Northcote: Melbourne's suburb 'of the moment'

162 Bastings Street, Northcote
$1.8 million-plus+
3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms 1 car space
Auction at 11am, on Saturday November 26
Inspect from noon-12.30pm
Jellis Craig, Ben Harrison 0430 457 234

It’s not that it’s surprising to see a glassy, glamorous Northcote gaff – that trend of building big, boxy beauties has been here for a good few years.

It’s just that it almost feels as if Northcote is the period-to-progressive capital of Melbourne right at the moment. Walk through that pretty little Edwardian at the front and you’ll find 2016, all pomp and polish, rising confidently out the back.

This easterly bit of the ‘burb bordering Fairfield has some of the best boulevards in the whole neighbourhood. You may not be right in the thick of the action, but you’ll care little as the plane trees knit a verdant canopy above your street.

It’s where we find 162 Bastings Street, right on the corner of the gorgeous Vauxhall Road, and the house benefits from the space it’s afforded by this locale; the pretty period style fronting Bastings Street and the shimmer of the new on display around the corner.

From the smooth entry hallway you can see forever, or at least beyond the rear section to the backyard. The light and lines of sight here are very fine, but there’s privacy too.

Off to the right is the main bedroom, judiciously zoned away from the others upstairs. A sweet shuttered view over the front garden, walk-in wardrobe and a dazzlingly on-trend en suite of marble subway floor tiles and black tapware start the story with a bang.

Further along the hall and recessed into the left wall is a smart study space, followed by a powder room.

Steps take you down to the rear section, but in a clever move before you get there, pause to take in the luminous double-height windows that bring light and those street trees inside.

Polished concrete flows across the open-plan rear – more double-height panes rise up here in the south-east corner – the languid air and light lend a floaty feel, anchored by the handsome heft of crossing black steel beams.

The kitchen set to the left is the genius delineating factor here – a strip of black cabinetry splits the fresh timber tones of side storage. Gorgeous marble benchtops and a leavening window splashback make the space hum.

Back off behind the dining area is a door leading to the laundry and access to a central outdoor section.

Upstairs the luxe grey wool carpet runs through a sublime sitting room that presents city views via those lofty windows as well as two fine bedrooms and a stone cold beauty of a bathroom.

It’s the new, new Northcote and it’s pretty impressive.

Room for improvement: There’s a parking space inside the rear boundary here, but street parking means there’s no loss if you give it over to more garden.

Need to know: Built in the 1920s, renovated in 2016. Last traded for $980,000 in April 2015. Highest recorded house price for Northcote (past 12 months) was $4.3 million for 167 Clarke Street, September 2016. Recent sales: $2,431,000 for 14 Auburn Avenue, October 2016; $2,155,000 for 2 Jamieson Street, October 2016, and $1.8 million for 195 Mitchell Street, October 2016.