House of the Week: The Caulfield North house that's worth a lingering look

Sometimes it’s nice to gaze upon the good-looking, especially if the recipient of your contemplation is an inanimate object, incapable of catching you in the act.

It’s how we felt when we happened upon this sharp new townhouse in North Caulfield. There’s a shock of stark bold versus beautiful – it’s handsome, honed and kind of appealingly brawny at the same time.

There are some good angles here too, a heft of black steel beam creating a wedge out of the garage to the side; imported Danish grey bricks to give it a sober, semi monumental feel and the double height wall of acid etched glass to draw the light and up the dramatic ante.

Then there is the timber. Honestly, what’s not to love about the black stone, white wall, timber accent combination? It’s like looking at George Clooney, it seems to get better the longer you stare at it.

Now there’s a bit of hyperbole going here, sure, but this is effortlessly stylish, the sort of place you could come home to and feel a bit special about yourself.

Swing back the full-height timber door and you’re immediately in the living room, that wall of glass on your right, luminous and lovely. European oak floorboards flow back to the north and take in the dining room where a side door offers access to the appealing front courtyard.

Further back and superbly delineated by a lower timber clad bulkhead the kitchen is the best expression of the fine material palette here. The timber above, deeply cool black stone benches and crisp white cabinetry incorporating good amount of storage – the basics and not just the urbanity, are well covered here too.

Across to the east the black-framed slider opens out onto another neat courtyard with decking and artificial turf to keep things easy. Doors lead off here back into the double garage as well a laundry and powder room that link back to the central section of the house.

Rise up the gorgeous stair ascending with that fine glass and you’ll come to an open retreat area – the upstairs best showcasing the excellent, generous windows throughout.

Two bedrooms sit down a small passage serviced by a chic bathroom. The main bedroom presides over the western side of the house and is an elegant beauty with a wonderful window over the street and an opulent walk through robe and stone accented en suite. Best you come take a lingering look.

20 Orrong Crescent, Caulfield North

$1.75- $1.95 million
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car spaces

​Auction at 2.30pm, on Sunday, April 30
To inspect, contact agent Sally Zelman, Gary Peer & Associates 0412 294 488

Need to knowThis is the first time the house has been offered for sale and the highest recorded house price in Caulfield North (past 12 months) was $5,725,000 for 117-119 Kooyong Road in September 2016. Recent Sales:$2.1 million for 123 Kambrook Road; $1.54 million for 11 Malakoff Street, and $1,295,000 for 31 Bambra Road, all in March 2017.