Neat As A Pin, Finished In Bold

The Age

Saturday January 20, 2007

LOU SWEENEY

This Elsternwick house is all compact, airy style, writes Lou Sweeney.

PROPERTY REVIEW: ELSTERNWICK 5 Mulgrave Street $619,000-plus

Private sale

Agent Gary Peer, Caulfield North, 9526 1999

Melway 67 H2

ELSTERNWICK is such a fine place in summer and, since property values have skyrocketed west of the Nepean Highway over the past decade, those seeking lovely period homes set in leafy streets need look no further - and they're still close to St Kilda.

This house on Mulgrave Street boasts a fairly good location. Just around the corner is the quaint, homely Glen Eira shopping strip.

One of a pair, the house has a fine, solid look about it. A thorough renovation has infused the compact floor plan with light and air, creating a practical but stylish home.

A high, thin-ribbed timber fence protects the house from the street. Past the carport on the right is the side entry, leading into a floor plan that's both flexible and functional. A magenta-toned feature wall, framed in silvery-brown metallic mosaic tiles, greets you first, an indication that some bold finishing work has been done here.

To the left is the main bedroom, a bright space with built-in robes and french doors out to the elevated front deck over the front lawn. A sparkling ensuite is neat and compact.

Down the hallway there's a hideaway laundry on the right, as well as another bright central bathroom with spa.

Bedroom two here is smallish but delightful, with a lovely side window and plenty of morning light. There's ample storage, too.

The north-facing open-plan section of the house is a beauty. While some open plans seem to stretch for miles just because they can, this one has nicely delineated spaces, with plenty of room for each area, without creating an echo chamber instead of a comfortable living space. Set to the rear is the smart kitchen with pale, flecked stone benches, which angle around to an east-facing window. The magenta in the entry repeats on the bench and cupboard trim. Stainless-steel appliances and frosted glass on some storage areas offset the white trim of the rest of the cupboards.

To the left in the dining area is a dark tan suede-effect feature wall and more of those funky, shiny mosaics.

In front is the living area, leading out to a paved entertaining space, which has a tall privacy wall with a large water feature at the centre of a wall-to-wall planter box. A strip of grass borders the other side of the house, with a palm and rose garden finishing off a neat, stylish and compact home.

© 2007 The Age

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