On The Market

A Very Spectacular Converted Warehouse Is For Sale In Sydney

The history behind this converted warehouse can be traced back to the early 1900s, when it was built as a lolly factory for Oh Boy Candy Company. Then about a decade ago, the former owners — comedian Merrick Watts and wife Georgie — transformed the industrial building into the award-winning architectural home it is today, filled with recycled materials and rich textures.

Between the sweeping ceilings, epic library wall, and rooftop deck with a pool and a giant Banksia tree incorporated into the home’s design, seller Cherie Barber says the five-bedroom residence is a true rarity, and it’s not far from Sydney’s CBD!

Written
by
Christina Karras
|
Photography
by
Supported By BresicWhitney

The former factory at 42 Alberto Street, Lilyfield has garnered a reputation as one of Australia’s most striking converted warehouses!

The conversion designed by architect Virginia Kerridge was completed in 2013.

The kitchen is one of the highlights of the home, featuring a nine-metre-long ironbark island and commercial grade appliances.

The rooftop deck space!

Imagine hosting your friends for a long lunch before taking a dip in that pool.

The dining area is encased by floor-to-ceiling glass.

A suspended Domofocus rotating fireplace is just one impressive feature in the enormous living room.

‘All those original floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows make you feel like you’re living outside,’ the vendor Cherie says.

A garden space includes an established Banksia tree with branches that tower to the third floor.

There’s plenty of living rooms woven throughout the family home.

A look inside the warm and textural bedrooms.

The interiors blend reclaimed timbers with polished concrete floors.

The one-of-a-kind property has just hit the market!

Writer
Christina Karras
Photography
22nd of May 2023

Co-host of Channel 9’s ‘Space Invaders’ Cherie Barber is a serial renovator, but the incredible converted warehouse at 42 Alberto Street is the one property that she’s selling completely untouched.

‘This is the first property I’ve ever bought that was already renovated,’ Cherie says. She purchased it just a few years ago from Merrick and Georgie Watts, who had turned the former lolly factory into a five-bedroom dream home in 2013, with the help of architect Virginia Kerridge.

Months before it last hit the market, she was tipped off that an ‘unbelievable’ property would be for sale soon and saw a preview of the listing’s photos. Cherie fell in love with three-storey abode’s unique character immediately and spent months ‘obsessing’ over the images before she even got to step foot inside.

The 2013 renovation had stripped back a blue-painted render to reveal the building’s endearing brick walls. Interior details crafted from recycled materials and reclaimed wharf timbers perfectly complement the exposed Oregon roof trusses, bringing an airy and industrial feel to the home. Soaring ceilings make way for a living room of epic proportions, featuring a five-metre-high library wall and a suspended fireplace.

‘Visitors to the home are often blown away by its sheer size, scale and uniqueness,’ Cherie adds. ‘There’s something very relaxing and comforting with timber and those original floor-to-ceiling glass doors.’

In the expansive kitchen, a 9-metre-long ironbark island is the heart of the home, opposite open-air terrace with a dining area and a mosaic-tiled pool encased in Corten steel. The house has been shaped around an internal garden with a giant Banksia tree that flanks the top-floor’s main bedroom, which Cherie says makes you feel like ‘you’re sleeping in the treetops’! The lucky buyers will also be moving into Lilyfield, in Sydney’s inner-west, just a few kilometres from the city.

‘I also love the fact that when you close the front door, it’s like you’re living in your own world. No-one can see into the property, so it offers the ultimate privacy.’

Luxuries are hidden throughout too, ranging from a triple-car garage to a 500 bottle wine cellar, in addition to sustainable features like solar power.

Cherie says while the experience of living a converted warehouse of this size will be ‘hard to beat’, she’s onto her next renovation project (with plans to tackle some nostalgic retro motels!) and is ready to find a new custodian for this very special home.

42 Alberto Street, Lilyfield is listed for sale with Shannan Whitney and Chris Nunn from Bresic Whitney via expressions of interest. 

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