16 April 2024
There’s three similar scale art deco flats in a row on Simpson Street East Melb, all possibly c1940 by IG Anderson, or possibly not (update : the left two are by George Blumin, with Anatol Kagan, c1940-41, info via Art Deco Society and the book on Kagan). The far right, called Liege, see below, hasn’t been touched since maybe the 70s, the other two are somewhat altered.
The middle one, originally called Rene, pictured first, is great cream brick with glass block balconies. It was originally studios, but was completely done over in 2019, leaving only the fireplaces, while turning them from studios into two beds (plan pic 5). They made the balconies much much deeper, so that entry is actually via the balcony, with new steel framed balcony doors further back different to the original (compare now, with that odd mirrored bit, vs old rent ad in pic 6), and replaced the cream brick bulkhead with just white. I wonder how they got a permit for that, you couldn’t change the a terrace house frontage that much.
The left one is called St Joan, with some very fine brickwork, and has one beds on the left and two beds on the right, with balconies added some time in the 90s. Looks nice inside, though only the fireplace is original in the ads I could find, and it’s not that interesting.
12 April 2024
The third one is called ‘Leige’, a nice Art Deco block that looks maybe abandoned, certainly not cared for. Thought to be c1940, and so probably by #IGAnderson who did so many in the immediate area at that time. Found an old lease ad, they’re studio flats, with the balconies poorly glassed in maybe in the 70s. Odd they’re not 1 beds, theres room behind since the block is deep. Look nice once fixed up. Update : not abandoned, in fact lots of commenters have lived or still do live there and say it’s very nice, and reasonable rents too.
Comments from Instagram :
chiffeni I lived here for ten years and I absolutely loved it. I shared walls and ceilings with my best friends that moved in an out over those years. Amazing group of people have lived in these flats over the years! ❤️
emilyw68 Was home for 15 years. Amazing times, extraordinarily clever use of space
mahousesupplystore My friends live here and the floor plans are perfect. Simply put the bed in the sunroom and wala plenary of room for couch and dining. Kitchens are also very cute and lead to a back stair that overlooks a very overgrown but beautiful garden
___artemis Hello, I live here, as do many others and we would greatly appreciate if you could amend your caption to avoid implying that the place is abandoned. You were sent a message a few hours ago with the same request but I haven’t noticed an edit yet. This is our home, and we’d prefer not to worry about potential squatting, property damage, or any other issues because of how it’s portrayed on Instagram, Facebook and whatever else you’re posting on.
lantanalouise I lived in East Melbourne for 4 years, most of the art deco building like this are investment properties, landlords haven’t done any maintenance on them. I lived in a shocker similar to this and renovated it at my own expense just to have somewhere nice to live. Landlords in East Melbourne typically own several sites each.
lockyasis1 Would love to know who owns these buildings and why they don’t give them some TLC. Landbanking?
macfinkelstein I lived here for 18 months in the early 90s. Amazing layout, great bathroom, kitchen and frosted glass back wall 🤍 … and while the glassed in balcony was ugly it made for a semi-1 bedroom. Sad to see it in this state.
fleurie78 Beautiful building
cheeky_chargerson Lived here not too long ago! Loved it, art deco at its best
neenish Lived here for a year or two in the 90s. It was amazing. Rent was always reasonable and I remember the application process focused on what I was studying at uni!
anitajankovic Great photos – but building definitely not abandoned. Much loved by those who live there!
dollhaus The sunrooms are large enough for a queen bed and small side table which functions as a bedroom. Some of the sunrooms have French doors while others have rounded archways, each has its own charm, quirk, and character. They are very beautiful albeit old, and there is a great community of long term tenants living in there! The block is deep because there’s a large communal garden out the back which is so rare these days.
Storey of Melbourne 
Liege and its neighbours are a strange little group, interruping what was a row of five single storey terrace houses, like those oppisite on the west side of Simpson Street. I lived at 62 Simpson Street, known as St Joan, which were one bedrooms to the right of the stairwell and bed sitters to the left side. Then, they were extended into the back garden and the bed sitters becaome one bedroom flats and the one bedders two. Before the development works, the block was owned by the women’s fashion designer Elvie Hill – though that was her trading name, not her actual name. I concur that they are likely to be I G Anderson, but clearly on a very small budget.
LikeLike
Anderson did a similar pair in George St just round the corner, also replacing matching houses I think.
LikeLike
Turns out its by George Blumin with Anatol Kagan. Also, I can see that the smaller ones might have been a studio, with the kitchen and bath space now a bedroom with smaller kitch and bath, but the two beds have original looking windows to the bedrooms ?
LikeLike
well sleuthed! You are correct about the layout of the former bedsitter.. but the Northern of the two east facing bedrooms are the addition and the detailing was very well done
LikeLiked by 1 person