Fitzroy North ‘Barbie dream house’ is unapologetically pink

4 weeks ago 32

23 St Georges Road South, Fitzroy North - for herald sun real estate

23 St Georges Road South, Fitzroy North, is “unapologetically pink”, according to its online listing.

A pink Barbiecore house in Melbourne’s inner north is among a plethora of colourful homes bringing a rainbow of creativity to Victoria’s property market.

The “Barbie dream house” at 23 St Georges Rd South, Fitzroy North , owned by interior designer Chloe Graham and her husband Michael Harutyunyan is on the market with a $1.15m-$1.25m range.

Other colourful homes for sale across the state include a South Melbourne cottage with a custom mural and vividly-toned walls, a Brighton house with a mural and multi-coloured garage, and a retro-inspired house in regional Victoria.

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Ms Graham and Mr Harutyunyan’s house was the most-viewed Australian residential listing on realestate.com.au last week – and it’s not hard to see why.

The pale pink exterior makes way to interiors featuring pink and purple walls and ceilings, a pink bathroom, red laundry, tiles handmade in Morocco and a kitchen with custom cabinetry, natural stone benchtops, red and pink checkered floor tiles, a skylight and a view of the courtyard.

Ms Graham said that when she and her husband bought the home five years ago, it looked very different from how it looks now.

Although Mr Harutyunyan was keen to transform the “very ’80s” home into an “earthy green home” at the time, Ms Graham had a different idea.

The colourful furniture will be available as an additional purchase, if the buyer is interested.

The kitchen is home to natural stone benchtops, integrated appliances, a splashback and a skylight.

The owner’s cats pose for a photo.

“You never really see a pink home, and I’ve always really wanted to live in a pink house,” she said.

After making over one bedroom with the pink theme, Mr Harutyunyan fell in love with her “Barbiecore” vision too.

“We pretty much branded it as the Barbie dream home,” Ms Graham said.

She’s a fan of US designers such as maximalist Dani Dazey who incorporate a lot of patterns and textures into their work, with each tile in the Fitzroy North house individually crafted by artisans in Morocco.

“You can still see the fingerprint marks from people making them, so it makes it really tactile,” Ms Graham said.

There’s even a pink ceiling in the living area.

The house features a laundry room, rear courtyard with right-of-way access and split system heating and cooling.

Terrazzo tiling, a shower with an overhead skylight and a floating vanity with storage in the bathroom.

She and her husband are selling their two-bedroom house as their second child is on the way and they would like a bit more room.

However, Ms Graham said she hoped the pink house could serve as inspiration for other homeowners when she returned to work.

“I really wanted to put it out there and show people something different,” she said.

Nelson Alexander’s James McCulloch said between 80 to 90 groups had inspected the house ahead of its auction which is scheduled for 1pm on Saturday, May 2.

Young couples, singles and downsizers have been among the buyers keen to secure the home thanks to its artistic character and location close to Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy North Village and public transport.

“Quite a few people who live nearby have come through and said, ‘I’ve been dying to see inside the home’,” Mr McCulloch said.

Come on Barbie, let’s go party.

128 Montague St, South Melbourne - for herald sun real estate

128 Montague St, South Melbourne, retains its historic facade …

… and showcases a mural inside.

Another colourful house that’s also for sale is a one-bedroom cottage at 128 Montague St, South Melbourne.

The home, listed with Ray White’s Jacob Biviano, has a $738,000-$778,000 range.

Behind the brick facade is a home that’s been renovated to include 16 different colours throughout its various rooms, including a handpainted mural.

Owner Yuki Huang, who bought in 2021, said she had renovated with the idea of matching the residence to the vibrant design and culture of its South Melbourne location.

She’s listed the home as short-term rental accommodation across the past few years.

“When doing the renovation I wanted people to walk in and remember where they were staying so I had the idea for the mural,” she said.

“I was looking at pictures online and I liked the design of the woman with no face.

“An artist friend of mine actually hand painted it for me.”

The South Melbourne house has a mellow, yellow kitchen.

34 Lynch St, Brighton - for herald sun real estate

34 Lynch St, Brighton, also has a mural, in the back yard.

The Brighton house’s garage is a colourful mash-up.

Mr Biviano said the property was in a mixed-use zone and was surrounded by commercial properties.

“It’s a really lovely spot of South Melbourne despite being on a main road,” he said.

“It’s surprisingly not heritage, and has capital city zoning meaning it can allow for multistorey development and commercial uses too.”

In Melbourne’s bayside, a four-bedroom house with a $3.7m-$3.95m price tag at 34 Lynch Street, Brighton, showcases a white exterior but has a mural painted along its back fence.

And the basement garage, painted in blue, yellow, red and green, is located alongside a dedicated media room.

Fredman’s Joel Fredman is overseeing the marketing campaign.

8 Lake St, Shepparton - for herald sun real estate

8 Lake St, Shepparton, has a hint of Barbiecore.

It’s kitchen also embraces retro and colourful.

For buyers seeking a place to call their own in regional Victoria, a three-bedroom house at 8 Lake Street, Shepparton, has been renovated with a retro inspiration.

The home, listed with Gagliardi Scott Real Estate’s Rocky Gagliardi, includes a pink feature wall in the living area and yellow-and-pink tiling in the kitchen, along with blue cabinets and drawers.

The abode has a $625,000-$665,000 range.