Today's beautiful home, framed by a wraparound Victorian verandah and surrounded by generous gardens, has the feel of a rambling country farmhouse, but is located right in the heart of Prahran! It's a hidden gem, just off Williams road... yet feels a hundred miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city and busy local shipping strips.
The home belongs to Lucy and Tony Hill, and their three children Sam (15), Celia (13) and Julia (12), and Audrey the sausage dog! The family have been here 10 years. In that time Lucy says they've done almost nothing to the property, except for the garden which Lucy has fully planted - gardening is her forte and one of her favourite past times. 'The house itself is in need of a renovation, but each year goes by and we do nothing, and that is part of it's charm' she says.
'The attraction to the house was it's space in inner city Melbourne' says Lucy. 'It's known to locals who walk up to Victoria Gardens as 'the farmhouse' she says. Lucy's favourite part of the old Victorian house is the verandah which wraps around the side, and the lofty ceilings inside and large proportioned rooms. I must agree these features do give this unique family home it a truly magical feeling - it's so rare to find a Victorian home in Melbourne relatively untouched, with such generous proportions and gardens this close to the city! No wonder the Hill family have been here a decade already - I'd be holding onto this one too!
Huge thanks to Lucy for having me and for feeding me a delicious lunch during my visit!