Domain Review Bayside & Port Phillip - October 04, 2023

Kon Karapanagiotidis is happy to share a seat at his table

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This publication is published by Domain Holdings Australia Limited and Broadsheet Media Pty. Ltd. and is printed by IVE, 25-33 Fourth Avenue, Sunshine VIC 3020

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Broadsheet  Founder and publisher: Nick Shelton  General manager: Sian Whitaker  Editorial director: Katya Wachtel

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National editor: Michael Harry  Melbourne food & drink editor: Audrey Payne  Studio and strategy director: Roya Lines  Group campaign manager: Emily Barlow

Broadsheet Editor: Jo Walker Assistant editor: Gitika Garg Design lead: Ben Siero  Design: The Company You Keep, Claire Bradbury Sub editors: Miriam Kauppi, Barnaby Smith, Adeline Teoh

Writers: Daniela Frangos, Benjamen Judd, Grace MacKenzie, Shannon Valentine

Photographers: Parker Blain, Amy Hemmings, Brook James, Kaede James Takamoto, Tanya Macheda, Sarah Pannell, Kate Pascoe, Peter Tarasiuk

Cover credits: Kon Karapanagiotidis shot by Peter Tarasiuk

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Back Chat with Gareth Whitton

PAGE 7

Home Of The Week

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Feature: Kon Karapanagiotidis

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Property Listings

PAGE 16

Melbourne: Level 4, 600 Church Street, Cremorne 3121, VIC

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Sydney: 100 Harris Street, Pyrmont 2009, NSW

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www.domain.com.au

Melbourne: Level 1, 123 Smith Street

Fitzroy 3065, VIC

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Facebook.com/broadsheet.melbourne

Sydney: 258A Crown Street, Surry Hills 2010, NSW

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When our photographer turned up to shoot Kon Karapanagiotidis and his mum Sia in her kitchen, the table was already groaning with fresh Greek fare –at 10.30 in the morning. Afterwards, they sent him home loaded up with food. That sense of generosity and care is a big part of the Karapanagiotidis story, which has seen the human rights lawyer and ASRC founder champion connection, community and cooking for all.

Jo Walker, Broadsheet Editor

THREE OF A KIND BAR FLY

Stylish plant stakes

Melbourne maker Mike Sullivan, aka Secateur Me Baby, handcrafts bright and curvy sustainable plant stakes – from ethically sourced native timbers, powder-coated steel and recycled plastic – for when flimsy supermarket ones just won’t do. Lucky Things Plant Pins provide colourful plant supports –all handmade in Melbourne from recycled plastic – while Queensland label Daze Workshop creates retro-inspired shapes in anodised aluminium. — JW

Secateur Me Baby secateurmebaby.online

Apollo Inn

Flinders Lane, 7 04pm Wednesday

We push past the double doors to be greeted by a debonair fellow ready to take our coats. He pulls back a curtain on a scene from a bygone era: moody, intimate, elegant. It’s an ode to cocktail bars past. Bartenders are suited up, the lights are low, and there’s glamour in spades. That woman’s in blue sequins! We perch at the bar and order a Martini – the drink of choice, with four kinds on the menu. Dirty, please. The briny cocktail’s an ideal pairing with the scallops we slurp down before finishing on a rose-hued Lucien Gaudin and a wedge of creme caramel.

Drink: Dirty Martini with Tried & True Vodka, Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin and fermented olive brine. Snack: Raw scallops with cara cara (a pink-fleshed orange) vinegar and silky creme caramel. Bar: Caravaggio quartzite with a curvaceous timber face. Seat: Black custom Thonet bentwood. Spirit: Old-world glamour. — DF

Daze Workshop dazeworkshop.com.au

Lucky Things luckythings.com.au

Each week, a different seat in a different bar – and our impressions therein

Photo: Parker Blain

READ ME IN THE DIARY ADD TO CART

Among Equals bilum

In Papua New Guinea, bilums are go-to bags for carrying just about anything: veggies, books, even the odd live piglet. Now Aussie profit-for-purpose label Among Equals has partnered with female weavers in PNG to produce striking handcrafted bilums from natural fibres and boldly coloured upcycled yarn – and customers can use them to tote around anything they please. Each bilum tells the story of its maker through traditional patterning and motifs, and provides income for local women and their families. — JW

$140-$420 / amongequals.com.au

Ornament Is Not a Crime

Sydney design writer Rebecca L Gross is inspired by pioneering postmodern designers of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s in Ornament Is Not a Crime. It’s part history of the movement, part audit of playful contemporary homes from around the world that draw on PoMo’s ethos for big fun and big functionality. This is a book that celebrates the zigs, zags, colour pops and scalloped edges of postmodern design, and there are plenty of ideas for the next vibrant overhaul of your home. — SV

$69.99 / thamesandhudson.com.au

So Soiree Fringe Garden

Melbourne Fringe Festival is descending on Prahran’s Grattan Gardens with So Soiree, transforming the leafy grounds into a playful and camp neon-lit spot to while away the night. Grab drinks from a retro caravan before stepping inside the 200-capacity Ukiyo circus tent to enjoy a range of ticketed performances from comedy and cabaret to burlesque and drag – all strictly for grown-ups. Expect to see performances from Karen from Finance, Briefs Factory, comedy duo Hot Department and much more. — GG

Oct 7–22 / Grattan Gardens, Prahran / sosoiree.com.au

TRUSTED SOURCE Bambii

Tenielle Dunstall is a true believer in sciencebased, ethically sourced beauty products. After working in the industry for 16 years, she’s launched Bambii – an online beauty retailer serious about full transparency. It offers a scrupulously researched and curated range of more than 150 innovative products across 21 local and international brands, including Raaie, Remi Beauty and Nuori. Dunstall “work[s] with a cosmetic chemist to actually check each individual ingredient”, she says. These independent checks ensure each item matches Bambii’s clearly outlined ethical, sustainable and green-science guidelines. — GG bambii.au

SNACK BAR STREET STYLE

Thelatestin Melbourne foodnews

by Gitika Garg Swan Street, Richmond

Prahran’s much-loved Italian bistro Officine Zero has just reopened as dayto-night dining destination Officina Gastronomica Italiana. The completely revamped venue has doubled its footprint and will focus on serving a curated selection of Italian natural wines and housemade pasta. 532–534 Malvern Road, Prahran / officinezero.com.au

Nine months after opening in Armadale, Korean eatery Ondo has a new CBD outpost tucked down a little laneway on Lonsdale Street. While the suburban spot focuses on breakfast and lunch, the city counterpart will also trade into the evenings serving yukhoe bibimbap, house-made punches flavoured with ginger and cinnamon, and more. 115 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne / @ondo_melb

Take a seat at Neptune Food & Wine’s new Forever Shells Saturday lunch offering. For $60, diners can enjoy a three-course set menu including unlimited shells, rotating each week between vongole, mussels and oysters. There’s also a bottomless option for an extra $45 212 High Street, Windsor / neptune.melbourne

Melbourne homewares label Bonnie and Neil’s new Greek Feast collection puts seafood and lemons on linen napkins, tea towels and tablecloths. The limited-edition line is a collaboration with cookbook authors Helena and Vikki Moursellas, themed around their new recipe book Peináo: A Greek Feast for All Shop at bonnieandneil.com.au

Railway Wine Bar is Highett’s new 60-seat venue from the team behind The Orrong Hotel, Mount Erica Hotel and Teo’s Pizza next door. It focuses on local and international minimal intervention wines. Pop in for a glass or two over cheese and charcuterie, or woodfired pizza delivered hot from Teo’s. 8 Railway Parade, Highett / railwaywine.com.au

Read the full story for each dot point: broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/series/snack-bar

Name: Thérèse Tynan Age: 28 Occupation: Chef What are you wearing today? I’m wearing a shirt from Billabong that I got recently on my travels because I lost half my clothes – just doing washes in hostels means things go missing. I got the pants at Universal and the shoes I got online – they’re a Collina Strada x Reebok crossover. People often ask me if I painted them myself. I didn’t paint them myself! Also wearing a Homie cap from Fitzroy. How would you describe your style? Comfy, colourful, always with a bit of black and white in there, and often donning a hat because I’ve been having a bad hair day for the last couple of months. I like to leave the house in the morning with the potential of drinks in the evening, but still comfy.

REIMAGINED RICHMOND

This coveted neighbourhood marries Melbourne’s great loves: footy and food. Old red brick warehouses and humble workers’ cottages have been turned over by cashed-up young professionals and creatives, with permit zones lining the streets of multi-million-dollar properties.

MEDIAN PRICES

RICHMOND

1 bed unit, $400k 2 bed unit, $620k 2 bed house, $1.1m

Source: Data based on sales within the last 12 months

Photography Amy Hemmings

Photography Sarah Pannell

Photo: Kaede James Takamoto

Running one of Melbourne’s top pastry businesses doesn’t give Gareth Whitton many opportunities to get dressed up. The founder of cult patisserie Tarts Anon in Cremorne and Collingwood says his work demands clothing that’s tough enough to withstand long hours in a fast-paced kitchen.

“Work clothing in our industry needs to be durable, hard-wearing and uniform,” Whitton tells Broadsheet. “Yet we do try and encourage our team to express some individuality in their clothing.”

Whitton’s work uniform consists of a slim-fitting pair of black trousers (“with a bit of give through the waist”), a well-cut white T-shirt and always a leather clog.

This begs the question: how did Whitton, the former head pastry chef of Dinner

By

Heston,

end up the face of Melbourne

BACK CHAT Gareth Whitton

Words by Benjamen Judd · Photo by Tanya Macheda

menswear designer Christian Kimber’s new rugby shirt?

“I guess in a way our crafts aren’t too dissimilar,” Whitton says. “Food is something that we all take for granted on occasion, as it is such an integral part of our day-to-day, and fashion is no different. The beauty of both disciplines is that there is so much diversity within them that’s indicative of culture and individuals that, when in the right hands, [they] can transcend purpose and become things of beauty – something that I believe Christian and I strive to achieve daily.”

The garment in question, the Mornington rugby shirt, is Kimber’s interpretation of the menswear staple. Hand-knitted in Portugal from thick, heavyweight 360GSM cotton for a warm and comfortable wear, its bands of beige, deep ocean blue, muted green and native wattle are inspired by the colours of the Mornington Peninsula.

For his part, Whitton says that even when it comes to choosing clothes that aren’t his usual uniform, his typical rules still apply. The rugby shirt makes the grade.

“I’m always on the lookout for clothes that I can wear again and again, but also suit my style without being too restrictive,” he says. “I love to be comfortable without compromising on a certain aesthetic, something that Christian has worked brilliantly into his pieces so you never feel over- or underdressed.”

Part-time model isn’t the only side hustle Whitton is taking on at the moment. The pastry chef has been confirmed as one of the contestants of Channel 10’s upcoming show, Dessert Masters. “Once I heard the sorts of big-hitting chefs I was to be rubbing shoulders with, I couldn’t turn the opportunity down,” Whitton says. “It was also a great opportunity to tell a little bit more about myself and our brand’s backstory on the national stage.”

It’s not the first time he’s appeared on television, and Whitton says the flow-on effect from that kind of exposure is hard to pass up. “I never thought I would look at a career in television, but knowing the benefit appearing on season 14 of Masterchef

had on our business, I was hard pressed to say no when I was asked to join the cast of Dessert Masters.”

Since launching his label in 2014, Kimber has been studiously reinventing menswear staples, from field jackets to knitwear. It’s perfect timing for the rugby shirt to receive his attention: the easy-wear item has recently featured on the Paris runways, at Loewe and Louis Vuitton.

A former amateur player himself (“I played rugby in the south-east of England as a lad and was mad for it”), Kimber is launching the sporty shirt into a fashion landscape that’s busy reviving late ’80s and mid-’90s trends. An Australian staple back in the day and arguably the OG athleisure piece, the shirt taps into something that’s retro yet authentic and familiar.

“Rugbys are really coming into frame right now,” Kimber says. “I think it’s due to both a focus on oversized and deconstructed garments of late, and a love of nostalgia. It’s a slightly more rugged option to a polo, which we’ve perfected over time.”

The Tarts Anon founder talks workwear, telly and Christian Kimber rugby shirts.

HOME OF THE WEEK

A gem in the heart of Brighton

Words by Peter Semple

This four-bedroom and two-bathroom Edwardian home in Brighton has undergone a total refurbishment using the best materials and the highest quality finishes throughout, from the beautiful stone benchtops to the built-in cabinetry and the engineered oak floors.

And the refinement doesn’t stop there, with an in-ground pool, in-ground Olympicsized trampoline, and outdoor living zones complemented by features such as a built-in barbecue in the covered al fresco area.

The north-facing orientation, three-metre ceilings, recessed lighting, courtyards and the use of a skylight and large areas of glass ensure the indoor spaces are brilliantly lit with natural light.

Entry to the home is via double doors from the verandah to the spacious, openplan living, dining and kitchen area.

One is immediately struck by the beautiful tones, including that of the herringbonepatterned flooring, in a room that feels surprisingly spacious.

The skylight over the kitchen area provides an excellent source of light to a very

well equipped and much-used space, while the original fireplace provides an eye-catching central feature and a nod to the building’s past, as do the double-hung windows.

The kitchen also features a Neff induction cooktop and twin convection-steamer combi ovens, a Vintec wine fridge, integrated Liebherr fridges and freezers, a Miele dishwasher, a spacious pantry, an appliance cupboard and a servery bar.

But perhaps the best features are the enormous number of built-in cupboards and drawers and easy-to-clean stone bench tops, including the vast island bench and on the splashback.

From here, two sets of bifold doors open to the verandah and a covered dining area beside the pool. A well-manicured hedge around the pool boundary provides a sense of privacy to an area much sought after as a peaceful resort from a busy day.

A glass fence provides a clean and uninterrupted view of the pool.

The hedge continues around the perimeter of the backyard, again providing that sense of privacy, soothing greenery and

sanctuary so coveted and so difficult to find in the inner suburbs.

A separate dining/living room off the main living area also features an original fireplace and double-hung windows. Opposite, via a central hallway, are the main bathroom with its free-standing bath, and the laundry. Opposite Brighton Grammar and a short walk from Firbank Grammar, the property is near beaches, the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Middle Brighton Baths and Church Street and Bay Street cafes and boutiques.

Brighton

34 Cosham Street

$4.95 million-$5.4 million

4 2 2

Private sale

Agent: Marshall White, Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

WHAT THE AGENT SAYS

“Situated in a muchsought-after pocket of Brighton, this beautifully transformed home offers luxurious indoor and outdoor family living and entertaining while retaining the charm of its Edwardian heritage.”

NEED TO KNOW

The property was last sold for $3.25 million in May 2017, and the highest recorded house price for Brighton (past 12 months) was $31.6 million for 39 Seacombe Grove in November 2022.

RECENT SALES

$3.45 million

6 Enfield Road, August $2.74 million

15 Peacock Street, June $2.84 million

51 Asling Street, June

Matthew Pillios Marshall White

Six Shell-Shaped Homewares That Are Elegant and a Bit Delicious

By Jo Walker

COREY ASHFORD OYSTER INCENSE HOLDER IN BRASS – $80 Melbourne-based designer (and Dinosaur Designs alum) Corey Ashford wants you to remember that the world is your oyster, so he cast this luxe incense holder from a real shell plucked fresh out of the sea. The handmade vessel has a small opening for incense sticks and can also do duty as a salt or jewellery dish. coreyashford.com

BONNIE AND NEIL MARINA TAN NAPKIN SET –

$135 Sporting original artwork from label co-founder Bonnie Ashley printed onto crisp white linen, these ocean-themed napkins come in a set of six and are made for summer feasting – wipe them on fingers sticky from peeling prawns and chins dripping with watermelon. The Melbourne label also produces matching tea towels, pillowcases and cushion covers. bonnieandneil.com.au

GARDEN GLORY SHELL CUSHION – $199–$229

Swedish label Garden Glory is known for luxe outdoor items. We imagine the brief for this witty shell cushion was “off-duty mermaid” – just enough Ariel for Disney fans, but not so cartoonish that the rest of us can’t enjoy it too. Available in solid colours, as well as a couple of unexpected prints (zebra and chintz). gardenglory.com

EN GOLD SHELL DISH – $40 Melbourne interior designer Steffanie Ball knows how to curate eye-catching homewares via En Gold, a collection featuring items she designs herself as well as interesting pieces sourced from around the globe. This dish is from the latter category – a natural capiz shell handcrafted by traditional Filipino artisans to bring out its shimmer and shine. engold.com.au

KIP & CO X JESSICA NGUYEN TABLECLOTH – $165

A collaboration between Aussie home and lifestyle label Kip & Co and home cook Jessica Nguyen, this hot little number looks good enough to eat. Featuring chillies, tomatoes and vongole clams in checked print on a 100 per cent French flax linen base, the tablecloth is an appropriate backdrop to raucous feasting any time of year. kipandco.com.au

ROBERT GORDON PEARL SCONCE LIGHT –

$550 We don’t have too many heritage brands that are still Australian-owned. Family-run pottery business Robert Gordon is one of them – and it’s now churning out interiors products. Handmade to order in Australia, the pearl sconce brings a sense of quiet whimsy to indoor lighting. Available glazed in a range of calming colourways. robertgordoninteriors.com

SALT, FAMILY AND RIPE TOMATOES

Words by Grace MacKenzie · Photos by Peter Tarasiuk

Human

rights lawyer and ASRC founder Kon Karapanagiotidis is always happy to share a seat at his table. The remarkable Melburnian’s fresh-from-the-press cookbook Philoxenia – co-written with his mother Sia – takes a moreish dive into veggie-powered Greek classics and food’s innate ability to uphold connection to culture and identity.

Kon Karapanagiotidis’s espressobrown eyes crinkle warmly in their corners when he’s asked to describe his mother Sia Karapanagiotidis. “My mum is a straight talker. She respects people that are hardworking, but if you’re careless she won’t hold back,” he says.

“Sia loves her big sunglasses in summertime and comfy moccasins in wintertime. She’s filled with a fierceness of intelligence and an ability to navigate the most complex and challenging things in life. She’s incredibly salty, too – she doesn’t suffer fools.”

Kon’s admiration of Sia is clear – and understandable. She didn’t finish high school but is soon to become a published author alongside her son. The pair has spent the better part of the past 12 months co-writing Philoxenia: A Seat at My Table, the veggie-powered 100-recipe Greek cookbook soaked in family, generosity and hope.

“I wanted to capture my culture and my mum’s beautiful recipes,” Kon says. “Food is so central to my family’s life: it’s how I bonded with my mum, how I bonded with my dad.”

Images of his late father Leo tending to a bubbling pot of brothy, cannellini-bean-laden fasolada for hours at a time remain with Kon. Likewise those of Leo plucking juicy red tomatoes from vines in their backyard, roughly chopping the bounty, dousing it in olive oil and a generous crumble of feta, and serving with hunks of crusty bread to soak up the juicy leftover puddle.

Often away from home working, Kon’s dad always found the time to cook for his family. “It was his way of showing love. I remember the pride he took in [the tomato salad]: I grew this, I created this.”

“Philoxenia” is a Greek word meaning ‘to show generosity to a stranger’. It encapsulates the selflessness that’s energised Kon through a lifetime heaving with compassion.

Kon grew up in the rural alpine town of Mount Beauty, then inner-city Thornbury.

His parents – who migrated to Australia in the ’ 60 s – endured the racism and exclusion ever-present in the migrant experience, as did Kon. “[The self-hate] was going to eat me alive if I didn’t do something with it,” Kon says of his 18-year-old self. “I started volunteering at different charities, and I found a place that made sense. I had a lot of love to give, if not to myself.”

It was Sundays at the Royal Children’s Hospital, midnight shifts on a crisis line, mealtimes at a homeless men’s shelter. “I’d look at all this injustice and I felt an affinity,” he says. “I felt like I was invisible, and I felt drawn to other people that felt invisible.” After a decade immersed in communities of need – also earning degrees in education, social work and law, and working as a teacher – a determined and hopeful 28-year-old Kon founded the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC).

on,” Kon says. “It’s how newly arrived people enable themselves to be humanised, to be accepted. If you can’t access your food, you can’t access your identity.”

At Sia’s home in Moonee Valley, the duo picks silverbeet, spring onions and tomatoes from the backyard veggie patch – once grown to plentitude by Leo. Then Kon takes sous chef position to his mother’s head chef, learning from and delighting in her skill, care and saltiness.

“The first thing my mum talks about is your intention. Cook with love. But also, cook with your senses. Add a little bit of something, you can always add more. Start at a low temperature and move on from there. Keep tasting, smelling, looking at it.”

A lifetime of cooking intuitively made getting the recipes on paper the hardest part of the book, Kon says. “This was the first time

Karapanagiotidis table. It’s an outstretched hand, encouraging you to taste your way into their heritage. To start to understand who they are.

A bright bowl of fricassee (stew) is a fresh mix of broad beans, fennel and artichoke, next to a zesty dill-laden spanakorizo (a pilaf of spinach and rice). There’s a hearty moussaka (casserole) and a glorious dish of papoutsakia, a tasty mess of eggplants that have been stuffed and roasted. There’s a snail of spanakopita (spinach pie) with its viridescent insides, and a sweeter bite via kolokithopita’s (also a pie) pumpkin-filled glory. There’s a spectacular pile of tiganites, pancakes stuffed with feta and topped with honey that light up Kon’s eyes. The book has all that and how to perfect a strong Greek coffee. Each and every recipe is Sia’s, made just as she would make it in her kitchen. Just as they do in Greece.

“When you travel, the first thing people want to share with you is their food,” Kon says. “Let me show you my culture. Philoxenia –come to my home, I’ll make a dozen different dishes for you. It’s not my plate or your plate, there’s only our food. Food opens the door to who we are and invites people to be curious. [In a new country], it’s a level playing field.”

Joining the recipes are essays Kon has written on identity, compassion and family, plus pages of Sia’s golden tips (“cook from a place of curiosity”, “wash produce three or four times”, “waste nothing”, “you can never add enough salt or olive oil”). “I wanted [Philoxenia] to give beautiful layers, which are about: we have a story to tell.”

For the past two decades, those seeking a safer life Down Under have been able to access a health centre, rent and utilities relief, legal support and, above all, kindness via the ASRC. Over 1000 people are fed each week via the organisation’s food bank, a free hot lunch is served daily, and there’s investment in refugee-led businesses, too.

The team worked to have the last children in immigration detention taken off the small island of Nauru, and convinced state governments to make transport concession cards accessible to asylum seekers. “At the coal face, we’ve helped over 30,000 people,” Kon says.

Through it all is the simple power of food, connecting us to culture and each other, grounding those caught in life’s flux.

“I believe no matter what you have, everyone’s entitled to beautiful food. Food in itself is the social armour that refugees and migrants put

she’d measured anything. My poor mum, she was like, ‘How stupid can they be? Can’t they just taste and see?’”

Sia believes that your ingredients come second to your intentions, and that they’re at the liberty of our mindsets, too – regardless of a person’s means, beautiful food is available.

“Every horta (wild green) – from the ones you find on the pavement to the ones on an abandoned block – is not only edible but gourmet,” Kon says. “Just sitting there. Migrants are the pioneers of the environmental movements. They were growing their food, living off their land in the ’50s and ’60s.”

In Philoxenia, plump silverbeet dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), smoky melitzanosalata (eggplant dip) and a rainbow of tangy toursi (pickled veggies) transport you to Greece, offering a proverbial seat at the

There’s the story of Kon and Sia, together in the garden and kitchen, then surrounded by family at the table. There’s Sia hand-stretching filo on her island bench, circumnavigating the expanse of pastry while working it slowly, bit by bit. There’s the sweet custardy centre of galaktoboureko (custard baked into pastry), wobbling underneath a crisped-up top of frilly filo.

There are memories of Leo, up early and out late, returning to the stove to love his clan. It’s Sia and her love of strong Greek coffee, Greek soap operas and feeding her family. It’s a story of Leo and Sia in their twenties, arriving in Australia in need of sanctuary, ready to give it a go. Of people from across the globe, sitting down to share beautiful food in a safe space at the ASRC.

Kon’s story is one of connection and compassion. It’s one that makes an impassioned plea for more shared meals, at his table and yours.

If you can’t access your food, you can’t access your identity.

WINDOW SHOPPING

Black Rock

By Gitika Garg

With sprawling oceanfront views, salty breezes and a laid-back feel, it’s easy to forget that Black Rock has an urban postcode. Named after heritage landmark Black Rock House, a grand 1856-built holiday home, the bayside suburb has a beach-getaway feel – only 18 kilometres from the CBD.

Start the day with brunch classics at curb-side spot Cafeteria before continuing down Bluff Road – nicknamed “The Village”. If you’re looking to pick up the essentials, head into family-run operation Black Rock Grocer (it stocks bottles from southside brewery Deeds) or Village Meats – both mainstays for locals. Next door there’s The Pasta Eater preparing fresh pasta and ready-to-heat meals for more than 20  years, and Parisian-style patisserie Flavours serving French-butter croissants and chef Christopher George’s family-recipe passionfruit sponge.

The Black Rock Clock Tower stands at the roundabout intersecting Bluff and Beach roads – a common starting point for bike rides along the scenic Bay Trail to Port Melbourne. Every Saturday morning, hardcore cyclists gather here to embark on the “Hell Ride”, a 63-kilometre journey to Mount Eliza and back. Afterwards, gelato at Davey Mac’s – known for its Ferrero Rocher and liquorice flavours – provides a pick-me-up.

Afternoons call for a stroll through Black Rock Gardens before heading down to the beach. Along the coastline, Black Rock Jetty is home to Cerberus Beach House, named after the sunken wreck of colonial naval vessel HMVS Cerberus (which can be spotted from the pier). Dine upstairs at the restaurant for an extensive seafood menu paired with a glass of wine, or enjoy a spot in the sun with hearty burgers and fish and chips from the kiosk below.

Walk a little farther and you’ll reach Half Moon Bay, drawing crowds of locals and visitors from across the city with its calm swimming waters – great for a summer dip. It sits below Red Bluff, the burnt-orange cliff face that forms part of the neighbourhood’s shoreline. Catch the best view of the sunset from Red Bluff Lookout.

For dinner, visit Japanese diner Kicho for kingfish crudo, wine bar Ventuno 21 for classic pasta dishes or go for Argentinean tapas at True South.

NEED TO KNOW

A pretty seaside suburb, Black Rock offers a coastal lifestyle with stunning beaches and vibrant cafes. Homes in the area are a mix of post-war period and modern, attracting families and retirees. Due to conservation efforts for the protection of native plants, Black Rock boasts beautiful surroundings.

Average Age

49

Median Weekly income $2,416

Clockwise from top: Black Rock Clock Tower, photo Kate Pascoe; Cafeteria, photo Brook James; True South, photo courtesy venue; Kicho, photo Kate Pascoe

Owner 80% Family 59%

Renter 20% Single 41%

WHAT THE AGENT SAYS

“With its stunning beachfront, Black Rock is a beauty. A little slice of coastal paradise that offers all the amenities of modern-day living and a premium location. ”

MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES

Median price houses $2.22m

Median weekly rent $541

Distance from CBD 17km

Clockwise from top: Half Moon Bay, Daiana Ingleton’s cycling mural, Boat sheds and Black Rock Jetty, photos Kate Pascoe

Jenny Dwyer Belle Property

LUXURY

Words by Joanne Brookfield & Maria Harris

Prahran

Sub-penthouse/525 High Street

$4.95 million

4 4 5

Private sale

Agent: Marshall White, Joanna Nairn 0419 994 664

Panoramic views from the city to the Macedon Ranges are a huge drawcard at this exclusive sub-penthouse. Designed by JCB Architecture and Hecker Guthrie, it provides two levels of absolute opulence with four bedrooms, four en suites and four living areas, including the living and dining opening to the north-facing terrace. Warm oak flooring, tundra marble, a chef’s Miele kitchen, a cellar and a whole-floor parents’ suite make this urban oasis hard to resist.

Elwood

201/1-3 Foam Street

$3.1 million-$3.4 million

3 3 2

Expressions of interest

Agent: Kay & Burton, Gowan Stubbings 0412 269 999

With a design team of architects Jackson Clements Burrows and interior designers Studio Tate, plus lush landscaping by Eckersley Garden Architecture, this stylish apartment is one of only 12 in a project by developer Goldfields. On a tree-lined street, the result is a serene, sophisticated abode with natural stone, abundant light and a wraparound terrace with city views. Luxurious amenities include a theatre room, concealed bar, butler’s pantry, lift and integrated audio.

South Melbourne

335 Park Street

$3.2 million-$3.45 million

4 3

Auction: 10.30am, October 7

Agent: Marshall White, Oliver Bruce 0409 856 599

Walk just about everywhere from this contemporary, architect-designed two-level home just a short stroll from St Vincent’s Gardens, Albert Park village and primary school, and South Melbourne market. It includes a north-facing home office, an upstairs teen retreat, a separate studio and a balcony. High-end finishes and fixtures range from Bosch appliances to porcelain benchtops. With summer on the way, indoor-outdoor living by the pool looks very appealing.

Brighton

41 Hanby Street

$4 million-$4.4 million

5 3 2

Auction: Noon, October 7

Agent: Marshall White, Simon Monnier-Penny 0404 283 551

Tropical plants enhance the sense of summer created by the azure tiled pool and spa, and fitted barbecue, which adds to the overall bayside vibe in this double-storey home. It backs on to Whyte Street Reserve, and Church Street and Middle Brighton station aren’t far away. The floor plan splits the bedrooms over two levels and has several living areas with luxe touches, including a built-in bar and a sauna.

HOME RENOVATION & DECOR Calling the Schots on style and innovation

Words by Sarah Marinos

When Heather and Neville Schot opened their first homewares shop in Moonee Ponds in the late 1970s, they had no idea it would become the thriving business it is today.

“We lived above the shop and sold antiques and salvaged architectural materials, like old Edwardian mantels and cast iron Victorian insets, on the ground floor,” Neville recalls.

“I’ve always been interested in old homes and everything we sold then was original.

“We had scouts who’d go around the streets and pick up things people threw away. People were ripping out original inserts, timber window frames, doors and fireplaces, and our scouts brought everything back to the shop.

“We’d buy them, restore them and put them in our shop,” Neville says. “I’d also go to sites where old homes were being demolished, to buy marble mantels and other original features. It was a lot of fun because you never knew what you’d find! I collected beautiful marble mantelpieces from mansions in Williamstown and Toorak and handmade tiles like you’d find in historic homes like Rippon Lea and Werribee Mansion.

“We also came across beautiful stainedglass entry doors that were pieces of history.”

After feeling out a few different locations around Melbourne in the early days, Schots Home Emporium settled in Clifton Hill in 1994. It has since become a landmark destination for home builders and renovators seeking thoughtfully designed products created with high-quality materials.

This year marks the emporium’s 45th birthday and it has been an opportunity for the Schot family to reflect on the journey so far and to look ahead. Neville’s daughters, Megan and Fiona, have joined the business, ensuring its longevity.

A secret of survival has been Schots’ ability to evolve its product range.

The business has a skilled team that creates reproduction inserts, mantels, vanities

and doors, and the store has expanded to include hardware, tiles, lighting and furniture made with vintage leather, teak and recycled timbers sourced from old bridges and factories.

“We’ve always been able to see where the market is heading,” Neville says.

“For example, we could see that original cast iron insets were becoming very expensive and harder to find, so we were one of the first companies in the world to do reproduction Victorian and Edwardian inserts.

“Currently, we’re designing a swimming pool fence using 120-year-old, hand-carved teak ceiling slats. It looks more natural and it’s unique.”

Fiona, the marketing manager and buyer, first worked in the store at weekends when she was 15. After working in the import industry and studying marketing she was happy to join the business.

“When my sister and I were growing up, we spent a lot of time here,” she says. “I’ve known some of the people who work with us all my life and it’s nice to be part of that family.

“Styles have changed over the years but our focus on quality has always remained.

“People now want pieces that are elegant, smaller and more lineal and we’ve responded to that. Our products stand the test of time and have become treasured pieces in many homes.”

Schots’ reputation has spread beyond Melbourne. During a holiday in Byron Bay, the family spotted their concrete outdoor furniture range taking pride of place on the deck of a beachfront hotel.

Fiona says her dad never tires of looking for interesting designs that might spark ideas.

“Dad takes photos of interesting designs wherever he goes – he can’t help himself!” she says.

“He’ll be on holiday and take photos of interesting doors, park benches, statues and urns. Or we’ll be in a restaurant and Dad pulls out his phone to photograph a chair.

“He never stops looking for inspiration.” schots.com.au

Heather and Neville Schot with daughters, Megan and Fiona.

OPEN FOR INSPECTION

Words by Joanne Brookfield, Kay Keighery & Shae Wiedermann

LAST WEEKEND

Clearance Rate of 66%*

Source: Domain Group

WHAT OUR NATIONAL EDITOR SAYS

Natalie Mortimer

Domain national magazine editor

“With the national vacancy rate for rentals sitting at 0.9 per cent for the second consecutive month, many frustrated tenants are now thinking of buying real estate, adding to the market.”

Brighton

4 Huntley Street

$1.9 million-$2.09 million

4 2 1

Auction: 1.30pm, October 7

HIGHEST VALUE

$6.45 million

Southbank

815/250 St Kilda Road

Sold by RT Edgar*

*As reported on September 23, 2023

Agent: Gary Peer, Jeremy Rosens 0413 837 723

This residence comes with close proximity to both beach and parkland. With a c1915 Edwardian facade and a contemporary interior, the house is a perfect blend of period character and low-maintenance modern living. If the nearness of Elwood beach and Elsternwick Park weren’t enough, the house sits close to Glen Huntly Road and Elsternwick station.

Surrey Hills

10 Suffolk Road

$2.7 million-$2.9 million

5 3 2

Auction: 11.30am, October 14

Agent: Marshall White, James Tostevin 0417 003 333

A block-fronted facade and bay window set the tone here, as plenty of decorative period details remain throughout this renovated 120-year-old Edwardian house. An extension has added another storey, placing all bedrooms upstairs with treetop views. Downstairs, three living areas and a home office provide generous space, while the garden extends that with a verandah and al fresco dining by the built-in barbecue and heated pool and spa. There is a separate studio and workshop.

South Melbourne

32 Glover Street

$2.4 million-$2.6 million

3 2

Auction: 10.30am, October 7

Agent: Jellis Craig, Warwick Gardiner 0438 308 555

Extended and renovated, this Victorian pairs personality with functionality. Behind the charming block-fronted facade, the main bedroom impresses with a fireplace, while the open-plan living area adjoins a no-maintenance courtyard with seating and a groovy barbecue. Head upstairs for a fabulous full bathroom and two minor bedrooms, one affording city views.

Kew

18 Disraeli Street

$2.3 million-$2.5 million

4 4 2

Auction: Noon, October 14

Agent: Kay & Burton, Sophie Su 0425 270 125

A newbie in a coveted location, this house is finished with noteworthy finesse. With bedrooms on both levels, a plethora of bathrooms and a choice of social spaces, it’s also designed for family harmony. The facade makes a strong contemporary statement. Connected with the open-plan hub at the rear of the ground floor, a deck looking over a lawn garden encourages al-fresco time.

Beaumaris

119 Dalgetty Road

$2.8 million-$3 million

4 2 2

Auction: 12.30pm, October 14

Buxton, Adam Saunders 0405 456 255

From the striking monochromatic rectilinear facade through to the butler’s pantry with a second dishwasher, every aspect of this double-storey home is designed for contemporary family life by the bay. A mudroom connects to the garage (which also has a rear door for the boat), while bifolds open to covered al fresco dining by the heated pool.

Brighton East

6 Montgomery Street

$960,000-$1.05 million

2 1 3

Auction: 11.30am, October 7

Agent: Gary Peer, Vanessa McGlynn 0421 679 884

A builder’s own residence, this single-level unit sits on a peaceful, tree-lined street. It has a unique front courtyard that is fully fenced and well-equipped for entertaining. Step inside to two bedrooms and a generous bathroom. With additional off-street parking, the garage can double as a work space.

Glen Iris

22a Seaton Street

$2.695 million

4 3 2

Expressions of interest: Close October 5

Agent: Shelter, Zali Reynolds 0422 576 049

The lower level of this new townhouse houses a double garage and a theatre room. The ground-level spread includes a bedroom and en suite, and two social spaces. Centred by a retreat, the upper level adds a second powder room, bathroom, study nook, two minor bedrooms and the main with full trappings.

Hover your camera over the code to view live listings on domain.com.au

4 Nanoon Close, Brighton

Auction

Saturday 21st October at 11.30am

Viewing As Advertised or by Appointment

S t K i l d a W e S t 20

longmore Street

Federation Splendour with Modern Finesse

A majestic celebration of period grandeur infused with contemporary elegance, this irresistible 4 bedroom + study 2 bathroom Federation brick beauty forms an unforgettable harmony of styles. Grand with its 3 6m approx. ceilings and magnificent archway hallway, this timeless haven highlights a superb living room spilling out to a deck enclaved mod grass courtyard, a glorious north facing dining room opening to a sun bathed rear entertaining deck, an exquisite kitchen with marble breakfast bar and an exquisite established landscape. Further complements include working fireplaces, plantation shutters, ducted heating, air conditioning, security and a tandem carport behind an auto gate. A heartbeat to the light rail and Albert Park’s sporting fields, walk to St Kilda Beach.

• Magnificently retained originality

• High end renovation

• Secure undercover parking for 2

• Low maintenance gardens

• Footsteps to the light rail

auction: Saturday 21st October 11.00am

Guide: Contact Agent

Contact: Jon Kett 0415 853 564

Tony Gaudry 0417 169 560

Contact Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

Scott Xue 0433 493 837

Harry Paynter 0413 532 783 marshallwhite.com.au

64 Black Street, Brighton

3 A 2 B 2 C

Exceptionally positioned in a prized Brighton locale just steps to Church Street, this sublime sanctuary-like residence in the acclaimed Etienne development by architect Ewart Leaf, celebrates its northerly facing splendour & biophilic-inspired design with a foliage-framed entertaining terrace that commands leafy neighbourhood & city-skyline views.

marshallwhite.com.au

Private Sale

Viewing

By Appointment

Contact

Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

Melissa Grinter 0409 805 035

Dahli Woosnam 0435 505 309

13 Butler Street, Brighton

148 North Road, Brighton

Auction

14th October at 10.30am

Viewing As Advertised