Buying this Fitzroy apartment seemed written in the stars for Kate Reid, founder of Lune Croissanterie.
She recalls, ‘I wasn’t even looking to buy a place, but for some reason… I just decided to browse the Domain app for properties for sale in the vicinity of Lune.
‘This was one of the first to appear in the search, and I instantly loved everything about it just from the photos. The fact that it was in an iconic old chocolate factory and had a courtyard (for Lily, my dog) was literally the icing on the cake.’
Within a day of inspecting the apartment, it was hers. ‘It was the first property I’ve ever bought.’
The converted warehouse apartment has since served as Kate’s private retreat away from the busy streets of Fitzroy, including her Lune store, located just around the corner.
Kate initially lived in the space without making any chances, until Covid inspired a downstairs renovation.
‘I’d been forced to spend every single night at home, alone, in my apartment, and I realised the dated and dark kitchen was not conducive to a happy living space,’ she explains.
Works were completed in eight months, introducing a more light-filled living area and kitchen by Found Kitchens + Joinery with terrazzo bench tops, storage space, and cabinetry painted in Kate’s favourite olive green colour (Porter’s Paints Timberline).
‘The idea to use that colour for the palette came from two beautiful photos I had printed and framed, taken by a friend, Gareth Sobey, of one of my favourite wine bars in Melbourne, Marion,’ Kate says. ‘The leather banquette seating in Marion is olive green, and it informed my entire renovation.
‘I also hate clutter with a ferocity — something which reflects both in my home and at Lune (although Lune Fitzroy has a few more baker’s trolleys than I’d like at the moment – a necessity of trying to keep up with the demand!)’
The space looks out onto the apartment’s lush private courtyard — landscape designed by Eamon Sykes — contrasted with the interior’s original warehouse materials.
‘Lune celebrates harsh and cold surfaces and materials – steel, concrete, black mirror — whereas I have tried to bring a softer aesthetic into my home,’ Kate says.
‘I like to think I have maintained some of the industrial features of the original building — the windows, the old wooden and steel columns and beams — but the renovations completed downstairs have transformed the space by softening and brightening it, making it more homely, and honestly a dream kitchen to cook in.’
After six years living here, Kate has recently placed the Fitzroy apartment on the market. She’ll always treasure her time in the property, particularly the Covid lockdowns spent in isolation with her best friend as a ‘single-person bubble’ (Oh, the memories!).
‘We had so many happy times hanging out, cooking, drinking negronis, dancing, and watching telly. Actually, it was a seminal time for our friendship, and I’ll forever be grateful for the lockdowns and this apartment for giving us such a lovely space to “not be alone” together,’ Kate says.
‘Other than that, it might sound like a lonely answer, but I’ve really come to appreciate my time at home alone. It’s such a perfect space to be by myself — I never feel lonely. I have Fitzroy on my doorstep if I want it, but solitude if I need it.’
Rest assured, Kate won’t be moving too far away. Almost 10 years after opening Fitzroy’s now cult-status Lune store, she’s more passionate than ever about celebrating the suburb’s community and character.
‘Fitzroy is literally the suburb that has everything,’ she says.
‘When I travel, I always compare international cities to Melbourne. For me, no neighbourhood comes close to Fitzroy.’
Kate has recently placed her Fitzroy apartment on the market – you can view the listing here.
