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Inside the Fitzroy tram factory converted into one of Melbourne’s coolest houses

Behind the doors of this old tram factory lies an incredible luxury home – complete with a VERY unique kitchen, a sparkling plunge pool and an industrial bathtub like you’ve never seen

  • Interior designer Leigh Ellwood transformed a warehouse in central Melbourne into a unique modern home
  • She filled the Federal Trolley and Truck Company factory with quirky furnishings and a kaleidoscope of colour
  • The house has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a luxury steel kitchen, garden courtyard and plunge pool
  • The pool blurs the lines between indoors and out, creating the illusion of rain falling inside the living room

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An interior designer has transformed an industrial warehouse in the heart of Melbourne into a quirky family home filled with sunlight and a kaleidoscope of colour.

Leigh Ellwood turned the heritage-listed Federal Trolley and Truck Company factory in Fitzroy into a sprawling three-bedroom complete with a luxury stainless steel kitchen and a plunge pool at the centre of the house.

The building – which produced tram parts for the city in the 1920s – was given a new lease of life in a 2017 conversion by HOLA Projects, an architectural firm with offices in Melbourne and Hong Kong who helped Ms Ellwood realise her dream.

Architects preserved the original brick façade and art deco parapets while gutting the interior to make way for striking features including a spiral staircase, garden courtyard and enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that cast natural light into every corner.

Behind the original façade of the heritage-listed Federal Trolley and Truck Company factory in Fitzroy (pictured) is a one-of-a-kind family home

Behind the original façade of the heritage-listed Federal Trolley and Truck Company factory in Fitzroy (pictured) is a one-of-a-kind family home

The pool was installed in a way that 'bounces light' around the living room, blurring the lines between indoors and out

The pool was installed in a way that ‘bounces light’ around the living room, blurring the lines between indoors and out 

The master bathroom (pictured) is decorated in minimalist Scandinavian style and has a industrial inspired freestanding bathtub in a nod to the building's manufacturing past

The master bathroom (pictured) is decorated in minimalist Scandinavian style and has a industrial inspired freestanding bathtub in a nod to the building’s manufacturing past

A poolside dining room flows into the open-plan living space which has a sleek fireplace and steps leading up to the kitchen.

Upstairs are all three bedrooms, a spacious study and library and two of the three bathrooms, each decorated in its own unique theme.

The master is finished in a minimalist Scandinavian style, with an industrial-inspired freestanding bathtub in a nod to the building’s past.

Listing agent Peter Stephens, who is overseeing the sale of the house for realtors Nelson Alexander, told Daily Mail Australia features such as the plunge pool and original factory front make it a rare find in Fitzroy area. 

Among the standout features is a luxury stainless steel kitchen (pictured) complete with a marble top breakfast bar

Among the standout features is a luxury stainless steel kitchen (pictured) complete with a marble top breakfast bar

A spiral staircase (pictured) leads from the hallway to the first floor

A spiral staircase (pictured) leads from the hallway to the first floor

Architects preserved the original brick façade and art deco parapets while gutting the interior to make way for striking features including a spiral staircase and floor-to-ceiling windows (pictured)

Architects preserved the original brick façade and art deco parapets while gutting the interior to make way for striking features including a spiral staircase and floor-to-ceiling windows (pictured)

Each of the three bedrooms (one pictured) are flooded with natural light

The bedrooms (another pictured) are spread across the first floor, along with a spacious study and two of the three bathrooms

Upstairs, each of the three bedrooms (two pictured) and a spacious study are flooded with natural light

A spacious study (pictured) is next to the bedrooms upstairs

A spacious study (pictured) is next to the bedrooms upstairs

‘The finishes and the light inside the house are just fantastic,’ Mr Stephens said. 

He said the pool was installed to ‘bounce light’ around the living room and blur the lines between indoors and out.

‘When it’s raining it almost brings the rain inside the house,’ Mr Stephens added. 

Open plan living spaces (pictured) and floor-to-ceiling windows make the house feel even larger than it really is

Open plan living spaces (pictured) and floor-to-ceiling windows make the house feel even larger than it really is

The house is scheduled for auction on February 27 with a guide price of $3.6million to $3.85million (AUD)

The house is scheduled for auction on February 27 with a guide price of $3.6million to $3.85million (AUD)

The second bathroom, tiled in 1970s-inspired baby pink, has sleek fixtures such as a matte black shower head (pictured)

The second bathroom, tiled in 1970s-inspired baby pink, has sleek fixtures such as a matte black shower head (pictured)

The house is scheduled for auction on February 27 with a guide price of $3.6million to $3.85million (AUD) – well above the average cost of a three-bedroom in the area which was $1.475million in 2020, according to figures from realestate.com.au.

CoreLogic property records reveal the factory last sold for $1.695million in 2013, before it was renovated. 

The Fitzroy tram factory is in auspicious company surrounded by historic two-storey terraces and quaint Victorian cottages in what is now regarded as one of Melbourne’s trendiest neighbourhoods.

Once a working-class suburb on the fringe of the CBD, Fitzroy has morphed into one of the city’s most sought-after post codes, teeming with cafes, bookstores and art galleries as well as a vibrant party scene. 

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