64-66 Wales Street, Thornbury

Beautifully reimagined and full of panache, promise and potential for the right buyer, this dual residential Thornbury property circa 1899 – yes, you read that right, there’s two – is an eclectic blend of heritage and modernity infused with history and charm.

At over 120 years old these homes have lived many lives – what incarnation will you be? Maybe you’re friends or family who buy together but live separately. Perhaps the back home becomes private lodgings for when extended family stay, a nanny’s quarters or a lucrative Airbnb. Perhaps you just need a creative space for your hobby or side hustle. Whatever iteration you take, one thing is certain: many rich original elements of this home continue to take centre stage.

In the front home galvanised steel and bagged brick walls awash in pastel yellows pave the way for beautiful skylight-fitted cathedral ceilings, illuminating the open-plan living and kitchen areas (for the former with gas fireplace, the latter with concrete and timber benchtops and stainless steel appliances); Douglas fir handrails and trusses transformed into beams elevate you to the home’s second level where you’ll find two bedrooms, a powder room and sunny balcony with eastern views to Mount Dandenong; and pressed metal ceiling tiles now feature as stunning wall panelling for the home’s exterior and entrance hall. The owners have even retained the sliding barn-style door and tilework for the home office (or, potentially, your third bedroom).

Through the lounge and across the timber deck overlooking a stunning landscaped courtyard filled with flourishing fruit trees and a gorgeous Japanese maple, you’ll find the back home.

Here, it’s more of a Hamptons vibe. From a bright subway-tiled kitchen equipped with vast stone benchtops and stainless steel appliances, to hardwood floors and a bright and breezy living domain thanks to plantation shutters and double-glazed tilt-and-turn windows – plus large bedroom with built-in robe, home office area, modern bathroom with heated flooring, private deck and courtyard with laneway access via five-metre roller door – the back home presents a ready-to-live lifestyle.

Other covetable features both dwellings offer include solar and gas water, split-system heating and cooling, laundry-bathroom combo and two garden sheds.

Tucked away in the backstreets of Thornbury on one of the suburb’s centenarian shopping strips, your coffee fix, haircuts and clothing needs will always be satisfied. The sought-after Wales Street Primary School, an accredited International Baccalaureate school currently nearing completion of a $4 million upgrade, is directly across the street. And you’ll be a comfortable walking distance from High Street’s abundant shops, cafes and restaurants, a full suite of public transport options, All Nations and McDonell parks and the Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre. Ah, comfort and convenience at its best.

There is so much opportunity here. Will you seize it?

**In Conjunction with Ian Reid Vendor Advocates**