G3/2A Michael St, Brunswick, sold for $710,000 — about $50,000 more than expected as multiple buyers responded to its unusual decor.
A pair of Brunswick homeowners who wanted a little Alice in Wonderland whimsy in their lives have had their unique decor turn into a $50,000 premium as they sold.
A colourful paint job, tea cup light fittings and fake grass in the laundry of G3/2A Michael St wound up luring in a goodly range of buyers in the lead up to its planned auction on the same day as the federal election.
Two days ahead of hammer time it also attracted first-home buyers and a downsizer willing to fight it out pre-auction for the home.
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McGrath Northcote’s Luke Brizzi handled the sale and said the home had been loved by most who had inspected it.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a home like that, and I don’t reckon I will see a home like it for a long time, either,” Mr Brizzi said.
And while the home had been listed for $600,000-$660,000, it ultimately sold to the downsizer for $710,000 — a “great result” Mr Brizzi said had been helped by the decor.
The unusual light fittings appealed to most buyers who inspected the home.
A bright colour scheme around the home was inspired by travels across South America.
“He loved the location and is a Brunswick local, and he loved the tea cups — they were part of the Brunswick vibe,” he said.
It’s a win for owners Nick Runia and Maggie “Sunshine” Cooper, who wanted the next owner to love their home as much as they have.
The unusual interior design came about over a number of years.
In 2016 Ms Cooper and Mr Runia quit their jobs and travelled across South America for a year, developing a taste for colour.
Extensive space for books around the home was important for the couple, and showed how the living area could be decorated beyond normal displays.
The couple turned a second bedroom into an arts and hobbies space.
They’ve since applied that to the apartment, giving it a bright makeover turning rooms a mix of purple, green, orange and blue during Melbourne’s first Covid lockdown.
“It was the best thing we ever did, and it still makes me happy every day,” Ms Cooper said.
A set of tea cup light fittings from a Ukraine-based maker were added a few years before that.
“We wanted it to feel a bit whimsical, and we were talking about Alice in Wonderland then we saw these and we were like: ‘those are amazing’,” Ms Cooper said.
The pair have also added fake grass in the laundry and turned a second bedroom into a arts and hobbies room.
Mr Runia’s Lego creations have been displayed at Brickvention Australia, while Ms Cooper’s sewing time has led to her making outfits for them to attend weddings in.
A woodland scene’s wallpaper gave the home’s bedroom a tranquil vibe.
An orange bathroom and laundry was balanced with a fake grass floor in the laundry.
The pair also used their creative space while working with independent theatre company Artefact, creating the set for 2023 Fringe Festival show Constellation.
After realising they needed more space for their creative pursuits the pair decided to sell.
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