'It's a slice of local history': Inside a former motorcycle factory turned family sanctuary

• Owners: Architect Julian Furzer and artist Aurelie Perthuis Furzer
• Address: 331-333 Trafalgar Street, Petersham, NSW
• Type of house: Architect-designed warehouse conversion
• Price guide: $2.25 million

When is an industrial warehouse not industrial? When it sits on a lush fig tree-lined street surrounded by elegant Federation houses, says the owners of a beautifully converted warehouse in the inner-west neighbourhood of Petersham in Sydney.

SOLD - $2,440,000

331-333 Trafalgar Street, Petersham NSW 2049

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Home to architect Julian Furzer from DKO, his wife, artist Aurelie Perthuis Furzer, and their two children, the warehouse is rich with past lives. It has housed a motorcycle factory, yoga studio and wrought-iron workshop. Yet sitting amid heritage homes with gardens of established fig, lemon and avocado trees makes the area feels anything but industrial. “It has a Surry Hills vibe with its vibrant street life and historic homes,” agrees Furzer. “I love its sense of history, beauty and community.”

The couple bought the building, run down and decrepit, 15 years ago determined to preserve remnants of its past. “The dream was to always live in a warehouse,” muses Furzer. “The option was to convert it into apartments, but we chose to retain its heritage. It would have been a pity not to – it’s a slice of local history.” 

The couple agrees the area has experienced significant change since moving there with its multicultural population enhancing its lifestyle offerings. “We have great coffee and food, including the best Portuguese tarts and traditional flame-grilled chicken anywhere,” enthuses Perthuis Furzer. “It’s minutes from our door or a short bike ride away. We ride absolutely everywhere with the extended bike lane on our street and connected to the wider Sydney network. Otherwise, the train has us in the CBD in just 15 minutes.”

Furzer designed the renovation, and the building process happened in stages over 10 years. For Perthuis Furzer, a French native, it was important to make the home safe, functional and cosy for their two children. 

“We wanted to keep it a huge, flexible open space with an open-plan kitchen and living, small reading areas, work spaces and our bedrooms on the top level,” she says. “It allows it to cater for all of life’s stages.” 

The dual-level layout features soaring 5.4-metre-high pine ceilings with original features, like timber trusses and old block and tackle from the building’s wrought iron days, retained. The vast stone and stainless steel kitchen is designed for entertaining. “I’m French – I love to cook!” laughs Perthuis Furzer. “The outdoor kitchen includes a wood-fired pizza oven and there is a cinema screen. It’s great fun on weekends.” 

The home is well known by locals for its striking mural on the front wall. Created by Australian artist Elliott Routledge, it features a superhero in an urban jungle. Perthuis Furzer continued the concept, painting her own jungle-themed mural inside the front courtyard. “The building’s black and white material palette allows the paintings to add vibrancy,” she says. Her other favourite space is, not surprisingly, her art studio. “It’s north facing with big sliding doors and a porch,” she says. “It’s set back from the house but affords me the most beautiful outlook.”

Concrete floors enhance the feeling of spaciousness and are warm in winter thanks to underfloor heating. “Otherwise, we love our fireplace. I like to sit there and listen to old vinyl,” Furzer says. Come summer, the concrete slab feels cool, and the windows open right up for generous cross-airflow from front to back. 

The couple’s next step is to find a home on the northern beaches and be closer to family. “We keep asking ourselves why we’re leaving!” says Furzer. “It will be a change not walking everywhere and enjoying the incredible experience of living in this building. We’ll all miss it.”