PANORAMA HOUSE: MELBOURNE’S $16M BAYSIDE MASTERPIECE ON THE MARKET
Panorama House is where contemporary art meets bayside luxury. This award-winning five-bedroom Middle Park home boasts panoramic Port Phillip Bay views.
2 min
Part contemporary art gallery, part bayside mansion, Panorama House is a landmark Melbourne home without parallel.
The award-winning Middle Park house is the dream home of self-tan mogul, Kirstie Kirkham, who founded MineTan Body Skin a decade ago.
Now the beauty empire boss has listed her unrivalled residence for $15.9 million to $16.3 million with Kay & Burton director Andrew Sahhar and Danielle Horne alongside co-agent Hugh Jones of Agency Outcomes.
Kirkham is apparently moving on after reportedly paying more than $30 million for the Toorak home of hospitality industry couple Robert and Elizabeth Zagame.
On the corner of bustling Beaconsfield Pde and tree-lined Harold St, the five-bedroom Middle Park property took home two accolades in the 2025 Australian Interior Design Awards; Residential Decoration and Residential Design Best of State (Victoria).
Panorama House, so named thanks to its expansive 270-degree Port Phillip Bay and city views, has appeared in Vogue Living magazine, Yellowtrace, Est and Living Etc.
Melbourne-based interior designer Sally Knibbs of Sally Caroline studio was commissioned to transform the 2018 home built by Visioneer, which Kirkham bought in 2022 from Computershare co-founder Penelope Maclagan for $11.5 million.
Behind its unique raw brick and steel facade, luxury materials are abundant including Travertine Pewter, Green Onyx, and Calacatta marbles including, Romano, Verde, Corchia, Tanotti Green, and Menta.
Surrounded by a sea of traditional yet classically renovated Federation bungalows, the 21st century building is a statement piece in a coveted waterfront location. The home’s own website declares it is a “design that does’t shout. It simply belongs.”
From the ground up, the three-level floor plan makes use of every square centimetre on the 423sq m corner block.
The spacious basement car park offers the homeowner a four-car garage, made possible thanks to a sleek turntable. Underground amenities also include a cellar with wine fridge and a meat dry ager, plus a home gym.
One level up and the ground floor is home to a vast open plan entertaining zone combining a lounge area and wet bar that spills out to an internal landscaped courtyard with retractable roof.
Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a large family-friendly laundry, also sit on the same entry level.
A private lift connects all three layouts with the first floor featuring more everyday entertaining spaces.
A large lounge room is warmed by an Oblica fireplace and frames beach views, while the sophisticated chef’s kitchen has Gaggenau and Sub-Zero appliances, a statement island bench, and a walk-in pantry. The formal dining room has its own dramatic sweeping CBD backdrop.
In the palatial main bedroom suite there is a walk-in wardrobe, a double shower ensuite, as well as access to the private barbecue terrace. A neighbouring glass-walled office has an inspiring panorama of the bay.
Added extras at Panorama House include a Tesla home battery, solar energy integration, and provisions for a pool.
While the bay is on the doorstep, the Beaconsfield Pde home is also close to St Kilda, Armstrong St and Victoria Ave eateries, Albert Park, and loads of city-bound transport.
Co-agents Kay & Burton Bayside and Agency Outcomes are marketing Panorama House via in expressions of interest campaign, closing on September 15, at 5pm
A divide has opened in the tech job market between those with artificial-intelligence skills and everyone else.
A 30-metre masterpiece unveiled in Monaco brings Lamborghini’s supercar drama to the high seas, powered by 7,600 horsepower and unmistakable Italian design.
Buyer demand, seller confidence and the First Home Guarantee Scheme are setting up a frantic spring, with activity likely to run through Christmas.
2 min
The spring property market is shaping up as the most active in recent memory, according to property experts Two Red Shoes.
Mortgage brokers Rebecca Jarrett-Dalton and Brett Sutton point to a potent mix of pent-up buyer demand, robust seller confidence and the First Home Guarantee Scheme as catalysts for a sustained run.
“We’re seeing an unprecedented level of activity, with high auction numbers already a clear indicator of the market’s trajectory,” said Sutton. “Last week, Sydney saw its second-highest number of auctions for the year. This kind of volume, even before the new First Home Guarantee Scheme (FHGS) changes take effect, signals a powerful market run.”
Rebecca Jarrett-Dalton added a note of caution. “While inquiries are at an all-time high, the big question is whether we will have enough stock to meet this demand. The market is incredibly hot, and this could lead to a highly competitive environment for buyers, with many homes selling for hundreds of thousands above their reserve.”
“With listings not keeping pace with buyer demand, buyers are needing to compromise faster and bid harder.”
Two Red Shoes identifies several spring trends. The First Home Guarantee Scheme is expected to unlock a wave of first-time buyers by enabling eligible purchasers to enter with deposits as low as 5 per cent. The firm notes this supports entry and reduces rent leakage, but it is a demand-side fix that risks pushing prices higher around the relevant caps.
Buyer behaviour is shifting toward flexibility. With competition intense, purchasers are prioritising what they can afford over ideal suburb or land size. Two Red Shoes expects the common first-home target price to rise to between $1 and $1.2 million over the next six months.
Affordable corridors are drawing attention. The team highlights Hawkesbury, Claremont Meadows and growth areas such as Austral, with Glenbrook in the Lower Blue Mountains posting standout results. Preliminary Sydney auction clearance rates are holding above 70 per cent despite increased listings, underscoring the depth of demand.
The heat is not without friction. Reports of gazumping have risen, including instances where contract statements were withheld while agents continued to receive offers, reflecting the pressure on buyers in fast-moving campaigns.
Rates are steady, yet some banks are quietly trimming variable and fixed products. Many borrowers are maintaining higher repayments to accelerate principal reduction. “We’re also seeing a strong trend in rent-vesting, where owner-occupiers are investing in a property with the eventual goal of moving into it,” said Jarrett-Dalton.
“This is a smart strategy for safeguarding one’s future in this competitive market, where all signs point to an exceptionally busy and action-packed season.”
Two Red Shoes expects momentum to carry through the holiday period and into the new year, with competition remaining elevated while stock lags demand.
From Italy’s $93,000-a-night villas to a $20,000 Bowral château, a new global ranking showcases the priciest Airbnbs available in 2026.
From mud baths to herbal massages, Fiji’s heat rituals turned one winter escape into a soul-deep reset.
