Behind the fairy floss pink facade of this inner city terrace lies a retro-pop makeover so bold it looks like it's been renovated by Barbie herself.
In less than 24 hours since 23 St Georges Road South in Melbourne's Fitzroy North hit the market, sales agent James McCulloch from Nelson Alexander said his phone has been running hot.
“Fitzroy North, Carlton North, that sort of inner north pocket, you are surrounded by creatives so I think making a house more creative is something that sets it apart for the rest of the market - to say the least,” Mr McCulloch said.
23 St Georges Road South is heading to auction in May. Picture: realestate.com.au
With baby number two on the way, interior designer Chloe Graham, and her husband Michael Harutyunyan have sadly placed the home on the market to upgrade to a bigger residence, and a new renovation project.
“My husband and I, we always wanted to live in Fitzroy North. The dream was always for me to have a pink house,” Ms Graham said.
The pretty pink facade hides a bold colour-drenched interior. Picture: realestate.com.au
“I bought the place without him. It was the very early days of our marriage, and I said, ‘I'm going to make it a pink house’, and he was not keen at all. He wanted a foresty green home, very earthy tones.
“But I was like, let’s just go for it, ‘You never see a pink house pretty much anywhere, so let's do it’. And then as it began to unfold, we just became more and more extra with the design and more daring - it's the Barbie Dream House.”
The cosy two-bedroom home packs a punch. Picture: realestate.com.au
The dramatic interior is something straight out of a Barbiecore dream where daring splashes of colour await at every turn, with art-school maximalism and retro-pop glamour carefully considered throughout the two bedroom home.
The striking, streamlined kitchen with its mix of custom cabinetry, stone benchtops, full-height tiling and skylight was the biggest design risk of the home’s extensive renovation, Ms Graham said.
“It’s absolutely not for everyone,” she said. “We've got pink and red checkered floors … and then you've got your master walls and stripes , it's more pattern on pattern, so it's lots of colour clashing and things like that,” she said.
Every room has bold colours and vibrant patterns. Picture: realestate.com.au
Aside from the chance to own a truly unique residence, Mr McCulloch said it was set within a neighbourhood which has been ranked amongst one of the coolest in the world.
“Fitzroy North in the last 10 years, I think more than once, has ranked number one, highest rated suburb to live in Victoria,” he said.
“It's good because you're in a nice tree-lined street, you can walk to Edinburgh Gardens, walk to Princes Park, but you can also walk into Fitzroy, Carlton, walk into the city if you want to but without being in the heart of the action.”
Fitzroy is regularly ranked among the coolest neighbourhoods in Australia. Picture: realestate.com.au
In the years Ms Graham and her family have lived at the home, passer-by comments and intrigue have been commonplace.
“We have a lot of kids stop by, little girls definitely wanting to live here,” she said.
The home has a price guide of $1,150,000 - $1,250,000. Picture: realestate.com.au
“We're hoping a young, trendy, professional couple [might buy it], but all of our friends are queer, so we're like, it's very queer-esque like.
“We just expect someone flamboyant.”
Even the bathroom is Barbie-inspired. Picture: realestate.com.au
The home is scheduled for auction on May 2, with a price guide of $1.15 million to $1.25 million.
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