Inside the Robert Simeoni-designed Carlton North terrace with a floating bed and glass walls

Tom Tyrrell was born in the Royal Women's Hospital in Carlton in the 1940s. His parents brought him up in Brunswick West where he rode bikes around the streets, worshipped footy players and peered over the fence at the new neighbours who came from far away places like Sicily, Crete and Malta. While his mum was grilling chops and mashing potatoes in their little kitchen he was smelling the aromas of passata wafting in from the house next door while listening to the lilt of Italian dialect singing down corridors. This was life in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs in the 1950s.

In the 70s Tom studied at university and strolled down Lygon Street Carlton, stopping to eat a bowl of pasta at University Cafe. "When I was younger, Lygon Street was incredibly exciting, suddenly there were cappuccino machines, pasta and all this amazing Italian food and we realised we don't have to eat this boring British food anymore," Tom said.

Lygon Street is also still home to elevated experiences like Carlton Wine Room, Readings bookshop (voted the Best Book Shop in the World) and the original Brunetti's cafe. In Carlton you can still get a cheap eat, hear the rev of an engine, sip a posh glass of wine and read a Booker Prize-winning novel ... all at the same time. It's the mixture of bohemian egalitarianism and working-class reality that has always given it heart and soul.

The mix of European and English multiculturalism has been something that is foundational in the lives of many of Tom's Baby Boomer generation and it influenced the gentrification of suburbs like Carlton North, where he has lived for the last 30 years, first in Drummond Street, then in Station Street. It has also influenced house prices as areas like Carlton moved from being cheap inner-city bohemian artist enclaves to highly sought after heritage hotspots. The median house price for a 3 bedroom home in Carlton North is $1,800,000 with 5 per cent annual growth according to View.com.au records.

Tom and his wife bought 522 Station Street in North Carlton in 2006. It was an 1880s two-storey terrace with an average renovation, not enough light and a back end that had seen better days. "When we bought the house it had been poorly renovated, so we knew straight away we were going to have to redo it properly," he said.

Rather than attempting a cosmetic refresh, the couple commissioned award-winning architect Robert Simeoni to completely rethink the property while respecting its historic character.

The result is a home that feels like two eras meeting under one roof. "When you walk in, you see all the original period features, the fireplaces, the marble mantels and the heritage lighting," said Tom. "But as you move through the house it opens into a completely modern space at the back."

The renovation involved demolishing the rear of the house and rebuilding a two-storey extension, while carefully restoring the original Victorian facade and front rooms. "It's really two homes in one," he said. "The front respects the 1880s heritage, but the back is very contemporary."

One of the home's most distinctive features sits upstairs in the main suite, a built-in floating bed. "The floating bed came out of a conversation with the architect," said Tom. "It sits in the middle of the room so you can walk all the way around it."

Positioned to face a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking an east-facing balcony, the design creates an unusually open bedroom experience. "You pull the blinds up in the morning and the birds are already there on the balcony," Tom said.

The master retreat takes up nearly half the floor and includes walk-in wardrobes and an expansive ensuite. "Half the upper floor is basically the master suite, which feels quite indulgent," he said.

The rear of the house opens into a large open-plan living space that connects the kitchen, dining and living areas. "The back of the house downstairs is one big open space with a huge picture window looking out to the garden," he said.

The renovation also incorporated practical details well ahead of their time, including data cabling throughout the house, wide hallways and oversized doorways designed with accessibility in mind. "So we made all the corridors and doorways wider than normal," Tom said.

Beyond the home itself, the owners say the location has been one of its greatest assets. Station Street sits within a heritage overlay that has protected the area's Victorian character for decades. "Station Street is considered one of the most preserved period streets in Melbourne," the owner said. "Along the entire street there's only one apartment block, and that was built about 50 years ago."

The property is also just a short walk from the Nicholson Street tram and only four kilometres from Melbourne's Central Business District. "You're about 200 metres from the number 96 tram and you've got shops and cafes just around the corner," he said.

Today, he says the neighbourhood still offers plenty of lifestyle appeal. "It's Carlton and Carlton North, there are great pubs, cafés and restaurants everywhere," he said.

The Tyrrell's personal favourite remains a small neighbourhood cafe just a couple of blocks away. "Our favourite spot is a little cafe in Park Street," he said. "Even now we're renting while we wait for our new place to be built, we still go back there every week."

The couple's decision to sell comes down to a simple reality of ageing. "We're in our seventies now and it's a two-storey family home, so we decided it was time to downsize," he said.

They have purchased a three-bedroom apartment in a new Fitzroy development Fabbrica on the corner of Gore and Johnston St, which will offer single-level living when completed later this year.

While the move marks the end of an era, Tom is confident the house has been designed to continue evolving with its next occupants. "It really is a lovely house," he said. "And whoever moves in will get to enjoy not just the home itself, but everything that comes with living in Carlton North."

522 Station Street, Carlton North, VIC 3054 goes to Auction Saturday, 28 March 2026 11:00 am