House of the Week: Prepare to be awestruck

215 Clarke Street, Northcote
$4 million-plus
4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 8 car spaces
Auction at 3.00pm, on Saturday July 30
Inspect by appointment
Jellis Craig, Sam Rigopoulos 0425 834 583 and Brace Real Estate, Mario Butera 0412 380 400

We need to talk about Lugano, one of the great houses of the inner north, one of the rich stories of residential Melbourne.

Built by Lawrence Edwards in 1912, the glorious elevation here is noteworthy on its own – the city skyline barely interrupted – but it’s the interiors that leave you awestruck. Truly, this is a special one.

While the foyer’s columned archway is a suitably stunning introduction, you only have to jag left where bedroom one immediately ups the ante. It’s here you see the first of the incredible pressed metal ceilings. This one – Four Seasons – has cherub cameos each representing a different time of year. Then there’s the superb leadlight bay window with city views, and the lovely timber overmantle.

It keeps getting more remarkable as you go beyond the arch to the fine timber study and then two further bedrooms, the main showcasing a lovely tulip motif ceiling and excellent en suite.

Across to the very generous eastern side you get a state-of-the art kitchen, a terrific meals area and handsome family room all sitting under another astonishing ceiling.

Outside and beyond are decks and barbecue kitchens. There’s a neat little swim spa, apparently the spot to watch the New Year’s fireworks and a cabana with sauna and gym. Behind the house to the north-east edge is the studio/retreat with bathroom.

We really need to talk though, about the formal sitting room, the grand ballroom, the timber attic and the widow’s walk.

Set to the right of the entry the sitting room will make you weep. Its corner leadlight window seat with city vistas, its divine art nouveau overmantle and its Queen of Hearts pressed metal ceiling are extraordinary.

The steep stair to the attic is a bit of fun and when you reach the rooftop to stand outside on top of the world, you feel like you could touch the towers of town.

The ballroom though, is something else entirely. A sprung floor for dancing, a hung ceiling for acoustics and a faithful restoration, right back to the original colour details of the walls and the remarkably deep cornices. Sit on the wide window seat and take it all in. Don Taig did, from the time he was a local urchin, playing in the gardens here vowing to one day own the place, to the last few years and his staggering work to completely restore the house while including new millennium trappings. Kudos to him for this and for building a miniature railway with city views on top of the barely discernable eight-car garage. That’s right.

These are some feats, but returning to the community one of its great houses is perhaps the finest. Hopefully the north never forgets.

Room for improvement: Nope. Just re-touch the meticulous restoration here from time to time.

Need to know: Last traded for $610,000 in 1990. Highest recorded house price for Northcote (past 12 months) was $3.15 million for 68 James Street, in October 2015. Recent sales: $2,785,000 for 9 Prospect Grove, in June 2016; $1.7 million for 29 Traill Street, in June 2016, and $1.31 million for 174 Beaconsfield Parade, in June 2016.