in Torquay, where Neil’s career in surf 
journalism and later as Global Marketing & Events Director for Rip Curl took them. A 
three-year stint has turned into 23 years by the coast, with Torquay now very much their anchor.

When their older children moved out, Maree and Neil decided to downsize and build a 
home that reflected their lifestyle: “a cosy, secure home with efficient use of space, the right light, and views down to the beach.” Always ones to push against convention, they chose a darker stone with bold colour rather than the all-white palette typical of a coastal house. “We wanted to do it our way, even if it appealed to fewer people,” says Maree.

Lighting, for them, was about more than function — it was about energy. “I wanted 
something that would zap people a little bit, energise the space, and bring warmth. 
That’s what drew me to Sundown, the mixed timbers, the character, and the willingness to create something custom that spoke to this place and our story.”

The result is a home that feels both like a surf shack and a sanctuary — connected to the rhythms of the ocean, yet filled with life, friends, and family. The Ridgways often describe their house as feeling like a boutique hotel, though one that’s deeply personal. Ultimately, Maree sees their story as a reflection of what has always guided them: “It’s the risk-taking that’s given us the richness. We’ve been lucky, but luck often comes because you jump. You say yes. You live it.”