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This home inside Fitzroy’s former chocolate factory is warehouse living at its best.
Originally part of local chocolatier Sir Macpherson Robertson’s confectionary empire (a business later acquired by Cadbury!) the 1880s building is now home to a series of special converted apartments — including the ground-floor residence at 15/183 Kerr Street that’s now for sale.
Vendors Lauren Bruce and Hannah McNeill first moved into the apartment in 2020, after falling in love with its industrial character, architecture, and the storied history behind it.
‘We loved how the building’s bones are part of the apartment: original columns, beams, concrete floors — not just the brick facade. Every apartment in the building is unique because of this,’ Lauren says.
‘At the inspection the line was around the block, so we didn’t think we would get it, but it went our way on the day!’
Since then, Hannah and Lauren have put a contemporary spin on the two-bedroom apartment.
The main works included knocking down dividing walls to create open-plan living areas on the lower level and reconfiguring the kitchen to bask in the beautiful natural light from the original steel-framed windows.
‘We also rebuilt the kitchen in birch plywood, installed new appliances, installed custom built-in cabinetry and seating,’ Hannah says.
‘Lauren is currently studying interior design at RMIT and I studied civil engineering, so we were able to produce drawings showing what we wanted to have done and engage with trades directly. They did a great job and built exactly what we had drawn!’
Upstairs, you’ll find the two bedrooms with built-in wardrobes, alongside the bathroom.
But for Hannah and Lauren — who are trading the inner-city apartment for a tree-change to the country — the location is truly ‘unbeatable’.
‘The area is just the best,’ Lauren adds. ‘Right in between Smith and Brunswick Street, inside feels calm and quiet, but you step outside the front door, and there is always something happening.’
15/183 Kerr Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 is listed for sale with Henry Rutherfurd from Nelson Alexander Fitzroy and will go to auction on October 4 at 10am.
