MasterChef Australia judge, restaurateur and TV personality Andy Allen and his wife Alex purchased their luxurious Northcote residence six months ago; further endorsing Melbourne is home since relocating from Sydney several years ago.
The two-storey, five-bedroom home built by Top Dog Projects in 2024 blends Scandinavian and Japanese design influences; with curved architectural accents throughout.
“It’s a bigger home than we previously had in Carlton, and it’s the first we have purchased together,” Mr Allen told realestate.com.au.
Masterchef judge Andy Allen and wife Alex in their Northbridge home. Picture: Supplied
“We’ve had a lot of fun fitting the different spaces within it, and surprisingly Alex and I have similar taste when it comes to furniture and what we like within the home,” he said.
In 2012, Allen won the fourth season of MasterChef Australia and took on the role as TV judge in 2020. It was around this time he was splitting his time between Sydney and Melbourne; the pandemic forcing him to make a decision to move to the southern State.
In Northcote, it was imperative they find a home that offered plenty of entertainment space.
“Entertaining is a big part of my life, and it’s actually a big reason why I got into cooking in the first place,” Mr Allen said.
Open plan living for seamless indoor-outdoor entertaining. Picture: Supplied
“A huge part of my home life will always be centred around entertaining in the kitchen – so whether that’s cooking for my wife Alex, or inviting a bunch of friends over, it’s one of my favourite things to do,” he said.
“I love to feed others and love a home that feels inviting and is comfortable to kick back and be entertained in."
They’ve filled their home with modern furniture design pieces and artwork – some which relocated from their home in Carlton North.
The modular couch resembles a shade of shiitake mushroom. Picture: Supplied
The couple also worked closely with GlobeWest to curate designer furniture pieces within their home, with a L-shaped modular couch opening into the large living space; the shade of foraged mushroom a perfect nod to Allen’s culinary background.
“When we were styling our home, sticking with neutral tones was important for us,” he said.
“There’s accents of colour throughout, and some artworks and sculptural pieces inside the home help break the muted tones, but they all lean into a cohesive story which makes it feel warm and reflective of who we are."
A kitchen fit for a Masterchef champion. Picture: Supplied
The stunning outdoor solar-heated pool is within view from the rear facade of the home -it’s surrounded by lawn and a barbecue; bringing an element of the outside inside.
“Although the living, dining, kitchen and outdoor areas are four separate spaces, we wanted to give the impression that you’re in one large space that flows beautifully together,” he said.
The lounge room is ambitiously neutral; there’s a fireplace on one side of the room, while a marble shelf separates it from the dining area. You’ll spot a Jakey Pedro artwork on the wall – it came from their Carlton home and sits next to the dining table.
Mr Allen says the large hallway is still waiting for the right artwork; the couple still busily looking to fill that space.
The couple worked with GlobeWest to curate designer furniture pieces like this outdoor chair and side table. Picture: Supplied
You’ll see Theron Bloom Floor Sculptures take up a curved spine within the home; filling it with a sense of gallery aesthetic.
“We did wonder whether we put a bar trolley in there or something else, but the sculptures work in seamlessly within the home and really fill an awkward space nicely,” he said.
The decision to go with an oval dining table was to align with curved exterior wall.
“It felt like it worked nicely with the design of the home,” he said.
The home features neutral tones with striking statement pieces, like this console from GlobeWest. Picture: Supplied
The kitchen is spacious and easy for Allen to be the head entertainer. It’s fitted with Smeg appliances, a butler’s pantry, wine storage space and a Dolomite stone island bench. It feels luxurious and spacious; with island bench seating for the voyeur on the sidelines.
“When we were house-hunting we were set on finding a decent sized kitchen that also felt integrated to the rest of the home. I love the idea I could be tinkering away and still feel really connected to what’s going on around me,” Mr Allen said.
The restaurateur might be busily working on opening a new Three Blue Ducks restaurant in Burradoo, NSW, but it’s the community feel of living in Northcote and frequenting the nearby suburb of Station St, Fairfield that’s hitting the spot right now.
“We loved Carlton because it had everything we needed. It was halfway between Lygon Street and Smith St, Collingwood,” he said.
“But now that we’re in Northcote, you really get a sense of community which we love – and it was that aspect that really helped us make the decision that this was the area for us."
The median house price in Northcote is $1.66m according to PropTrack. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
House prices in Northcote have risen 2% in the past 12 months to a median of $1,657,500, according to PropTrack.
Come summer time, Mr Allen is looking forward to using the outdoor entertaining area.
“As the weather gets warmer, I’ll definitely be drawn to our outdoor space too, especially having our beautiful outdoor table to gather around and spending a bit of time out in the backyard too.”
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