15 February 2024:

Chelmer Lodge, Park Street, #StKilda, delightful. It has great textured brickwork and bold curved forms, one with almost battlements, arched windows with lead lighting, all feels like Deco Tudor, without being clearly either. Nice courtyard garden entry, and even an arched driveway to a small carpark out back. Real estate photos of the interiors show generous rooms with more brickwork, timber paneling, loads of Deco plasterwork, and some original kitchens and bathrooms, yum ! I knew someone there once, thought it was great, but rather dark. Can’t find architect, but did find an ad for it in 1936, so probably built then, and which describes it as Old English style. (FB posts say it’s 1938 by HP Plamer of Paterson Ray Palmer, but that firm name only existed in the mid 19thC.)

14 February 2024

Not every block of interwar flats is delightful – Orren Court at 1 Park Street, St Kilda West, is pretty squeezy – like some of the new stuff ! Built to a lane on one side, and maybe 1.8m setback on the other. But provides a lot of one bed flats in a very desirable location. The style is sort of Old English, pretty much only on the front, but lots of nice brickwork. No date or architect but I’d say early to mid 1930s when ‘bachelor flats’ were a good investment. New photos winter 2024.

14 September 2024

Cute little Art Deco block on Beaconsfield Parade near Fitzroy Street, looking spiffy now but a few years ago was very sad, complete with prop. Seems to be four 1 beds, upper front one with great views of course. Pity about the single caged car in front. Also you have to go through the kitchen to the bedroom, but no big deal.

25 November 2024

The impressive Avila, on the corner of Park & Cowderoy Streets, St Kilda West, was built in 1935, and designed by Beedham & Wright (I know nothing about them). They went for a pared back Art Deco, but with cheery shutters on the main bedroom windows with a floral cutout, very unusual. They also designed it with a chamfered corner, which gives it more street presence, but presumably reduced the yield a bit. Real estate pics show a nice lobby, and that there’s 6 quite spacious 2 bed flats, complete with dining rooms, and one 1 bed above the 3 garages on one side, and that there are or were a couple of intact bathrooms.

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